Conservation Archives - Page 11 of 12

Conservation

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Quarters for Conservation program has allowed us to send more support to Tsavo Trust – a field-based non-profit organization in Africa that uses aerial surveillance and on-the-ground field efforts to protect wildlife in Tsavo National Park, the largest national park in Kenya. The organization was founded to help protect the last of the big “tuskers,” which are likely the last viable genetic pool of African elephants with tusks weighing more than 100 pounds each. The park is also home to a number of black rhino sanctuaries established by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KSW) and supported by the Zoological Society of London. The black rhino is critically endangered, due primarily to illegal poaching for their horns.

In partnership with the Kratt Foundation, CMZoo sent $53,333 in August to help support ongoing anti-poaching aerial surveillance efforts. These funds helped complete the construction of staff housing at Tsavo Trust and provided funding support for two support staff positions. This donation means Tsavo Trust can continue to monitor and protect roughly 16,000 miles of land that is vital to the survival of these endangered species.

“Our guiding principles ensure that our elephants here in human care have a direct connection to the protection of wild elephants,” said Bob Chastain, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo president and CEO. “That’s why we do the elephant and rhino feedings. We want it to be more than a theoretical connection. Each year, $25,000 of the money raised from our elephant and rhino feedings goes directly to this cause.”

This most recent donation brings CMZoo’s total Tsavo Trust support to $145,000, thanks to our our elephant and rhino feeding fundraisers, the Quarters for Conservation program and the Kratt Foundation.

“Tsavo Trust acts as a watchdog, working closely with the Kenya Wildlife Service to monitor a vast area for signs of poaching and illegal grazing,” Chastain said. “They also ensure deceased elephants’ tusks aren’t found by poachers and sold on the black market, which helps reduce the attraction to ivory overall.”

Aside from their antipoaching and illegal grazing prevention efforts, Tsavo Trust leads a number of creative solutions, like their program to establish honeybee colonies near farmlands.

Elephants, as majestic as they are, can cause severe damage to agricultural lands. Because they are naturally discouraged by the presence of honeybees, Tsavo Trust helped implement a program through which local farmers could install hives to stop elephants from entering areas that humans depend on for food and income. This innovation protects humans and elephants by lowering the chance of a human-elephant encounter, when elephants can be harmed or killed by humans who need to protect their means. Furthermore, the honey has become a new economic resource.

In addition to those efforts and many more, Tsavo Trust pilots invite government officials to join them on aerial survey expeditions, which can motivate people in influential positions to take inspired action toward wildlife conservation.

Historically, CMZoo donations to Tsavo Trust paid for airplane hours and fuel for anti-poaching efforts. But, when Chastain visited their headquarters in May 2017, he noticed they needed assistance in additional areas.

“It’s hard for them to get experienced employees to their remote location who can adequately support Richard Moller, Tsavo Trust CEO, and the future of the organization,” said Chastain. “The nearby major city is about a four-hour drive from Tsavo Trust headquarters. Our support over the past year has helped them build two houses: one for the pilot and one for a business administrator. This allows the organization to have a more solid foundation, rather than its operational success depending entirely on Richard.”

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo will occasionally support other rhino and elephant conservation efforts, but Tsavo Trust is the Zoo’s legacy partner.

From January to August 2018, the small-but-mighty Tsavo Trust team made 22 arrests, recovered 79 tusks and removed 673 snares and traps in Tsavo National Park. They continue working to protect the 12 remaining and accounted-for giant tusker elephants and endangered black rhinos in Kenya.

To learn more about Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Q4C program to fund conservation, visit www.cmzoo.org/q4c.

Four kits and four adult black-footed ferrets (BFF) are one step closer to life in the wild, thanks to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo conservation team. In mid-September, the ferrets were moved to a preconditioning center outside of Fort Collins, Colo., where they’ll spend about 35 days in a semi-controlled environment. During this phase, biologists observe the ferrets to ensure they can hunt, avoid predators and shelter themselves to survive without human intervention and continue to increase the endangered species’ population when they’re introduced into the wild.

With their black and white bandit-mask markings, inquisitive expressions and fluffy fur so similar to their adorable domestic cousins, it’s easy to assume the black-footed ferret is another one of North America’s plentiful wild small mammals. But, this is the only ferret species naturally found in the wild on this continent – and it was recently thought to be extinct.

During the western frontier exploration in the early 1800s, cargo ships from Europe and Asia brought sylvatic plague to North America. The spread of this disease, combined with poisoning and eradication programs led by newly settled farmers and ranchers, who saw prairie dogs as pests, drastically reduced the prairie dog population. Because prairie dogs are black-footed ferrets’ main food source, the BFFs’ population declined dramatically. By the 1980s, black-footed ferrets were thought to be extinct.

