Third Friday Update – January Edition

 Note from Dave Jenike:

THE NEW ZOO YEAR 

As we enter 2022, we have much to celebrate.  Our More Home to Roam fundraising efforts have reached the $143 Million mark which brings us within 5% of our $150 Million goal.  Our Zoo Memberships are at an all-time high with close to 83,000 active members.  Both achievements illustrate the high value our community places on the work we do – to inspire all with wildlife!   

This next year we will start the historic transformation of our campus and deliver on the promise to create the next generation elephant facility.  This along with other projects (large and small) will advance our commitment to animal excellence, a foundational part of all the work we do.  Additionally, through our sustainability, conservation, and coexistence efforts we will facilitate a brighter future for wildlife and people.   

 We will continue to strengthen our ability to connect people with nature and inspire them with wildlife and we are committed to making sure everyone in our community can enjoy a Zoo experience.  To deliver on that promise, we need to intentionally build an inclusive culture that not only celebrates diversity but recognizes the value of differences and creates space for people to be their best.   

 While I don’t have a crystal ball, in these plans you can see the priorities that will shape our future.  We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in that future and I’m proud to be on this journey with the best Zoo team in the land! As our year unfolds, we will provide updates on the impact of this work and opportunities to engage in the actions that support them.     

 Many thanks for all you do!  

~ Dave Jenike  

Zoo Shout Outs

• Congratulations to Barbara Henry & Jenny Nollman for their manuscript “Challenges of devising a milk recipe in a hand-reared hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius)” recently accepted for publication to Zoo Biology.   

• Congratulations to Erin Curry, Jesse Wojtusik, and Terri Roth for publishing a study on ‘Rhinoceros serum microRNAs’ in Mendeley Dataand Veterinary Science & Erin Curry and Jenna Lowe for publishing a paper on ‘Incidence of pregnancy loss and characterization of fetal development in red pandas’ in Reproduction & Fertility.   

• Congratulations to Lily Maynard for becoming the new SAFE Leader for African lions! Stay tuned for more information and opportunities to get involved with African lion conservation.   

• 354,692 total attendance for PNC Festival of Lights – second highest December attendance in Zoo history! 

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Projects Update:

More Home to Roam

With Erckenbrecher Entry, Roo Valley and African Penguin Point projects complete, we are officially in the fourth phase of the five overlapping transformation phases of the More Home to Roam project.  Click on the image above to look at the latest campaign update,  created in June of 2021.

Elephant Trek Update – the Capstone Project of More Home to Roam

 Elephant Trek is the BIGGEST habitat in Zoo history.  The whole city rejoiced when we broke ground on June 15th, 2021!

There are 5 Major Elements for Elephant Trek:

1- Elephant Barn – 20,000 square feet

2- Picnic Shelters

3- Secondary Habitats

4- Elephant Yard

5- Entry

Click Here to go on a Virtual Walk-Through of Elephant Trek

 There are 5 phases of the Elephant Trek:

Phase 1 – COMPLETED – Mai Thai’s Market – The market has a whole new selection of goodies including Graeter’s Ice Cream and drinks from Coffee Emporium!  There is also the Outpost Café that features some classic Cincinnati flavors with a twist.

Phase 2 – ALMOST DONE – Retaining Wall – There is no way you can miss this project if you drive by on Forest ave.  The old Safari Lot is mostly gone. The ever-resourceful facilities team ground it into gravel-sized pieces and used it to backfill the wall – saving us from having to spend the money and diesel fuel to have it hauled off!     

Phase 3 – 2022 FOCUS – Picnic Shelters/New path to CREW/Asian-themed Garden – This project is well underway and, according to a recent update from Dave, still on track to open in May.  I was fortunate enough to sneak by one day last week and I was amazed by how quickly structures are coming together.

Phase 4 – Indoor Barn – This project is set for completion in the Summer/Fall of 2023.  The indoor barn is the most important living space because it will enable us to get elephants here as quickly as possible and start acclimating the elephants to the new area and making introductions.

