San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Journal May 2021

JOURNAL

Building a Better Future for Wildlife Together MAY/JUNE 2021

SOLAR & ENERGY EFFICIENT LOANS Our Commitment to Sustainability

Finance Your Home Energy Upgrades With San Diego’s #1 Solar Financing Lender Wheelhouse Credit Union takes great pride in being the #1 Solar Financing Lender in San Diego, and proudly works with over 100 installers to help homeowners significantly reduce their electric bill, increase the value of their home, and help the environment.

Rates as low as

4.49% APR*

For up to

20

YEARS

Finance up to

$80K

No payment for up to

90

DAYS¹

APPLY TODAY 619-297-4835 | WheelhouseCU.com/Solar | WheelhouseCU.com/Branches

*APR = Annual Percentage Rate. Rates and terms are valid as of 04/01/2021 and are subject to change without notice. All loans are subject to credit approval. Other rates and terms available. Based upon a 4.49% APR and a 96 month term, monthly payments would be $12.42 per $1,000 borrowed. Restrictions and conditions may apply. Membership is required. ¹Payment may be deferred for up to 90 days from loan funding. Interest will accrue during the deferral period. Not all borrowers will qualify.

©2021 Wheelhouse Credit Union

May/June 2021

Vol. 1 No. 2

Journey Through Our Conservation Work. This issue of the San Diego Zoo

Wildlife Alliance Journal focuses on the Asian rainforest. To learn more about our collaborative conservation around the world, visit sdzwa.org.

Amazonia Jaguar

Asian Rainforest Tiger

Oceans

Southwest

Polar Bear & Penguin

Desert Tortoise & Burrowing Owl

Pacific Islands

Savanna

African Forest

Australian Forest

‘Alalā

Elephant & Rhino

Gorilla

Platypus & Koala

8

Contents 2 President/CEO’s Letter 3 By the Numbers 4 Findings 6 Meet Our Team 8 Hot Topics 26 Events 28 Kids Page 29 Last Look

Cover Story

20

10

Regaining Ground San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is working hard to brighten the future for Sumatran tigers.

Features 14

A New Horizon Sun bears at the San Diego Zoo have a history of playing an important role in their species’ conservation.

24

20

Red Apes of the Forest Orangutans live high in the trees on Borneo and Sumatra—and at the San Diego Zoo. Protecting these great apes has never been more important.

24

King of the Lizards On their Indonesian island homes, Komodo dragons are the apex predator. Take a closer look at the characteristics that keep this reptile at the top of the food chain.

On the Cover: Sumatran tiger Panthera tigris sumatrae. Photo by: Ken Bohn/SDZWA.

LET TER FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

JOURNAL

Let's Stay Connected Follow @sandiegozoo & @sdzsafaripark.

Share your #SanDiegoZoo & #SDZSafariPark memories on Twitter & Instagram.

The Zoological Society of San Diego was founded in Octo­ber 1916 by Harry M. Wegeforth, M.D., as a private, nonprofit corporation, which does business as San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

The printed San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Journal (ISSN 2767-7680) is published bimonthly, in January, March, May, July, September, and November. Publisher is San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, located at 2920 Zoo Drive, San Diego, CA 92101. Periodicals postage paid at San Diego, California, USA, and at additional mailing offices.

Copyright© 2021 San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

All rights reserved. All column and program titles are trademarks of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

If your mailing address has changed: Please contact the Membership Department; by mail at P.O. Box 120271, San Diego, CA 92112, or by phone at 619-231-0251 or 1-877-3MEMBER. For information about becoming a member of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, please visit our website at ZooMember.org for a complete list of membership levels, offers, and benefits.

Subscriptions to San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Journal are $25 per year, $65 for 3 years.

Foreign, including Canada and Mexico, $30 per year, $81 for 3 years. Contact Membership Department for subscription information.

PHOTO BY: ANDREYGUDKOV/GETTY IMAGES

MANAGING EDITOR Erin Smith SENIOR EDITOR Peggy Scott STAFF WRITER Donna Parham COPY EDITOR Eston Ellis DESIGNER Kerri Abrams PHOTOGRAPHERS Ken Bohn Tammy Spratt DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Kim Turner Lisa Bissi Jennifer MacEwen PREPRESS AND PRINTING Quad Graphics

Our Commitment Together As the summer season approaches, our world feels full of hope once more. And, considering what we all have gone through the past year, I know we are all ready to welcome back some normalcy.

In this issue, we are honored to bring to life unique facets of the Asian rainforest, one of the eight “hubs” we use to focus and guide our conservation efforts across the globe. Organizing our work into conservation hubs amplifies the impact we can have with our partners, and ensures we’re considering a One Health approach to the region— focusing on the health of wildlife, people, and the ecosystem. For animals like Sumatran tigers in the Asian rainforest (page 10), wildlife trafficking—the poaching and sale of live animals or parts of them—has been devastating. We’re collaborating with local conservation partners and communities to support efforts to advocate for sustainable palm oil and increase measures that protect wildlife. Trafficking threatens horticulture sustainability as well, and is a story we reveal on page 8.

And of course, as valued members of our Wildlife Alliance, you understand that conservation starts with people—and this includes people half a world away, as well as guests who visit us every day. We are thrilled to be welcoming all of you back through our two front doors at the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

This season, we’re particularly proud to debut the new William E. Cole Family Hummingbird Habitat, as well as the Kenneth C. Griffin Komodo Kingdom. These inspiring, collaborative efforts were only created with support from members like you, our family of wildlife allies. With my deepest gratitude and appreciation for your commitment to our conservation mission, I look forward to celebrating the summer season with all of you.