Since the 1981 discovery of a small population of BFFs in Meeteetse, Wyoming, conservationists launched a black-footed ferret recovery plan which continues to increase the population. Numbers fluctuate, but recent reports estimate 350 BFFs are thriving in the wild, thanks to this program.

Preconditioning is the final program stage for these born-to-be-wild individuals, and Jeff Baughman, CMZoo field conservation coordinator, makes it his life’s work to prepare them to thrive without relying on humans.

“We limit the human interaction as much as we can,” Baughman said. “We feed them and keep them healthy and clean while they’re with us, but other than that, we try not to let them hear or see us very much. Wild animals need a healthy fear of humans, so they’re not tempted to get close.”

From weekly lighting adjustments to reproductive monitoring and only four breeding opportunities (once per year, for four years) to pair a compatible couple to conceive, the intricacies of black-footed ferret breeding success are meticulously managed by the CMZoo conservation team. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is one of only five zoos in the world supporting the black-footed ferret species survival plan, with partners at Toronto Zoo, Louisville Zoo, Phoenix Zoo and Smithsonian Conservation and Biology Institute along with the USFWS National Black Footed Ferret Breeding and Conservation Center just outside of Fort Collins, Colo.

“Some people wonder why we invest so much energy to saving this species,” Baughman said. “They’re not just cute; they’re vital in helping secure healthy prairie ecosystems. BFFs are predatory prey, so their environmental role is to help control prairie dog populations while occasionally being a food source to owls, coyotes and badgers. BFF reintroduction sites are managed for plague which keeps the prairie dog populations healthy. This safeguards all of the other prairie species that rely on prairie dogs (a keystone species) as well. Black-footed ferrets are rare and important because they serve the ecosystem up and down.”

The black-footed ferrets at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo are being born and raised for genetic assurance of the Species Survival Plan population with about half of the offspring being allocated for release into the wild.

Although the BFF conservation area isn’t open to the public at CMZoo, visitors can still experience one of these endangered, beautiful creatures at The Loft. In 2015 after the age of four (when BFFs’ reproduction windows close), Sylvester came to the Zoo from the National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center as he was a great candidate for being an educational ambassador.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is committed to continued support of wildlife conservation efforts like the black-footed ferret Species Survival Plan. Through its Quarters for Conservation program, you can help by simply visiting the Zoo. For each paid admission to the Zoo, 75¢ is directly allocated for conservation programs just like this one. Each membership also helps support conservation efforts.

Giraffe conservation was given a generous boost from many helping hands when Operation Twiga III rolled out in Uganda earlier this month. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo staff and other concerned conservationists took part in translocating endangered Nubian giraffe to a safer location, where they could establish new herds and maintain the important genetics of their subspecies. Additionally, the operation generated more critical health data which will feed research that helps conservationists understand disease management and threats facing all giraffe in the wild.

“The team was able to capture and move a total of 14 giraffe from Murchison Falls National Park, where oil drilling is set to begin, to their new home in Kidepo Valley National Park,” said Dr. Liza Dadone, head veterinarian and VP of Mission & Programs at CMZ. “These giraffe, which include 13 females and one male, will join the approximately 35 Nubians that currently live there. Those 35 giraffe grew out of a founder population of only 3 giraffe, so we know translocations like this can work. An exciting development this year was the observation of giraffe calves in two other recently formed giraffe populations; one on the South bank of Murchison Falls National Park from Operation Twiga I and II, and one in Lake Mburu National Park from a 2015 translocation.

“The translocation process is really helping to create larger, more stable populations in multiple parks in the country,” Dr. Dadone said. “Previously, the majority of all remaining Nubian giraffe in Uganda lived in Murchison Falls, and up until four years ago there was only one other population of giraffe left in the country – those 35 or so animals in Kidepo Valley National Park.”

The Twiga operations have been successful in large part due to their partnership structure. Operation Twiga III was a combined effort among the Uganda Wildlife Authority, which led the project, Giraffe Conservation Foundation, and Cleveland MetroParks Zoo, with support from other organizations that sent supplies and staff to help. Making the trip this year on behalf of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo were CMZ Animal Care Manager Jason Bredahl, CMZ veterinarian Dr. Sara Ferguson, and Dr. Miranda Sadar, who is an assistant professor of avian, exotics and zoological medicine at the James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital/Colorado State University.

In addition to capturing and translocating the giraffe, the team was able to continue important research about health threats facing wild giraffe in Uganda.