Phase 5 – Outdoor Yards/Complimentary Habitats/Entry – This phase is set for completion in Summer/Fall 2024.  There will be 2 viewable elephant yards and one area of the yard that will be considered “off habitat”.  The complimentary habitats will contain Asian clawed otters and siamangs.  The public will not have access to this area until this phase is complete.

Click Here for More Information

*Don’t forget to bookmark the link above for up-to-date information

 North America:

It has been easy to focus on the More Home to Roam campaign/Elephant Trek but another project is happening right under our nose and is set to open Summer 2023!  Construction is underway on North America…our new North America exhibit that is!  Bearline will be re-imagined into an amazing North America space and work is starting this week.  There will be a temporary fence installed from the top of the hill down to the lower viewing level – pedestrian traffic will be able to get by.  I don’t have much information to share yet, but hopefully exciting updates will be rolling in soon!  What we do know is that we will be receiving a North American Bear (the animal team is still talking through other species) and habitat interpretation is in the works!

Powerhouse:

Another project in the works is the expansion of the powerhouse, located in Children’s Zoo.  This expansion requires the demo of the old chicken coup to make room for the new addition.  Construction will be starting the week of January 24th and will shut down the path going through Children’s Zoo by the goats.  Please remember to use a different route for the time being.

Carousel:

Last but not least…the carousel.  While looking at the plans for Elephant Trek above, you may be wondering where the carousel fits into the design.  Well, it doesn’t, that is the bad news.  The good news is, a new bigger and better carousel has been ordered and is scheduled to arrive in Spring/Summer 2023.  The new carousel will be set up in a more central location in the Zoo, closer to Swan Lake and the administration building.

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Zoo Updates:

COVID-19 Update:

Please be on the lookout for an e-mail from me in reference to the changes in the COVID-19 Policy.  There is now an updated definition of Fully Vaccinated and new requirements for logging your vaccination information in MVP.  If you do NOT receive an e-mail from me with the COVID-19 Vaccination Guidelines by the end of the day Friday, 1/21, please send me an e-mail so I can send it to you again.  In the e-mail there will be a request to update your vaccination and booster information in MVP.  There is a link to a tutorial video below that walks you through the steps of uploading the required information into the system.

Click Here for the Tutorial

Did you know that you can order 4 Free at-home rapid COVID-19 Tests via the USPS?  If you would like to order tests and you have not ordered them yet, click on the link below to be redirected to the site.

 https://www.covidtests.gov/

Social Media Update:

  You should have received an e-mail from me with the new social media policy attached, the policy can also be found in the “Files” section of Better Impact.  There have been some changes and updates, so please take the time to read over the entire policy.  If you have any questions you will find contact information for our communications team at the end of the document.

ZooTales

If you love cats, this new podcast episode is purrfect for you! Learn more about Ohio Alleycat Resource from Alle & learn how you can help cats in your community!

I was so excited to listen in and hear what Alle had to say.  I have two precious Fur babies, Al & Betty, that came to my doorstep as a result of a community cat that had not been spayed.  After all her kittens were adopted we were able to trap the Mom (who had no interest in being an indoor cat) and bring her to OAR to get her spayed for free.  We also used their very affordable services for Al and Betty when they were old enough and the staff was always helpful and wonderful!  To learn more about their organization Click Here to visit their website.

Click Here to Listen to the Podcast

Penguin Parades

Did you catch the first weekend of Penguin Parades?  The parades will go on Fridays – Sundays, and Holiday Mondays (January 17 & February 21) through February 28.  Click on the photo above to watch a video of the first penguin parade of this year.

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Just For Fun

National Popcorn Day

Why is National Popcorn Day listed in the Volunteer Update?  Well, the Social Media team had so much fun with the posts I just had to share!  Take a look at the animals that helped us celebrate!

The bearcat has a very distinctive odor: it smells like hot popcorn! They owe their popcorn-like scent to a chemical compound in their urine.

Our elephants celebrated with some fun popcorn enrichment. This is one example of the kinds of multi-sensory enrichment items that will be abundant in Elephant Trek, the new home that we’re building to give them More Home to Roam!  Click on the photo above to see a video of the popcorn feeder in action!