Onward Together, As part of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s commitment to conservation, this magazine is printed on recycled paper that is at least 10% post-consumer waste, chlorine free, and is Forest Stewardship Council ® (FSC®) certified. FSC ® is not responsible for any calculations on saving resources by choosing this paper.

2 / SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE JOURNAL / MAY/JUNE 2021

Paul A. Baribault President and Chief Executive Officer

BY THE NUMBERS

Meeting the Challenge The world’s wildlife is facing serious challenges, and there is greater urgency than ever to take action. That’s where conservation organizations like San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance come in: through partnerships, innovation, and ingenuity, we are determined to find answers and create solutions.

Board of Trustees OFFICERS Steven G. Tappan, Chairman Javade Chaudhri, Vice Chairman Linda Lowenstine, DVM, Ph.D., Secretary Richard B. Gulley, Treasurer

272

Asian rainforest animals that are Critically Endangered, according to IUCN.

Percentage loss in rainforest cover in the last 75 years.

~50

Percent of packaged foods include palm oil.

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, which was established to promote a sustainable palm oil industry.

PHOTO BY: TBRADFORD/E+/GETTY IMAGES

80

TRUSTEES Rolf Benirschke Joye D. Blount Kathleen Cain Carrithers Clifford W. Hague Robert B. Horsman Steven S. Simpson Judith A. Wheatley James Lauth, General Counsel to the Board TRUSTEES EMERITI Berit N. Durler Thompson Fetter George L. Gildred Yvonne W. Larsen John M. Thornton A. Eugene Trepte Betty Jo F. Williams

Executive Team Paul A. Baribault

President and Chief Executive Officer

Shawn Dixon

Chief Operating Officer

20

Square miles of habitat needed to support one male tiger.

David Franco Chief Financial Officer

Dwight Scott Executive Director, San Diego Zoo

Lisa Peterson Executive Director, San Diego Zoo Safari Park

Nadine Lamberski, DVM, DACZM, DECZM (ZHM) Chief Conservation and Wildlife Officer

David Gillig Chief Philanthropy Officer

~100

Inches of rain per year in tropical rainforests of Asia.

David Miller Chief Marketing Officer

Wendy Bulger

General Counsel

Aida Rosa

Chief Human Resources Officer SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE / SDZWA.ORG / 3

FINDINGS

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance pursues wildlife protection strategically by focusing on eight conservation hub regions on six continents. Below are recent discoveries and progress from around the world.

RARE PLANT INHABITS A TIJUANA CREEK BED

Biobanking benefits wildlife conservation and human medicine Researchers have sequenced 131 new mammal genomes, bringing the worldwide total to more than 250. Genetic material from San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’ s Wildlife Biodiversity Bank was a key contribution. The study, published in the Nov. 12 issue of the journal Nature, has unprecedented implications to advance both human medicine and biodiversity conservation. Oliver Ryder, Ph.D., Kleberg endowed director of Conservation Genetics at San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, was one of the paper's co-authors.

Members of our plant conservation team traveled to the outskirts of Tijuana in search of the very rare Jennifer’s monardella Monardella stoneana, a narrowly endemic mint species that occurs only from southern San Diego to northern Baja California. After some scouting in a canyon, they found several large, healthy specimens growing scattered along a creek bed. All of the plants had ripe fruits, and our team was able to collect seeds for biobanking.

New homes for burrowing owls San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance conservation scientists worked with San Diego Habitat Conservancy (SDHC) volunteers to construct burrowing owl acclimation aviaries. Part of an effort to establish additional burrowing owl breeding nodes in San Diego County, acclimation aviaries on SDHC property will temporarily hold burrowing owls from the Safari Park conservation breeding program. Our team is collaborating with SDHC to train staff and volunteers on various aspects of translocation, site maintenance, and monitoring.

Ebo Forest trail cameras show wildlife in action The Central Africa Program established 20 trail cameras in gorilla habitat of the Ebo Forest in Cameroon.

Initial photographs show forest elephants, chimpanzees, Preuss’s guenons, duikers, and a series of birds, including gray-necked rockfowl. With time, we are hoping to complete an inventory of the species in this very mountainous area, as well as inform a future study based on habitat use by target species, including gorillas.

4 / SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE JOURNAL / MAY/JUNE 2021

SAFARI PARK CHEETAH TESTS ACCELEROMETER

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance researcher Mathias Tobler worked with the Wildlife Discoveries team at the Safari Park to test a new accelerometer on a cheetah. The accelerometer collects high-resolution movement data. In the future, we hope to use these devices to help us learn about tigers in Sumatra and jaguars in Peru, to better understand their behavior and energy expenditures in different habitats.

William E. Cole Family Hummingbird Habitat

Together we grow.

With deep gratitude, this season we celebrate the opening of the William E. Cole Family Hummingbird Habitat and the Kenneth C. Griffin Komodo Kingdom, two inspiring new experiences made possible through your generous support. Thank you for being an ally for wildlife!

Kenneth C. Griffin Komodo Kingdom

MEET OUR TEAM

Q

Q

Q

What is the coolest thing about your job?