“Over the past three years, we have been conducting anesthesia studies to try and increase patient (giraffe) safety,” explained Dr. Dadone, who was part of the Twiga I and II operations. “We have also been doing health assessments, so now our hope is to establish some baselines on animal health in Murchison Falls so we can try to evaluate whether oil drilling – which is expected to start by the end of 2018 in the park – is causing chronic stress, illness or mortality in wild giraffe.”

The team has also been investigating the cause of a skin condition seen in many giraffe in the park. While not currently causing health issues for the giraffe, the condition does not exist in Kidepo National Park giraffe, so they are trying to prevent the spread of the disease by developing a treatment.

“In 2017, we collected skin biopsies that were imported to the U.S. for study at the Colorado State University vet school,” said Dr. Dadone. “Our team there confirmed preliminary findings that the skin condition is associated with a parasite, so in April 2018 we started a treatment trial in Murchison Falls with a long-acting parasite treatment. The Operation Twiga III team treated all the giraffe with this parasite medication before they were moved from Murchison Falls to Kidepo to help prevent the possible spread of disease to a new habitat.”

It is hoped that ongoing research at CMZ and other zoos using giraffe trained for voluntary blood collection will reveal how long the drug treatment lasts in giraffe, thus helping with disease management moving forward.

All three Twiga expeditions have been financially supported by Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s conservation programming, which is funded primarily through Quarters for Conservation (guest tokens) and allocations from membership revenues. While $75,000 in direct support from CMZ was donated to the Twiga effort, many other zoos and organizations around the world also helped fundraise for this important work. In addition, many generous individual donations have been made consisting of both money and goods.

“The team brought many other much-needed things with them on the trip,” said Dr. Dadone. “These included medicines and supplies to help with anesthesia monitoring, patient health assessment, medical management and research, and three large field tents funded through a grant. The team also brought 22 pairs of combat boots for the Ugandan ranger team, donated by the 440th Affairs Battalion at Fort Carson and Jose Contreras of GI Jose Military Supply.

“The rangers previously only had galoshes,” said Dr. Dadone, “so the donation was greatly appreciated.”

Also greatly appreciated was the individual support given a Ugandan ranger by the name of Bridget. Bridget was part of Operation Twiga II, during which she revealed her desire to attend university for a degree in wildlife management. She simply didn’t have the money.

“When one of CMZ’s docents heard Bridget’s story, they provided a scholarship for her to attend Makarere University in Uganda! She started school a few weeks ago,” Dr. Dadone said, adding that another anonymous docent purchased a laptop for her, while CMZ keepers pitched in for a backpack and school supplies. The team delivered the supplies soon after arriving in Uganda. They also visited the zoo in Entebbe to continue building conservation, education and animal care collaborations.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is committed to continued support of conservation efforts on behalf of wild giraffe, and you can help simply by visiting the Zoo. For each paid visit to the Zoo, 75¢ is directly allocated for conservation programs just like this one. Memberships also help support these efforts.

“Our community can also help by raising awareness for wild giraffe conservation,” said Dadone. “Their future is not secure; giraffe are already locally extinct in seven African countries. We know that oil drilling is a direct threat to some giraffe populations, so consider carpooling and taking other actions that help reduce your personal use of fossil fuels. Please also mark your calendar and help us celebrate World Giraffe Day each year (June 21) – the longest day of the year for our tallest land mammal.”

Favorable strides in the management of endangered Wyoming toads were made this spring and early summer as CMZ experienced a robust egg-laying season, followed by the release of hundreds of year-old toads into the wild. Wyoming toads are currently listed as “extinct in the wild” by The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

The effort to save one of the most endangered toads in the world has been a bit of a “two steps forward, one step back” process since 1994 when the last known wild toads were brought into human care for future recovery efforts. The threats that caused them to disappear are only slightly curtailed, so various strategies have been employed to help re-establish the population in the wild. Currently, eight zoological and governmental organizations are breeding centers for Wyoming toads. CMZ joined the effort in 1992.

The effort to successfully re-establish Wyoming toads in the wild is basically three-pronged: first, develop fertile egg strands in breeding centers using genetically desirable cohorts (pairs); next, increase the number of tadpoles released into the wild; and third, maintain head-start programs that allow some tadpoles to overwinter at facilities and grow into stronger one-year-olds before being released into the wild. The third prong was added to help increase the survival of toads to maturity and have more breeding in the wild.

“We want to employ all these strategies, as they will hopefully increase the chances of survival for this species,” said Jeff Baughman, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Field Conservation Coordinator. “We need to keep thinking and adapt to what is or isn’t working.”