Big Win for Cincinnati

Last Weekend was a HUGE one for Cincinnati Football Fans!  The Cincinnati Bengals broke the “curse of Bo Jackson” and won their first Playoff game since 1991!  I have a sneaking suspicion that players may have stolen a few moves from our Tiger!  Click on the photo above to see what happens to the Raider helmet once our Malayan Tiger gets ahold of it!  Make sure to #ShowYourStripes as we cheer them on this weekend as they face the Titans!

Weekly Lunch Specials

SSA specials are back in the Base Camp Cafe!  Make sure that you check into Base Camp Cafe each week to see what new delicious items have been added to the menu!  This past week one of the specials was tomato soup and grilled cheese…Delicious!

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 Plant & Animal Information:

Goodbye to Chester

We’re so sad to deliver the news that Chester the Andean bear that many of you will remember lounging with his leg stretched straight up, passed away on January 11th. He was a geriatric bear and had age-related issues, such as arthritis, that the care team could manage with medication until recently. In the past few months, his physical condition deteriorated to the point that the animal care team made the difficult decision to humanely euthanize the beloved bear. One of his long-time keepers described Chester as “an exceptional bear to care for. He was inquisitive, clever, and had a whole lot of personality. He really enjoyed interacting with his keepers, and was always curious about what was going on. He was the same with everyone—horticulture, maintenance, anyone who came behind the scenes was given an interested, curious look. He was a master straw fluffer, and given a pile of straw, wood, wool, and blankets, he made a nest for himself that we all envied at times. He liked his morning swims in the summer, loved his grapes and peanuts, and watching him eat a cup of peanut butter was the cutest thing ever. We all have photos of him sleeping with a leg stretched up the wall; it was his trademark pose, and the best thing ever. He will be deeply missed.”

Another Snow Day!

This past Monday we were lucky enough to get a little more snow and some of the Zoo’s youngest residents had a great time playing with it!

Amali

Click on the photo above to see what Amali the bonobo really thinks about this snow!  Kesi and the other bonobos do this with frozen popsicles, so she’s clearly watching and learning!

Fiona

Click on the photo above to see a video of Fiona and Bibi enjoying their Snow Day!

New Additions

Welcome Wilma (Top) & Harold (Bottom)! These two adorable 8 week old bunnies will become a part of the Blakely’s Barnyard Bonaza this summer.

Blowing Bubbles

Did you know that a Bennett’s wallaby can blow bubbles?  The sweet photo above shows off Ava’s secret talent!

Penguin Awareness Day

January 20th is Penguin Awareness Day and we celebrated with a new post on the Cincinnati ZooBlog!  To learn about all the penguin species we have here at the Zoo, click on the link below.

Click Here to Read the Article

Mexican Wolves

Waya the Mexican wolf. By the 1970’s, Mexican wolves, a subspecies of the gray wolf, were extinct in the United States. Seen as a nuisance and blamed for the loss of cattle and property, bounties were put on the wolves, leading to over-killing. In 1977, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service initiated efforts to conserve the species. In 1998, Mexican wolves were released to the wild for the first time in the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area within the Mexican Wolf Experimental Population Area. Missing from the landscape for more than 30 years, the howl of the Mexican wolf can once again be heard in the mountains of the southwestern United States. Today the population continues to grow with around 186 individuals accounted for.

Arctic Fox

To survive in frigid Arctic temperatures, the Arctic fox wears a thick furry coat that even covers the soles of its feet. During heavy snow, the fox switches from hunting its own prey to feeding on scraps left behind by a polar bear when it moves on from a meal.

 Oakley

Despite the name, screech-owls do not screech; the voice of this species features whinnies and soft trills.  Click on the image above to watch a video of Oakley in flight and hear a soft vocalization!

 Zoo Birthdays:

  Betty White’s 100th Birthday

On January 17th, what would’ve been Betty White’s 100th Birthday, the Zoo announced a sweet tribute to the star!  Our little blue penguin chick was named Rose! We think Betty would approve!

Click Here to Learn More

 Hudo

Happy 19th birthday Hudo!  Everyone’s favorite Komodo Dragon celebrated his birthday on January 14th!   A Komodo dragon, the world’s largest lizard has a pretty hefty appetite, eating up to 80% of its body weight at a single meal.