Being able to direct my time and effort toward something I feel passionately about: the health of our planet! While I spend a lot of time in front of a computer these days, I am certainly at my happiest when I am in the field.

Getting to know the people and communities around the globe—all working to protect our natural world—has been endlessly inspiring.

Why did you become a scientist? What drew you to this field?

Q

Has the pleasure of leading SDZWA’s talented team of dedicated conservation scientists. This amazing team practices a wide array of lab-based and field-based scientific disciplines—from genomics to ecology and social science. They are superheroes!

Q

What book or film influenced you or made a strong impression?

A couple of my favorite books are The Endurance by Ernest Shackleton, and The Worst Journey in the World by Aspley Cherry-Garard. Both are firsthand accounts of Antarctic exploration in the early 20th century, and are amazing tales of survival in the face of extraordinary challenge.

I came to the San Diego Zoo as part of the giant panda conservation program.

As a field-based scientist, I was unsure whether I would find satisfaction and purpose working in a zoobased setting. But coming to SDZWA was absolute kismet, as I came to realize that there are no boundaries in conservation science. In order to protect and restore biodiversity, we must use the full range of approaches to make a difference.

Megan Owen, Ph.D.

I started out my post-high school education in the arts, but changed my major to biology, with a pre-med emphasis. My intention at the time was to work with Doctors Without Borders or in a similar context. But during my senior year in college, I had an opportunity to spend a season in the Arctic doing a field biology project. After just a few weeks in a remote field camp— observing migratory birds and polar bears—I realized that I had found my element.

“

Focusing on the interconnectedness of wildlife, people, and the ecosystems we share is the future of effective conservation, and the only way we can truly make a difference is if we’re working with partners and communities.

6 / SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE JOURNAL / MAY/JUNE 2021

”

What was a turning point or defining moment in a project or program you’ve worked on?

What has surprised you about working in wildlife science?

I embarked on my journey out of love for wildlife, wild places, and hoping that I could help conserve them. Looking back over the decades, I can say that what has been a consistent source of surprise is how wildlife conservation is fundamentally about coexistence—finding a balance between the health and well-being of human communities and the health and well-being of the natural world. As a scientist focused on animal behavior, and at this late date in my career, I am also surprised by how much I still love to watch a panda patiently eat bamboo, a polar bear roll in the snow, or any animal do what they do.

I can spend hours watching animals do what they do.

Summer fun is heating up weekends at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Join us to learn about amazing African wildlife and experience the sights and sounds of incredible music and entertainment throughout the Park.

sdzsafaripark.org/summersafari

HOT TOPICS

Orchid Trafficking and Christy Powell, horticulture manager for San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, addresses the challenges conservationists face in working to prevent the illegal orchid trade.

This slipper orchid Paphiopedilum venustum is native to jungles in the Assam, Darjeeling, and Sikkim states of India.

PHOTO BY: TAMMY SPRATT/SDZWA

W

hen most people think of an orchid, the vibrant and showy plants found in grocery stores and florist shops often come to mind. However, the orchid family is very diverse—varying from small to large flowers, epiphytic to terrestrial, and found in all regions of the world except Antarctica. There are roughly 27,800 currently recognized species in over 760 genera—a few thousand more than the known bee species in the world and about five times the number of world mammal species. Orchids’ dust-like seeds are enclosed in a capsule, mostly wind dispersed, and require specialized mycorrhizal fungi to germinate in the wild. In the early 1900s, researchers discovered that orchid seeds could be germinated in vitro using a sterile gelatin-like substance that has all the nutrients that the orchids need to grow. Once commercial production of orchids began, they became more readily available for the retail trade.

Orchids’ beauty, fragrance, economic importance, medicinal traits, and unlimited potential for hybridization lured many hobbyists and collectors to attain

8 / SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE JOURNAL / MAY/JUNE 2021

Species Decline specific orchids at any cost—and often ilplant species were being traded internationlegally. Overcollection in the wild and loss ally in violation of this agreement, and in of habitat have led to a decline of orchids 1978 established the Plant Rescue Center globally. The International Union for Con(PRC) Program. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alservation of Nature (IUCN) evaluates the liance became an official Plant Rescue Cenconservation status of plant and animal speter in 1988, and we have rescued more than cies, with the particular goal of identifying 10,000 confiscated plants over the last 33 species at risk of extinction. The results are years, with over 2,000 of them being orchids published in the IUCN Red List of Threatfrom almost 30 countries. San Diego Zoo ened Species, a critical indicator for the Wildlife Alliance also works with partners health of the world’s biodiversity. However, such as the Center for Plant Conservation in orchids are underrepresented on the IUCN Escondido, Calif.; and the North American Red List, and currently only six percent of Orchid Conservation Center (NAOCC) to orchids worldwide have been assessed. A help save North American plant species. notable group that has recently been evaluA large portion of the confiscations ated are the slipper orchids, found we’ve received are slipper orchids in temperate regions of North from the genus Paphiopedilum.

All America, Europe, and Asia.