On May 30, our Zoo’s staff released more than 200 head start toads into the wetlands of the Laramie Basin of Wyoming. At the same time, 856 head-start toads were released by Saratoga National Fish Hatchery and around 50 were released by the Leadville National Fish Hatchery. Several surveys are conducted annually to determine if this strategy is helping to recover the species.

Head-start toads develop from tadpoles hatched the previous year. This year’s breeding season at CMZ began June 4 when, after hibernating for 35 days, 11 pairs of adult Wyoming toads were put together in the breeding center. Nine of the pairs produced fertile egg strands, which included 14,822 eggs! How do we know? Because staff counted them.

“We start by taking a photo of the strands,” says Baughman. “Then we take a Sharpie and dot each egg and use a finger counter to make clicks. It’s a pretty tedious process, but it’s really important we do this because we want to know our fertility average.”

This year’s fertility average was 62 percent, which Baughman says is really good. That means close to 8,400 of the eggs started tadpole development, which occurs 5-7 days after eggs are laid. Most of the tadpoles (7,644 of them) were released to the wild, but a few hundred were also sent to the Leadville and Saratoga fish hatcheries. CMZ also held back over 300 to become part of the Species Survival Program (SSP) breeding population and to be next year’s head start toads.

“Every year, transfers are conducted between facilities to ensure genetic variability for future breeding seasons, which is why we held back some of our tadpoles from this year for other zoos and facilities,” explains Baughman. “The rest of the tadpoles will become our next generation of head-start toads. These toads will grow from now until May when we will release them as adults into their Wyoming habitat.”

On June 27, CMZ staff travelled to Wyoming to help with a Wyoming toad field survey that looked specifically for tadpoles. When tadpoles are found during a survey, they are measured to differentiate between those that have been released from breeding facilities versus wild tadpoles. Although the aim of this survey was to document and measure any tadpoles found, toads were also seen in the field. These toads were observed but not interfered with to avoid causing unnecessary stress.

These surveys are crucial in determining if the population is making a comeback. We expect there to be ups and downs as the recovery of a species is never immediate.

— Baby Sumatran orangutan is the third offspring for Sumagu —

Colorado Springs, CO – Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is thrilled to announce the birth of a baby Sumatran orangutan, born at 9:28 p.m. last night. The baby is the third offspring for 30-year-old mom, Sumagu (soo-mah’-goo), and 27-year-old dad, Baka (bah’-kuh).

Mother and baby are in their regular exhibit in Primate World, which will be open for guests. Depending on where Sumagu decides to spend time, she and the baby may or may not be visible to guests.

Mother and baby appear to be healthy and bonding well, so the Zoo’s staff has not intervened to determine the sex of the baby or any other details. The baby was clinging strongly to Sumagu within minutes after birth. Sumagu came over to animal and vet staff to take some fruit, and they could tell she had done a great job cleaning the baby up quickly. She then spent some time rearranging her nest after the birth. The pair have also been observed successfully nursing.

Sumagu’s two previous offspring were both males – Makan, born in January 2003 and Godek, born in February 2009. Both of them now make their homes at other Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited zoos.

The Zoo’s last orangutan born was Bornean orangutan Ember, who is now 3 1/2 years old. Orangutans are pregnant for an average of 245 days, or a little over eight months.

In the wild, orangutan fathers do not usually participate in raising offspring, but they tend to do well in zoos where there isn’t competition for food and mates. Baka revealed great fatherly instincts with his previous two offspring. Staff are hopeful this will be the case with this new little one, but just to be sure, he will be kept separated from mom and baby for a short time.

Sumagu and Baka’s wild Sumatran orangutan counterparts are critically endangered. Non-sustainable palm oil production is fueling destruction of the rainforest habitat of Sumatran and Bornean orangutans, pushing those endangered species even closer to extinction. Found in cookies, crackers, frozen dinners, shampoo, lotions, cosmetics, pet food and many other products, palm oil is now the most widely produced edible oil.

You can help Cheyenne Mountain Zoo make a difference in this crisis by choosing the products you buy carefully using our sustainable palm oil shopping app. The app helps consumers make responsible decisions about the food and health/beauty products purchased every day – just scan a product in the app, and it will tell you how that company is doing with using responsibly sourced palm oil for their products. To download the app, or to learn more about the palm oil crisis, visit www.cmzoo.org/palmoil.

About Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Cheyenne Mountain Zoological Society was founded in 1926. Today, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, America’s ONLY mountain zoo, offers comprehensive education programs, exciting conservation efforts and truly fantastic animal experiences. It is Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s hope that guests fall in love with animals and nature, and take action to protect them. Of the 230 zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is one of just nine operating without tax support. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo depends on admissions, membership dues and donations for funding.

