Roll Call Information 4/11/22-4/17/22

Construction Updates:

Construction Update from Marc Anthony Cunha – No changes to construction areas.

• However, we will have a shutdown in the late evening of potentially Monday/Tuesday weather depending. More info to follow as details are ironed out.

• Paths at Bear Line & Children’s Zoo Power House remain open to all. Please keep in mind; however, that construction in these areas is still ongoing.

 Animal Updates

• Africa

  • Fiona is going to be a Big Sister!  You heard that right, we are expecting a baby hippo in summer 2022!  Check out the Talking Points below:

    • BIBI Pregnancy Talking Points 

      • Bibi is pregnant! 
         

      • Estimated due date is mid August. 
         

      • Bibi’s first baby, Fiona, was born six weeks premature and wouldn’t have survived without the intervention of her human caregivers. We are hoping for a full-term pregnancy and will be doing everything we can to support Bibi. 
         

      • Reproductive physiologists at the Zoo’s Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW) are working with the hippo team and have started Bibi on hormone supplements.   
         

      • CREW will also perform regular ultrasounds to monitor the growth and health of the fetus. 
         

      • Fiona is not leaving. There is enough space for 3 adults and a calf. 
         

      • When the calf is larger, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan will recommend the best place for the calf to go. That’s probably 3-4 years down the road. 
         

      • Bibi was on a dose of birth control that had worked for her when she was with Henry for many months after Fiona was born. Most forms of contraception are not 100% effective for hippos or humans! 
          

      • Fiona is also on birth control. Her care team hasn’t observed any of the behaviors that Bibi exhibits when she is cycling, and her age and size indicate that she’s not sexually mature. Birth control is an extra precaution for her. 
          

      • Bibi is 23 and Tucker is 18.  Fiona is 5. 
          

      • Click Here for the press release… 

  • Ruppell’s  Vultures, lappet-faced vultures, pink-backed pelicans and helmeted guineafowl will not be on African Savannah until further notice.  Please see the Avian Influenza Update below for additional information.

  • Ostrich Egg – We have had such an amazing response to the Ostrich Egg that we are expanding!  I am currently working on getting some additional eggs from local birds so we can have guests compare.  A great follow up questions for visitors would be to ask them if they have found an egg in their yard and let them pull comparisons.  We always want to tie in the co-existence piece when we can.  We live with birds all around us so I think this is a fun comparison.

    • If you haven’t listened to Mark & Jenna’s podcast about Pam & Myrtle, I encourage you to listen in!  Here are some quick fun facts from the Podcast.

      • Pam is Taller than Myrtle but they weigh about the same amount.  Their weights fluctuate between 230-270lbs.

      • Pam is darker Grey and the white on her tail is more visible than on Myrtle.

      • Pam has a Blue Leg band and Myrtle has a white leg band

      • An Ostrich Egg is equivalent to 24 chicken eggs.

• Elephant

  • Make sure all Volunteers are aware of the media coverage and have seen the Zoo’s statement in response. Encourage Volunteers to keep a friendly and positive attitude.  There is no need to engage with guests who are aggressive or confrontational.  Always feel comfortable referring to the Zoo’s statement. 

  • Mai Thai’s tail – Tail wound continues to heal well. Vet staff continue daily laser and bandage changes

• Gorilla

  • I checked in with Victoria about the progress of introductions in The Primate Center and she sent the message below.  Please note that there is no specific timeline to seeing these changes happen and the staff is very mindful of the pace and preference of the gorillas.  It is important that we highlight the commitment to the gorillas in our care when we address questions from the public.  Message from Victoria:

    • “Starting the last week of April, we will start a strategic combination of howdy mesh opportunities (where gorillas can see each other but not be able to reach through & touch each other) between individuals we think will do well together. Depending on how these go, we will move forward with putting individuals in the same space.  These events will happen behind the scenes…  once we know how individuals are adjusting, we will start offering public viewing space opportunities. When we get to that point, we’ll be able to discuss publicly which combination is working 😊  We have social management plans in place for this process, but our team is ultimately working at the pace/preferences of the gorillas and adapting to things as they happen!”

  • Safety – The Primate Center Team wanted to send a reminder about safety in the exhibit. Over the past week there has been increased safety concerns with guests.  Please keep a look out for guests that are not following the ask to “Respect the Rails, Rocks and Roots.”  Our biggest safety issue is guests sitting children/strollers on top of barriers.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Update

Message from Jenny Gainer, Curator of Birds:

“I wanted to take a moment to send out some information about highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).  Some may have heard in the news that a new outbreak of HPAI was confirmed on the east coast back in February.   Since then, the virus has been detected in 24 states, and it grows weekly. The Animal Leadership and Health Teams have been monitoring this situation daily.  We have also updated our HPAI protocol and wanted to share it with everyone.  Whether you are an animal keeper, facilities, finance, visitor engagement, or anything in between- the response levels may affect you or your team in some capacity.   With that said, if/when the threat level increases, appropriate measures will begin to unfold.  This may include, but not limited to: birds being taken off habitat, bird-related experiences cancelled, and non-essential staff discouraged from working in bird areas. “

Quick Information for Visitor Facing Roles:

• Simple Answer to Questions:
  • Some birds have been moved inside to prevent possible exposure to avian flu.  The closest case to date was 110 miles away, but we are taking proactive measures to keep our birds well.
• Additional Information to Know:
  • None of our birds have the flu
  • Avian Flu is not transmissible to humans
• Which Birds are affected Right Now:
  • Inside until Further Notice
    • Trumpeter Swans have been taken off the lake and moved inside
    • Kea are being locked in from the Free Flight Aviary
    • Ruppell’s vultures, lappet-faced vultures, pink-backed pelicans, and helmeted guineafowl will not be on Africa savannah until further notice.
  • Tucked in Early
    • Bald eagle flock and flamingo flock will be brought inside every night. They will be on habitat approximately 10am-3pm each day.

Miscellaneous Animal Updates:

• Nova, the striped skunk that performed the “moon walk” in the Barnyard show recently passed away, condolences to the Children’s Zoo team.

  • Striped skunk Delilah made her way into the show! She did a great job – did a full moon walk on her first show! Congrats to Eunice for getting Delilah trained up so quickly!

• Stellar Sea Eagle chick has hatched, visual confirmation recently by Dan Burns!

• Siamang have been moved to the island and will hopefully go out soon once moat levels have been adjusted. Buff-cheeked gibbons are not out yet.

• Ringtail lemurs are expected to go to outside exhibit in May. 

Daily Special:

School Groups:

Tuesday

• 7 Buses

• 285 Students

• 39 Chaperones

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Wednesday

• 21 Buses

• 621 Students

• 106 Chaperones

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Thursday

• 13 Buses

• 454 Students

• 153 Chaperones

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Friday

• No Reported School Groups

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Saturday

• No Reported School Groups

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Sunday

• No Reported School Groups