These are native to many Slipper orchid flowers regions in Asia, and are orchids are have a characteristic all Endangered or Critiprotected by CITES. slipper-shaped lip and cally Endangered. One It is illegal to transport are extremely popular confiscation of P. wardii orchids across in the horticultural came into our care in international borders trade. The IUCN Red 1990—dehydrated and without the proper List assessment found wrapped in newspaper. paperwork. that 79 percent of them are Our orchidist at the time, now threatened with extincJanette Gerrity, successfully tion. Combine this with the fact saved them from near death, and that many orchids have low populations, they are alive and well today and hold a distributed over small areas in developing large diversity of genetic material. countries, and you have a botanical crisis in The San Diego Zoo orchid greenhouses the making. continue to provide long-term homes for To combat illegal trafficking, orchids confiscated orchids. Horticulture staff are protected by the Convention on Internaactively propagate these species by division, tional Trade in Endangered Species of Wild hand-pollination, and micropropagation.

Fauna and Flora (CITES) laws and cannot be We share these propagated orchids with traded internationally without CITES perother botanical institutions, thus safeguardmits. The nearly 400 orchid species native to ing the species for the future and maintainthe US are also protected under the Endaning a DNA gene bank that may aid in future gered Species Act (ESA). It is illegal to pick orchid conservation programs. plants or flowers in national parks and other federal lands. After CITES was enacted in You can take action against wildlife 1975, the US government found that many trafficking. Visit sdzwa.org/take-action.

5 things

you can do to help 1. Purchase orchids of known nursery origin, and avoid online purchases where the background of the plant is not listed.

2. Learn the 12 most commonly harvested wild plants, and avoid products that use them. Learn more at sdzwa.org/wild-plants.

3. Avoid purchasing foods thickened with salep powder, which is made of ground orchid tubers.

These ice creams, puddings, and hot, milky drinks are particularly popular in the Middle East.

In 2013 alone, between 7 and 11 million orchids were estimated to be illegally harvested for this purpose.

4. Avoid shea butter and argan oil, which come from plants that are vulnerable to unsustainable trade.

5. Stay away from folk medicines and remedies that contain orchids.

SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE / SDZWA.ORG / 9

Regaining Ground Protecting Sumatran tigers outside protected areas

BY HARIYO WIBISONO, M.S. PHOTOS BY KEN BOHN

fter more than two decades of being classified as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), populations of Sumatran tigers Panthera tigris sumatrae continue their decline, driven by illegal poaching and retaliatory killing due to conflict with local communities.

Meanwhile, rapid forest loss has left tiger habitat fragmented.

Industrial-scale agriculture, the main driver of deforestation, has contributed to an estimated loss of 25 percent of tropical primary forests across the island between 2002 and 2019, and with demand for products such as palm oil, coffee, and timber only increasing, this trend is likely to continue.

Intervention by conservation organizations is critical to slowing the big cats’ decline.

A

10 / SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE JOURNAL / MAY/JUNE 2021

DID YOU KNOW? The Sumatran tiger is the smallest of the tiger subspecies.

5

Number of Sumatran tigers residing at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

25

Percentage of Sumatran tropical forest loss in less than 20 years.

80

SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE / SDZWA.ORG / 11

Estimated percentage of Sumatran tiger deaths attributed to poaching for trade.

Running the Numbers Today, the approximately 600 remaining Sumatran tigers are distributed among 23 forest landscapes, only two of which are large enough to support viable tiger population, while 10 are too small to support more than 20 tigers. At the same time, a large portion of protected areas are suboptimal highland habitats, and up to 70 percent of the remaining Sumatran tiger habitat lies outside of the protected area network. This means that a larger number of tigers live in heavily isolated, non-protected, marginal habitats, leading to interaction with humans, including illegal poaching and rampant human-tiger conflict.

After the World Bank launched the Global Tiger Initiative (GTI) in 2007, global resources to protect the last remaining tiger populations have been focused on large, protected tiger conservation landscapes. As a result, tigers living in marginal habitats have received little attention and funding, even though more than half of the Sumatran tigers killed every year are killed outside protected areas. The lack of scientific knowledge about tigers in these human-dominated landscapes hinders the development of management and conservation strategies.

Since 2017, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has been working with SINTAS Indonesia to establish the first long-term research and conservation project on Sumatran tiger ecology in marginal habitats, in the province of West Sumatra. In this region, the number of reported human-tiger conflicts has been one of the highest among the eight

12 / SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE JOURNAL / MAY/JUNE 2021

Hard work: In West Sumatra, the remaining Sumatran tiger habitat is typically found in rugged terrain at high elevations. In order to survey tigers, we place trail cameras to cover large areas. Our field teams spend weeks climbing through these mountains in order to reach the best locations and to maximize the chances of photographing Sumatran tigers and other endangered species.

BKSDA WEST SUMATRA/SINTAS/SDZWA (THIS PAGE AND OPPOSITE PAGE, BOTTOM)

Caught on Camera: A series of photographs of an adult male Sumatran tiger recorded by one of our trail cameras. The best locations are typically located on ridge lines with tiger signs, such as pugmarks (paw prints), scratches on tree trunks; and signs of principal prey, including Sambar deer, wild boar, and barking deer.

Sumatran provinces. Over a period of three years, through a series of spoor and field camera surveys, we have compiled a baseline dataset on Sumatran tiger populations and terrestrial biodiversity in these human-dominated landscapes. With this information, both the provincial and central management authorities, now—for the first time ever—have a sound, science-based understanding of the conservation status of the Sumatran tiger and terrestrial biodiversity in remnant forests they manage in the province.