For further information, contact:
Jenny Koch, Marketing Director
719.424.7814 (office)
719.205.7430 (text)
[email protected]

Colorado Springs, CO – At the end of their conference-planning meeting last night, eight teenagers from Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Youth Leadership Action Board rewarded themselves with a quick visit to check on potential mom-to-be Luna, our 10-year-old Mexican gray wolf. They had no idea they would get the thrill of a lifetime to witness the birth of the Zoo’s first wolf pup litter in 20 years! The teens were able to identify two squirmy little pups around 8:30 p.m., and Luna’s labor produced more pups throughout the night and into this morning.

The births are not only incredibly exciting for the Zoo staff, who have been actively working to successfully breed the species for many years, but they are also highly significant for the future of the species. It is possible that these pups could go on to help repopulate the species in the wild.

For many years, the Zoo housed a bachelor pack of wolves, but within the past seven years, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA’s) Species Survival Plan (SSP) has placed various breeding pairs at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo with the hopes of offspring. Until now, none of the breeding pairs have been successful. Luna’s successful pregnancy is notable because she has very valuable and underrepresented genetics that the SSP was eager to have carried on in the captive population. When they are older, it is possible that Luna’s pups could be released to the wild to help provide genetic diversity in the wild, as well.

Luna is currently exhibiting great maternal behavior and is caring for the pups in a cozy underground den within the wolf exhibit. Staff members were able to monitor the births and Luna’s care of the litter through a camera mounted inside the den. The camera is connected to a monitor in the guest viewing area, so once the exhibit is reopened to the public tomorrow, everyone who visits the Zoo will be able to see footage of mom and babies at the exhibit. Video clips of mom and pups will also be shared on the Zoo’s YouTube and Facebook sites.

The sire for the litter is Navarro, who came to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo last November. The litter arrived just one day shy of Navarro’s birthday, giving him a wonderful early birthday gift! Navarro’s genetics are considered very valuable, also. Because Luna is showing quality maternal instincts, we have not intervened to determine the exact number or genders of the pups born.

The birth of this litter is significant because there are currently only 114 Mexican gray wolves in the wild, and only about 300 in human care. Until the 1900s, the Mexican gray wolf thrived throughout central Mexico, Arizona, New Mexico and western Texas. But by the 1950s, the species was virtually wiped out, with the last known wild wolf in the U.S. shot in 1970. When the Endangered Species Act went into effect in 1973, it led to the Mexican gray wolf being declared an endangered subspecies. Their number has since been increased through captive breeding programs.

The population of Mexican gray wolves in human care at Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited zoos is an important part of the plan to repopulate the species in the wild. The Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Program is run by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, with cooperation from the AZA Mexican Wolf Species Survival Plan. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has been a participant in the program since 1994.

“We knew there was possibility that Luna, our 10-year-old female, was pregnant, but it is also fairly common for wolves to experience pseudo pregnancies,” said Dina Bredahl, animal care manager for Rocky Mountain Wild. “Pseudo pregnancies exhibit the same behavioral and physical changes in the mother, so we were cautiously optimistic that this was an actual pregnancy. The keepers and I are thrilled that she has given us pups!”

Imagery: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/d8216ofok19ksz3/AAB_B7-JmLPxg5vNU2gCwR0fa?dl=0

About Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Vulture conservation has been a focus at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo for nearly a decade, and while strides have been made toward protecting them, this critically important species still hovers on the brink of extinction. They need our help more than ever.

The Association of Zoos & Aquariums has just voted to include African vultures as one of their SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) projects, thereby creating an opportunity for more united conservation efforts. Currently, 12 zoos across the country are committed to partnering with African conservation organizations in order to address the African vulture extinction crisis. As part of this group, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is helping to re-introduce African vultures to their wild habitat as one of our Quarters for Conservation legacy projects.

In addition, these birds have been part of our annual membership vote the past three years. We are proud to say that Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has donated nearly $67,000 to vulture conservation to date.

Africa currently has two species of vultures that are endangered and four species that are critically endangered. The main threats to African vultures are poisoning and power line collisions, says Jenyva Fox, lead animal keeper of African Rift Valley at CMZoo.

“Poisoning is a serious threat to vultures, which are nature’s clean-up crew,” said Fox. “Poisonings occur when farmers want to target larger predators like jackals and lions, so they lace meat with poison. Since vultures are very good at their job, they will clean up any carcasses they find – even the poisoned ones. Another newer issue is connected to elephant and rhino poaching. Poachers are lacing the elephant/ rhino carcasses with poison to target the vultures, so they do not give away the presence of a poached animal.”