 Renji

January 10th is Renji’s birthday! Happy 11th Birthday to this beautiful gal!  Renji’s five-inch thick coat affords great protection from the cold! Her long tail helps with balance and she can wrap it around herself for added warmth!

 Fiona’s 5th Birthday

Have you grabbed your copy of Fiona’s new book?  If you are still on the fence, take a moment to watch Thane read this precious book to the Birthday Girl in Person!  Click on the photo above to watch the video!

  Did you see the very special birthday message from the one and only Jane Goodall?  Click on the image above to see what she had to say!

Did you grab a Fiona chocolate bar?  This was such a fun way to celebrate Fiona’s special day!  I was not lucky enough to grab a golden ticket, but I did thoroughly enjoy the delicious chocolate…even if I only had half of one section because my two daughters ate the rest!

Did you see the adorable Fiona Swag that was specially made for Fiona’s birthday?  I just love the theme and so many others did too.  If you didn’t pick your items up yet, don’t worry…I still saw a few items in the shop today!

Celebrate Fiona’s birthday with the new items from Rookwood!  Rookwood has done it again with the adorable bank pictured above, but there are so many other items celebrating our portly princess on their website.

Click Here to See all the Fiona Rookwood Items

Just can’t get enough of Fiona, the very first ZooTales Podcast was all about her!

Click Here to Listen to the Zoo Tales Podcast all about Fiona

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Opportunities:

VOTE FOR US

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is in at least 14 categories in CityBeat’s Best of Cincinnati contest!  Click on the link below to read about all the areas where we were nominated…then don’t forget.

Click Here to Read the Blog

Virtual Horticulture Classes

Did you know that the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden has virtual horticulture classes?  These classes are a great opportunity to learn from one of the region’s top horticulturists and the Zoo’s Director of Horticulture, Steve Foltz!

Click Here to Learn More

Bird Friendly Coffee

Even from home, a simple change can make a global impact. When you drink Bird Friendly certified coffee, you help save critical bird habitat in Central and South America. To find a store or cafe near you, or have it shipped to you.

Click Here for More Information

Barrows Lecture Series:

One of my most anticipated Zoo events of the year is actually a series of events…the Barrow’s Lecture Series.  This year is no exception, I cannot wait to hear more from the 4 exceptional individuals pictured above.  I encourage all of you to join me, in person or online!

Click Here to Learn More about the Speakers

Click Here to Buy Tickets

Free Seminars from OSU

This 6-session webinar series focuses on the ecological roles of native plants and some of the creatures that depend on them. We’ll meet virtually at 10AM EASTERN each Friday for 6 weeks from January 7th through February 11th.

Click Here to Learn More

Perfect North Slopes:

 Recycle Lights at the Zoo

The Zoo is collecting unwanted/broken holiday lights to recycle. You can drop your lights in a bin at the bus stop by the Zoo’s main parking lot. Through a partnership with Cohen Recycling, the Zoo will receive $0.44/pound of lights, which will be reinvested into making PNC Festival of Lights even better next year! The bin will be in place through the end of January. 

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Department Highlight:

Animal Enrichment

We are featuring the Animal Enrichment Department in this Newsletter.  Click on the link below to learn more about the department and meet some of the members of the team!

Click Here to learn more about Animal Enrichment

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Coming Up in the Next Volunteer Update:

Alumni/Emeritus Members

    I apologize for the delay in getting this posted, but we are still working to contact the nominees.  As soon as we have talked with all the nominees, we will make sure to share the newest Volunteer Alumni/Emeritus Members.  

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In Case you Missed it:

Did you see the “Years of Service” and “Hours Logged” recognitions last month?  Did you make the list and forget to request your Recognition Pin?  Click on the link below to redirect to the last update.

Click Here for the First Friday – January Update

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Contact Information:

Brittany Garera-Stapleton 
Volunteer Relations Coordinator
(513)559-7768 
[email protected]

**My in-office hours have been varying week to week to accommodate staff meetings.  The best way to reach me day-to-day is through e-mail.