Spreading the Word; Turning the Tide Habitat fragmentation and the depletion of native prey populations by overhunting leads tigers to wander out of the forest and into areas around villages, farms, and plantations in search of food. The loss of livestock, or fear of a tiger attack on humans, in turn, often results in local villagers killing tigers they encounter. In order to reduce this killing, tigers attacking livestock or people are being brought into rescue centers by Indonesian wildlife officials. We recently have carried out an assessment on potential sites in Kerinci

Seblat landscape, located next to West Sumatra, where these tigers could be released. This year, we will support the provincial conservation agency in the release of several tigers that will be fitted with a GPS collar to study their movement and habitat use. If successful, this model will augment the number of tigers in well-protected tiger landscapes and greatly reduce the number of tigers that spend the rest of their lives in tiger rescue centers. At the same time, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and SINTAS Indonesia are also actively working with local villages to find ways to better protect their livestock and to reduce the negative perception many people have of tigers. Through this work, we hope to show that people and tigers can coexist and share the same landscapes.

Hariyo Wibisono, M.S., is a population sustainability research fellow for SDZWA; Ken Bohn is an SDZWA photographer.

SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE / SDZWA.ORG / 13

A New Horizon

Conservationists Strive to Keep the Sun from Setting on Threatened Bear Species

BY GAYLENE THOMAS

|

PHOTOS BY KEN BOHN

The sun bear’s common name comes from the white or yellowish marking on its chest, which many people think looks like the rising or setting sun.

T

he smallest and least studied of the eight bear species, sun bears inhabit a fragmented range, spread over 10 (possibly 11) different countries, all in fragile regions of Southeast Asia. I have been fortunate enough to care for these bears starting at the onset of my career as a wildlife care specialist in 1991. Malayan sun bears Boysen Bear and Drasana were the first sun bears I met. Soon, I was observing the mischievous nature of their cub Elvira. The San Diego Zoo’s story with these bears goes much further back.

SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE / SDZWA.ORG / 15

DID YOU KNOW? Small populations of sun bears, black bears, and sloth bears have been found in eastern India.

By observing cub growth and behavior, scientists are able to formulate conservation projects for bears living outside managed care.

Quite the History The San Diego Zoo first introduced members and guests to this species in 1928, and sun bears, both Malayan and Bornean, have been leaving their mark on Zoo history ever since. That first bear quickly crumbled and bent a climbing tree made of concrete with internal metal reinforcement—starting the Zoo on what was to be a long learning curve on the destructive capacity and strength of sun bears! The Zoo’s Sun Bear Forest Habitat opened in 1989 and was initially home to five young sun bears that kept themselves busy by rolling sod into the pool, taking down trees, and finding footholds in the perimeter walls of the habitat. An innovative feature of the habitat was an artificial tree with a remotely operated, built-in honey dispenser. The bears responded to the dispenser’s “off time” with an inquisitive and intelligent decision to find the source of the honey. Their strength overpowered the artificial tree, and they destroyed it, along with the honey dispenser. Sun bears are literally built for this type of task. A sun bear’s inward-directed paws, bowed limbs, and strong muscles support arboreal activities with ease. With their strong jaws and claws, they rip and shred trees to expose food items such as termites and stingless bees.

Keeping Our Promise Over the Years The mission of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP) for sun bears is to cooperatively manage species and populations within managed-care facilities. Through the years, we’ve welcomed several cubs, as have other zoos.

16 / SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE JOURNAL / MAY/JUNE 2021

Small Bears, Big Challenges The sun bear population is thought to have declined more than 30 percent in the last 30 years. Although it is illegal to kill sun bears, laws protecting them are rarely enforced.

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, through past participation in the Bornean Sun Bear Species Survival Plan and current collaborative efforts with zoos worldwide, is working hard to help these petite bears. We also partner with the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) in Sabah, Borneo. BSBCC serves as a rescue and rehabilitation facility for orphaned and injured sun bears. Another partnership, with Free the Bears, strives to inform behavior change campaigns in rural areas of Cambodia, with the goal of shifting human behavior away from the use of bear products for medicine.

With its diminuitive size (less than 100 pounds) and strong paws with bare soles and long claws, the sun bear is built for arboreal life.

Maternal behaviors of sun bears at the San Diego Zoo have provided scientists with clues about denning habits and offspring development.

DID YOU KNOW? Sun bears do not hibernate like cold-weather bears.

Their tropical habitat provides year-round food sources.

In the late 1990s, as this generation of “bear baby boomers” grew older and became post reproductive, the declining zoo population initiated a collaboration between the AZA Sun Bear SSP, the AZA Bear Taxon Advisory Group, Sabah Wildlife Department of Malaysia, and Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center. In Borneo, 20 Bornean sun bears rescued from the pet trade needed homes.

Eight AZA institutions stepped up to care for the bears, with the goal of supporting a genetically healthy managed population. The first addition to the AZA Bornean sun bear population came in 2004, with the birth of a male cub at the San Diego Zoo to parents Marcella and Dibu. They successfully produced a female cub in 2006 and twin male/ female cubs in 2008. Marcella demonstrated solid maternal skills, and all of her cubs thrived! I think it was a relief for Marcella to raise the last two cubs together, as the siblings often directed their energetic bear antics toward each other

18 / SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE JOURNAL / MAY/JUNE 2021

instead of toward their mother. Today, Marcella is one of fewer than 20 sun bears living in accredited zoos of North America. Her tenacious and persistent curiosity has not waned much over the last 26 years.