In 2017, Zoo members voted to fund the monitoring of 34 vultures that were released back into the African wild in order to learn more about the threats they face and help them be successful. The funds are also helping conservationists determine which power line locations cause the bulk of collisions. In turn, raised or rehabilitated vultures will be trained to avoid those lines before they are released back into the wild.

Unfortunately, Africa is not the only place where vultures are threatened by poison. In Asia, an estimated 40 million vultures have died due to an anti-inflammatory drug called Diclofenac, which is used to treat fever and inflammation in cattle.

Because they scavenge for carcasses, vultures are often depicted as macabre or fatalistic symbols. But their role in the natural world is to help stop the spread of disease, and they are ideally suited for it.

“Vultures are nature’s clean-up crew,” said Fox. “Because they eat dead animals, they are thought to be dirty or gross birds. But they have a few adaptations and behaviors that help them stay clean, such as bald heads and necks to prevent bacteria from sticking. Some species of vulture will urinate on their own legs to kill bacteria from the carcasses they fed on, and vultures bathe regularly – both in the water and the sun. The UV rays from the sun kill the pathogens on their feathers after feeding.

“But the thing that I think makes them the most amazing is that they have very strong stomach acids that kill diseases and bacteria in the food they are eating,” said Fox. “This is why they don’t get sick like other scavengers could. Sadly, these acids are not able to overcome man-made poisons.”

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is home to three Cape vultures and one Eurasian griffon vulture. Guests can see our Cape vultures in African Rift Valley and can learn more about vultures at our Wings of Africa Bird Show, held daily at 10 a.m. (weather permitting).

A nine-day trip to the jungles of Panama to help release hundreds of critically endangered frogs into the wild is just part of the job for Cheyenne Mountain Zoo veterinarian Dr. Eric Klaphake.

As part of the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation project (PARC), the Zoo is actively involved in helping save dozens of species of Central American frogs and toads threatened by an infectious disease called chytrid fungus. Dr. Klaphake is part of the research team investigating the fungus’ impact while trying to preserve what remains of these species. There are currently 13 critically endangered frog species in human care at PARC, but the group is studying many more at risk.

The January release was composed of 500 Atelopus limosus frogs, also known as harlequin frogs or clown frogs due to their bright coloring. While not the first release of harlequin frogs by PARC, it was the largest. Like many release trials, it is uncertain how many may survive, as their resistance to chytrid is still in question. Also, determining perfect release sites for the frogs can be difficult. A site can appear good initially, but new issues can be revealed once it’s put into practice. However, it will provide the PARC researchers with valuable data.

“We will gain critical information for future releases, including understanding the challenges faced by a frog as it transitions from captivity into the wild,” said Dr. Klaphake.

Before being released, the frogs were injected with a harmless, under-the-skin fluorescent “tattoo” so they could be identified by black light upon recovery. In addition, a subgroup of about 30 frogs were outfitted with miniscule radio transmitters. The transmitters will provide valuable feedback, even though expense and limited battery life (approximately 21 days) limited the size of the subgroup.

“The transmitters will help the consortium understand where the frogs go after release, including how they respond to weather, what type of vegetation/location they like to use, and their preferred basking temperature,” explains Dr. Klaphake. “They will also make it easier to find those frogs to confirm life/death, and, if dead, hopefully discover whether chytrid, predation, or other causes contributed to death to help us better guide future releases.”

The frogs were released near the Cobre mine in Panama’s Colon province. Cobre is one of the largest copper reserves in Panama and the mining company contributes generously to PARC.

“In addition, it’s well secured, so it was a location we knew would not be easily disturbed by outsiders,” said Dr. Klaphake.

While January is considered the dry season, the weather was abnormally cool and rainy during Dr. Klaphake’s visit. Traversing the site involved wading up a creek, traversing its steep, clay banks, and battling the dense jungle understory. Along the way, the team observed other frog species, giant millipedes, rats, and baby anole lizards. They were careful to give wide berth to the few venomous fer-de-lance snakes they encountered.

As a founding partner for PARC, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has provided instrumental support to the project, including participation in field expeditions and surveys, development of education programs, and veterinary and husbandry support in Panama. Dr. Klaphake has visited the PARC project in Panama once before, while Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Conservation Coordinator Jeff Baughman travelled there last year to participate in a smaller release.

The project is considered significant due to the immediate, and not inconsequential, threat of losing multiple amphibian species forever. Frogs are considered an indicator animal, meaning if they were to go extinct in Central America, eventually the delicate balance of our ecosystem would be upset and we would start to see a ripple effect caused by their absence.