We build environmental cues into Marcella’s habitat that provide her information leading to a variety of natural behaviors, as well as unique opportunities and choices. In a recent varied experience implementation by our wildlife care specialists, her habitat was transitioned into a mangrovelike environment over a three-day period. A fog machine began the transition, along with misters, mud-soaked dirt, and saturated browse debris. Grasses and moss were added on day two, along with tubs of salt water and scattered sea shells. The experience culminated in an opportunity for Marcella to obtain fish and squid as part of her diet. She investigated every aspect of the experience and afterward, cautiously sampled the fish.

The New Generation Because of our commitment to the wildlife in our care, I helped transport several sun bears born here to their new homes over the years.

These destinations were carefully chosen through the bears’ SSP. One trip was to Seattle with a young adult bear, Palu. The specialized training by wildlife care specialists facilitated a smooth loading into the secure carrier, and a content bear for the long drive. I remember peeking into the carrier about halfway through the journey to find Palu on his back with all four feet up in the air, twirling one of his food puzzles. Perpetually inquisitive, Palu later accomplished the demolition of a solid metal drinker at his new destination. The drinker had withstood years of serving carnivores much larger than Palu—but clearly not as determined.

ist Group, and the IUCN SSC Conservation Planning Specialist Group brought together 100 researchers, conservationists, government representatives, population managers, and wildlife care specialists, including me. We traveled to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for the International Symposium on Sun Bear Conservation and Management. In part, the vision of Symposium members is for sun bears to thrive as a functional component of their natural ecosystems, coexisting with human societies who appreciate their intrinsic value as living beings.

Here’s hoping that the tenacious attitude of sun bears resonates in a tenacious collaboration to make this vision real.

Gaylene Thomas is a wildlife care supervisor for SDZWA; Ken Bohn is an SDZWA photographer.

Doing Their Part Along with adding to the population, Bornean sun bears at the San Diego Zoo have contributed to conservation efforts. One collaborative project, conducted through AZA, involved analyzing fecal hormones and collecting behavioral data to learn about reproductive cycling. Our conservation researchers described estrous cycles through vaginal cytology, and applied artificial reproductive techniques to evaluate reproductive viability of males. We also studied behavioral components of male-female interactions, maternal care, cub development, and the impact of ambient noise on mothers and cubs.

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance continues to work with global partners, including Free the Bears, on sun bear conservation projects, such as the development of an educational curriculum to increase awareness of sun bear needs and status in Asia. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, a collaborative effort directed toward development of sustainable practices for the palm oil industry that will benefit all wildlife in the range.

Staying the Course In 2017, a collaboration between Free the Bears, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) Bear Special-

The omnivorous sun bear relies primarily on fruit and insects to meet its needs.

Its front paws and long claws rip open trees in search of insects or sap.

SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE / SDZWA.ORG / 19

DID YOU KNOW? Orangutans are the only great apes in Asia— all other great ape species live in Africa.

Forest People The name orangutan means “people of the forest.” Life high in the trees is a breeze for these great apes.

RED APES OF THE RAINFOREST Orangutans live in tropical and swamp forests on the Southeast Asian islands of Borneo and Sumatra.

I

BY DONNA PARHAM PHOTOS BY KEN BOHN

PHOTO BY: ANUP SHAH/DIGITALVISION/GETTY IMAGES

f you want to spot an orangutan in the wilderness of Borneo or Sumatra, you’ll have to look up. The world’s largest arboreal mammal, these shaggy red apes spend most of their life in the trees, feasting on ripe fruit and climbing, clambering, walking, and swinging confidently from branch to branch. With arms longer than their body; long, strong fingers; and grasping toes, life in the trees is a breeze for an orangutan. Females raise their offspring and even give birth high in the rainforest.

At the San Diego Zoo, the orangutan habitat mimics their rainforest home, with climbing structures joined by ropes and nets that help create aerial pathways through the habitat. Without predators like clouded leopards, Sumatran tigers, giant pythons, and crocodiles to avoid, orangutans at the Zoo are also quite comfortable on the ground. They spend time in and around rocky caves and human-made “termite mounds” that are sometimes filled with food for the orangutans to retrieve.

SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE / SDZWA.ORG / 21

Meet the San Diego Zoo’s Orangutans SATU Mature male Satu is easy to recognize with his thick cheek pads, pendulous throat sac, and long hair. He is the only adult male orangutan at the Zoo.

Only adult male orangutans develop large cheek pads.

A mature, cheekpadded male orangutan can weigh as much as an adult human— about 190 pounds.

Females are less than half that size.

KAREN The only member of the orangutan group to be hand raised at the San Diego Zoo as an infant, Karen survived a widely publicized open-heart surgery in 1994, and she remains a guest favorite.

INDAH Indah typically spends more time in the treetops and climbing structure than on the ground.

The 34-year-old female is the capable dam (mother) of Aisha as well as 17-year-old Cinta, a male who now resides at the Saint Louis Zoo and is a sire himself.

AISHA The bond between Indah and sevenyear-old Aisha is strong.

Orangutans have the slowest breeding rate of all mammals.

Infants nurse and stay with their dams for seven or eight years.

22 / SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE JOURNAL / MAY/JUNE 2021

Help for Orangutans In Indonesia and Malaysia, Sumatran and Bornean orangutans are Critically Endangered, and they face some serious threats to their survival. Palm oil plantations have taken over much of their forest habitat, and poachers target young orangutans for the illegal pet trade.

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance supports the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) Orangutan Program.