While researchers in the PARC consortium and around the world are investigating how to halt the spread of chytrid and/or increase amphibians’ immunity to the fungus, there are other important steps we can take in our everyday lives to help amphibians thrive.

“Remember, all water flows downstream, so being careful about what we dump into sewers, drains, and waterways is important,” notes Dr. Klaphake, adding “especially medications – they can concentrate and lead to many problems, including fertility issues in many aquatic species, even at very low levels.”

To learn more about the threat to Panama frogs, visit http://amphibianrescue.org. Panama Frog Conservation is one of the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Quarters for Conservation projects, so you can also choose to support our work with PARC every time you visit the Zoo.

The Tsavo Trust, which works to protect elephants and rhinos in Africa from illegal poaching, is gaining more ground, thanks to the continued support of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo guests. This year, donations are supporting the Trust’s long-term viability through infrastructure development, in addition to ongoing support for aerial surveys. Two $18,333 donations for infrastructure have already been sent this year, along with an initial $25,000 donation to support aerial surveys at the beginning of the year. A third $18,333 will follow in the near future to complete our total pledge toward infrastructure of $55,000. These donations were made possible through the Zoo’s Quarters for Conservation (Q4C) program and our popular Elephant and Rhino Snack Times.

Tsavo Trust is a field-based non-profit organization in Africa that uses aerial surveillance and on-the-ground field efforts to protect wildlife in Tsavo National Park, the largest national park in Kenya. The organization was founded, in part, to help protect the last of the big “tuskers,” which are likely the last viable genetic pool of African elephants with tusks larger than 100 pounds each. The park is also home to a number of black rhino sanctuaries established by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KSW) and supported by the Zoological Society of London. The black rhino is critically endangered, due primarily to illegal poaching for their horns.

Following a visit to Tsavo National Park by CMZoo President Bob Chastain in May this year, it was apparent that the Trust had grown enough to warrant more infrastructure support, by way of assistance for staff housing. Currently, Tsavo Trust’s founder and CEO, Richard Muller, provides all administrative oversight with the help of an off-site, part-time development officer.

“To paint a picture, their house is not like our houses. He and his family live fairly remotely – about an hour from the nearest town,” Chastain explained. “Their beautiful living room has no walls, just a roof, and they rely on solar power to heat water. Their family’s bedrooms have normal walls, but this is to protect them from leopards and lions roaming in the area at night. Last year, a member of their team was seriously injured around camp by a water buffalo.

“I observed that Richard works long days, doing field work during the day and working on reports at night,” Chastain said. “It seemed the best way we could help Tsavo Trust at this time was to help them grow their infrastructure.”

The goal is to build two permanent facilities – a house for the pilot, and a house for a future assistant to Richard. To date, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s donations have helped complete the pilot’s house and laid the foundation for an assistant’s house. Made primarily from concrete with wood supports, the houses are simple, but special, and only cost about $35,000 to build. The Zoo’s donations are sent when specific milestones in the construction project are met.

The Tsavo Trust conducts on average about 4,400 miles of aerial surveillance each month. The Tsavo East and West National Parks cover approximately 16,000 square miles, so the surveillance is a critical method of stemming illegal poaching activity. Dividing the park is a highway, and train tracks also cross it (the rail line is depicted in the movie Heart of Darkness), both of which provide additional hazards for animals.

During his visit, Chastain was able to fly with the pilot and observe some of the terrain covered by surveillance. Typically a Kenya Wildlife Service officer flies with the pilot, a partnership that has yielded positive results. The Trust’s joint efforts with KWS has resulted in numerous poaching arrests, the disbandment of poacher camps, the recovery of elephant tusks and confiscation of over a thousand wire snares.

These partnerships are critical in providing local support for the work of the Tsavo Trust. Another way the Trust builds local support is through its work with the Kamungi Conservancy to implement problem-solving strategies for local people. Part of the land surrounding the park is designated as conservation easement and is farmed by locals. The recent Kamungi Water Project provided a 2.4-kilometer water delivery pipe line to a local village. As human/animal conflicts arise, it’s important they are resolved humanely whenever possible. For example, elephants sometimes raid the farmers’ fields and are shot in retaliation. One method of easing this conflict has been the establishment of bee hives and hotwire fencing along the perimeter of three local community farms as part of the Human Elephant Conflict (HEC)-Elephant & Bees Project. This solution incorporated the use of a natural deterrent (bees) and resulted in income for the farmers through the sale of honey.

By continuing to focus on solutions that work, the Tsavo Trust is able to make headway in its efforts to reduce the illegal poaching of critically endangered giant tusker elephants and black rhinos, as well as other threatened species in Tsavo Park.