The goal is to protect and restore wild orangutan populations and their habitats through public engagement, funding, and field work that focuses mainly on habitat protection, rescue and rehabilitation, and capacity enhancing. Together, we are working to keep healthy populations of these beloved, shaggy, red apes thriving, high in the trees on Borneo and Sumatra.

Young Other apes live in social groups, but orangutans orangutans are a little different. Experts spend their first used to think they were solitary, but seven or eight years learning recent studies tell us more. Although where in the adult males generally avoid each other, forest to find fruit, how to where food is abundant, orangutans are a bit more social. The hypothesis is that the build a nest, and other survival orangutans’ semi-solitary social system techniques. may have evolved as a result of their diet—ripe fruits are scattered over a wide area, so orangutans also have to spread out, so they can all get enough food. In zoos, orangutans don’t have to spread out to forage, and they often do well in socialized groups that include adult males.

It’s not unusual to see male Satu interacting with­—or at least patiently tolerating—the other apes in the habitat, especially the young and playful, like seven-year-old Aisha.

“Seeing those positive interactions is a large part of what drives our day, and we are always looking for what we can do to make those behaviors as frequent as possible,” says Tanya Howard, a wildlife care specialist at the Zoo. “The excitement that a guest has when they watch the orangutans and see their natural behaviors—whether here at the Zoo, or at home watching on Ape Cam—is the same stuff that excites us.”

Donna Parham is a staff writer for SDZWA; Ken Bohn is an SDZWA photographer.

Don’t let all that walking get the best of you!

Stay fueled up by visiting one of our branded concessions.

The San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park thank our partners for their continued support!

VISUALIZE IT

King of the Lizards Komodo dragons are powerful predators.

On the hot and humid Indonesian islands they inhabit, adult Komodo dragons are the top predators. Sometimes a dragon chases down prey. More often, it hides in long grass and waits… a deer, pig, or water buffalo doesn’t see this hunter until it attacks.

Dragons aren’t picky eaters. They devour carrion (animals that are already dead) just as eagerly as live prey.

Vulnerable

As powerful as they are, Komodo dragons are no match for threats like habitat fragmention and wildlife trafficking. Fewer than 5,000 dragons survive in their island homes. Their status on the IUCN Red List is Vulnerable.

Energy Saver

Lizards, including Komodo dragons, store fat in their tail—an energy reserve for lean times. A dragon’s tail can be up to three feet long.

Real Dragon Eggs

Female dragons lay up to 30 eggs in a nest they dig in the ground or in an abandoned mound-nest of an orange-footed scrub fowl.

24 / SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE JOURNAL / MAY/JUNE 2021

Lizard Giants

Komodo dragons are the largest lizards in the world.

Males can be 10 feet long and weigh 170 pounds.

Females are smaller— about six feet long.

Komodo Kingdom Opening this June!

Come face to face with Komodo dragons at the Zoo. Kenneth C. Griffin Komodo Kingdom offers unparalleled views of these awesome predators. As a member of the Species Survival Plan for Komodo dragons, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance works with other accredited zoos to breed and protect these rare and spectacular monitor lizards.

The Better to See You With

Dragons have good vision, and they see in color. A semi-transparent third eyelid—called the nictitating membrane—can close across the eye while the eye remains open.

Monitoring the Situation Muscular legs power a dragon, which can run as fast as 13 miles per hour when pursuing prey. Komodo dragons and other monitor lizards sometimes stand on their hind legs and survey their surroundings. A large, muscular tail helps a dragon stand, balance, and wrestle with other males for access to females.

Forked Tongue

As a Komodo dragon’s long tongue flicks in and out, it helps the dragon locate prey. The forked tongue picks up odor particles and moves them to a scent receptor in the roof of the mouth, which carries the information to the brain.

A dragon’s skin is reinforced with bony plates, for added protection.

Rough, tough skin reinforced with bony plates protects dragons from injury.

SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE / SDZWA.ORG / 25

PHOTOS BY: (THIS PAGE) USO/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES; GLOBALP/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES; (OPPOSITE PAGE) REUTERS/PHIL NOBLE/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO.

Armor

EVENTS

Please note:

May & June M AY 9

Mother’s Day Brunch at the Zoo Celebrate Mom with a special meal prepared by San Diego Zoo Executive Chef Carissa Giacalone, featuring a wildlife ambassador experience.

Visit online for details and bookings, or call 619-718-3000. (Z)

All programs and dates are subject to change.

May and June Hours

JUNE 5

R•I•T•Z

Join us virtually for Rendezvous In The Zoo (R·I·T·Z)—“Bringing the World to You.” We will travel the globe virtually, highlighting San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance conservation projects. Join us for an extraordinary evening as we bring habitats right to your home! Register at sdzwa.org/RITZ

San Diego Zoo 9 a.m.–8 p.m.*

San Diego Zoo Safari Park 9 a.m.–7 p.m.*

sdzwa.org

JUNE 20

Father’s Day at the Zoo

619-231-1515

SAN DIEGO ZOO J U N E 1 1 –S E P T E M B E R 6

*Exceptions apply.

Please check our website daily for the latest updates on opening and closing times and requirements for visiting.

Nighttime Zoo Stay after dark and help us celebrate summer during Nighttime Zoo. Come “rock and roar” every day this summer with live music and other amazing entertainment experiences. There’s so much to do, see, and hear at Nighttime Zoo—it’s a good thing summer hours are longer!

(Z) = San Diego Zoo (P) = Safari Park

26 / SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE JOURNAL / MAY/JUNE 2021

Celebrate the leader of your pride with a “Surf ‘n’ Turf” meal and a wildlife ambassador experience. Visit online for details and bookings, or call 619-718-3000. (Z) O F F E R E D DA I LY

Discovery Cart Tours

Sit back in the comfort of your own expedition cart, as your group of up to 6 household members enjoys a 60-minute tour of the Zoo, led by a knowledgeable guide. Book online or call 619-718-3000. (Z)

SAFARI PARK M AY 9

Mother’s Day Brunch at the Park

Celebrate Mother’s Day at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park with a three-course meal designed by Executive Chef Grant Toraason.

Mothers will enjoy a special welcome drink. Guests will have assigned seating. Due to current restrictions, seating is limited, and precautions have been made to meet San Diego County guidelines. Book online or call 619-718-3000. (P)

M AY 2 9 – A U G U S T 1 5

Summer Safari The summertime fun is heating up weekends at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Join us to learn about amazing African animals and to experience international music and entertainment from around the world.

JUNE 20

Father’s Day at the Park

Raise a toast to Dad while you enjoy a hearty, three-course BBQ and Brew lunch.

Dads will receive a drink ticket for a brew of their choice. Guests will have

assigned seating. Due to current restrictions, seating is limited, and all precautions have been made to meet San Diego County guidelines. For reservations, call 619-718-3000 or book online. (P)

SE LECT WE E KE N DS

All Ages Roar & Snore Safaris

Campers of all ages are invited to experience a relaxing evening after hours, enjoying the Roar & Snore campground.

Families will get a chance to visit nearby animal areas at their leisure and enjoy camp activities. Visit sdzsafaripark.org for dates. Call 619-718-3000. (P) O F F E R E D DA I LY

Cart Safaris

Sit back in the comfort of your own Safari cart, as your group of up to 6 household members enjoys a 60-minute guided tour of the Safari Park’s African or Asian savanna habitats.

Book online or call 619-718-3000. (P)

SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE / SDZWA.ORG / 27

Visit the San Diego Zoo Kids website to find out about these and other animals, plus videos, crafts, stories, games, and more! kids.sandiegozoo.org

Who Are You?

H2 Oh!

3

The Kuang Si Falls in Laos cascade down three tiers, with a main drop of 200 feet.

A. I like the nightlife!

B. I’m most active at dawn and dusk.

C. Daytime is my busy time.

4

5

What’s your social life?

A. I like my alone time.

B. I like my family around me—a lot.

C. Go away!

6

It’s time to eat—what is your favorite type of food?

What’s your color?

Where’s your favorite place?

7

How do you like to spend your day?

A. Chilling in the shade of a tree.

B. Traveling—up to several miles a day.

C. Sunbathing.

A. In the trees.

B. Splashing in the water.

C. Give me the island life!

a

Sun bear

Like these longtongued, longclawed, small bears, you like forests, being mostly alone, get things done after the sun goes down, and never say “no” to a fruit snack.

tly

b

28 / SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE JOURNAL / MAY/JUNE 2021

Asian elephant

If family life is everything to you, and you like to swim, eat, and take walks with your relatives, then the continent’s largest terrestrial mammals are a lot like you!

mos

t ly

mos

mos

Which species are you? tly

c

Komodo dragon

Is sitting alone on the beach, eating a burger, your idea of a perfect day? Your wildlife soulmate might just be the world’s largest lizard!

PHOTOS BY: (TOP) MTNMICHELLE/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS; (BOTTOM, RIGHT) ANDREYGUDKOV/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES.

A. Basic black B. It’s all earth tones for me.

C. It’s not easy being (mostly) green.

A. Some fruit, veggies—or even roots.

B. A nice salad.

C. Anything meaty!

2

It’s bedtime!

Where do you bunk down?

A. A nice nest in a tree.

B. I sleep mostly standing up.

C. Burrow, sweet burrow.

Leopards and tigers and bears— oh, my! The Asian rainforest is home to thousands of types of wildlife. Do you have anything in common with the wildlife there? Take this quick quiz and see which species is/are the most like you—or vice versa.

1

Early bird or night owl?

Blink and you’ll miss it! Hummingbirds, like this rufous hummingbird Selasphorus rufus, beat their wings up to 200 times per second as they dart between flowers, sipping sweet nectar. Hummingbirds are unique to the Americas—North, South, and Central. Visit the San Diego Zoo’s William E. Cole Family Hummingbird Habitat, opening this June, to meet these tiny marvels up close.

Photographed by Tammy Spratt, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance photographer.

LAST LOOK

SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE / SDZWA.ORG / 29

JOURNAL

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance P.O. Box 120551, San Diego, CA 92112

Wildlife Heroes Change the World.

As a Wildlife Hero, your monthly gift will rescue and protect vulnerable wildlife, care for countless animals and plants in San Diego and around the globe, and offer hope to the world’s most extraordinary wildlife relying on us to thrive—and survive—each and every day.

Your ongoing and continued support fuels critical conservation efforts worldwide, allowing us to leverage your monthly gift and maximize your impact to meet the most urgent needs of wildlife while creating sustainable conservation solutions for the future.

Your monthly gift will make a world of difference for wildlife.

Become a Wildlife Hero today at sdzwa.org/hero.