Every expectant mother wants good lighting for her big moment, but for black-footed ferrets, lighting is absolutely critical to optimum breeding.

CMZoo Conservation Coordinator Jeff Baughman utilizes lighting cycles, lots of cell testing and a solid timetable to successfully breed the endangered small mammals.

Currently, Baughman averages about 20 to 30 black footed-ferret kits per breeding cycle. The ferrets are a little behind schedule right now, but Baughman has his fingers crossed that the females due from the beginning through the end of July will provide healthy kits. Baughman and staff have a whelping success rate of 57% – an impressive statistic that has helped bring this species back from the brink of extinction.

With their little black masks and feet, adorable ears and fluffy fur, it’s easy to assume the black-footed ferret is another one of North America’s plentiful small mammals, when in reality this apex predator is the only ferret species found on this continent.

During the western frontier exploration in the early 1800s, prairie dogs were identified as pests and large-scale poisoning and eradication programs continued into the 1930s. The prairie dog is the black-footed ferrets’ main prey, so, sadly, this behavior and belief also led to the decline of black-footed ferret.

By the early 1980s, black-footed ferrets were considered extinct – until they were rediscovered in 1981 on a ranch near Meeteetse, Wyoming. After studying this small population for a few years, scientists discovered they were extremely susceptible to diseases like canine distemper and the sylvatic plague. To effectively save the species, 24 ferrets were taken into human care.

Since then, a black-footed ferret Species Survival Plan (SSP) was written, enacted and has been continued by a handful of Association of Zoos & Aquariums-accredited (AZA) organizations along with U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is proud to be one of those zoos and is currently in the process of monitoring the whelping of seven out of 11 female black-footed ferrets at the on-site Zoo’s conservation center.

Associate Zoo Veterinarian Dr. Eric Klaphake explained the veterinary aspect of successful breeding begins early on in the process. CMZoo’s vet and conservation staff will start doing health checkups on breeding age males and females in the fall. This includes checking body condition and teeth health.

Baughman utilizes light cycling to stimulate breeding behaviors in the ferrets. He operates the lights at around 90 foot candles. A foot candle is a measurement of light intensity and is defined as the illuminance on a one-square-foot surface from a uniform source of light. This means it gets pretty bright during breeding cycles. In the fall, Baughman begins the light cycle at a low luminescence to stimulate breeding behaviors in the males. By late spring and early summer, the light level has increased to 15 hours of light per day to speed up the estrus cycle in females.

“These light cycles recreate what would naturally be happening in the wild and essentially make it feel and look like the long days of summer,” Dr. Klaphake said. “The ferrets need to cycle down and back up. The light starts this cascading of hormones up to the brain and back down to the organs to initiate breeding activity.”

To ensure optimum breeding opportunities, conservation staff will test the viability and health of male ferrets through sperm samples and then examine reproductive cytology of the females so that the best breeding partners can be matched up.

“We will test to evaluate the quality and number of sperm cells, their morphology and motility,” Dr. Klaphake said. Negative testing can indication reproductive challenges and if so, we can choose not to cycle those animals into the breeding pool, or we can contact the National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center up near the Colorado/Wyoming border and talk about exchanging for different animals.”

The ferrets’ gestation period is only around 50 to 60 days. After birth, the kits are monitored by camera. Conservation and vet staff try to stay as hands-off as possible, but will interact with the kits to assess their growth and weight, try to determine the sex of the kits and monitor both mom and babies for any health concerns.

“The first four days are hands-off,” Baughman said. “At 21 days, we’ll start weighing and determining sex, then at 26 to 30 days, we will introduce meat. At 37 days, they open their eyes. Then, at 50 to 90 days, they are given live prey and separated from mom to begin the pre-conditioning process. This is important because they need to be able to be effective hunters as they’re being reintroduced back into the wild.”

Different kits progress to different stages, says Dr. Klaphake.

“Some might go into the wild ferret ‘bootcamp’ at the conservation center, others might to be sent to other facilities to be part of breeding programs and others might go to zoos to be animal ambassadors or conservation program animals,” he said.

“Bootcamp” is a pre-conditioning stage where conservation staff introduce and test ferrets slated to be released on their hunting and predation skills.

To get as many ferrets as possible to that stage, Baughman needs the remaining females to birth successfully. Part of the complication comes from the fact the ferrets are not artificially inseminated – their breeding is all natural. Though it’s not an exact science, Baughman is fairly confident that if all the components are on track – lighting, testing and time – the formula will again prove successful.

“It’s like a Tetris game, where all the pieces and parts have to fit into place,” he said.