Doug’s 4/27 Volunteer Educator Update

Posted on By Sabrina Calhoun

In this Weeks Update 4/27/2019

  • Volunteer Educator Program Update
  • Animal Updates
  • Press Releases & Marketing

Volunteer Educator Program Update

Wild Discover Zone attendance – Period 4/13-4/26

  • Manatee Springs: 4881
  • Gorilla World: 5300
  • Elephant Reserve: 6399
  • Reptile House: 3534
  • Wings of the World: 1376
  • Total: 21,490
  • YTD: 38,157

From the “Shout Outs” department!

On Wednesday (4/24) we had 2 groups of 20 Alzheimer patients and caregivers. We take half and do a tour while the other half sees animal demos in Treetops. Then we reverse. The tour was to Gorilla. I just want to thank all your educators who were in Gorilla as they spent a wonderful time with each group talking about our Gorillas. Without them, the tour would have not been as nearly informative and exciting for them. They were just great.

Vince

To Deborah Engelbrecht,

For tackling the “Manatee Zone” solo on a crazy busy Monday! You did an amazing job of engaging the guests and talking about plastics pollution.

To the Sunday Crew,

Thanks to all of you who came to the Zoo on Easter! We appreciate you all so much for taking time from your holiday to give to the Zoo.

Lauren

To Ann Dolder,

Thank you for showing some of our newer volunteers the set up for some of our zone areas. You are so welcoming and kind to everyone in our program.

To Ernie Martin,

“Gut stunned” by a very appreciative guest!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Animal News & Updates – 4/24/19

Great News from CREW!

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden’s Pollen Nation Announces Plant for Pollinators Challenge!

ATFs:

  • Thorny Devil to Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo
  • 1.0 Laughing Kookaburra from Woodland Park Zoo
  • 1.0 Eastern Screech Owl to El Paso Zoo
  • 0.2 Hooded Merganser from SeaWorld Orlando
  • 1.1 Redhead Duck from SeaWorld Orlando
  • 0.2 Pink-backed Pelican from Sedgwick County Zoo
  • All ATFs approved.

Minutes:

  • The group went over Animal Excellence Assessment updates.
  • CREW:
    • Bill has been working with Michelle on a press release on two successful Ocelot AI births. This is big news because the kittens were born from frozen semen from a previously unrepresented founder male. CREW would like to AI our female Ocelot “Primavera” during her next natural estrous cycle to try to get her represented in the population as well.
    • Research proposals:
      • Bonobo project “Assessing Long-Term Stress in Great Apes: Allostatic Load in Bonobos (Pan paniscus).” – the researcher needs serum and we should be good to go with this proposal.
      • Snow Leopard survey “Comparison of serum, liver and dietary vitamin A (retinol) values
      • to the presence of eyelid coloboma in snow leopards (Panthera uncia)”- SSP approved survey that is working to see if there is a relation to retinol level and the presence of eyelid coloboma. We should be good to participate in the survey.
      • Giraffe body condition scoring project- SSP approved the study, but we are unsure if the TAG approved it yet or not. Cincinnati Zoo is good to move forward with this proposal.
      • Andean bear proposal- project wants pictures of Chester’s face in an effort to develop face recognition software for Andean Bears. Seems like a project we can and want to participate in.
  • PR:
    • Tessa giraffe is due first in May/June and Cece is due around September/October.
    • Chelsea Clinton will be here 4/25.
    • Working on a post about the CREW Polar Bear AI work that is going on in Chicago.
  • AZA inspection will be June 17th through June 20th.
  • Escape Report-
    • Little Blue Penguin- couldn’t find one of the LBP at close, but after draining the pool there was a small hole under the bridge that it got through and it was found on the African Penguin side.
    • Flamingo hopped over the gate in Mahali.

Updates

Elephant:

  • Construction in the cow yard coming along slowly but surely.
  • Training with elephants is going well.
  • Keepers are staying on top of cleaning the building for the AZA visit.
  • We have shade structures that need to get put up and pools that need turned on as the weather gets hot and sunny.
  • April 30th is approaching, and our old buddy Rick is going to leave us, so if you have not had a chance to say goodbye now is your chance.

Rhino Reserve (Veldt):

  • Black Rhinos: Kendi is now separated from Zuri. All is going well. Kendi will stay inside until he is calmer and will then have access to the side Black Rhino yard.
  • Black Rhinos Zuri and Utenzi rotating in the main yard.
  • Bongo Stevie still hasn’t had her calf, but she seems to be doing ok.
  • Zebras get vaccinations on Thursday 25th at 8:00 am.
  • Eastern Crowned Crane Elvis getting caught up Thursday 25th at 11:00 for routine physical exam.

Bearline:

  • Polar bears and otters received live tilapia from the Insectarium on 4/16/19.
  • Male sea lion, Duke, passed away quietly on 4/18/19.

Night Hunters:

  • Switched aardvark bedding from a mix of wood shavings and cardboard chips to 100% cardboard chips to avoid having wood shavings clinging to male aardvark’s sores.
  • Two male Indian giant fruit bats (initially from the Bird House) were shipped to the Bronx Zoo on 4/16/19. The remaining (neutered) male remained here and was placed back with the group of females on exhibit in Nighthunters.
  • The snow leopards are currently separated and being rotated through the exhibit on the chance that the female MAY have conceived during the A.I. attempt in January. Plan is to reunite them on 4/26/19 if no cubs are produced.
  • Female white lion, Prosperity, had a physical on 4/18/19. Blood and x-rays were taken, and she was given her vaccinations and a claw trim.

World of the Insect:

  • Hercules Beetles – 2.2.0 Hercules Beetle larvae confiscated by USFWS/CBP at the Louisville International Airport. Their custody was transferred to Winton Ray and brought back to the CZBG last Thursday.
  • Water Strider Display – Work continues on display background. Hope to have display back together in the next few days.
  • Attendant – Ellen Yeardley has moved to the Elephant House as a temporary keeper. Will be working on Wednesdays through the end of the month, Monday and Tuesday are unstaffed. Until her replacement is hired guest access to the aviary on those days will be limited.
  • Invert Feeder Welfare – Winton/Barbara involved in Invert Feeder Welfare document discussion.

Manatee Springs:

  • Emperor Cichlids – To be transferred to the Hippo Pool, temperature dependent.
  • Behavior – Manatees rambunctious behavior continue. Dives continue to be canceled, though water quality continues to be stable.
  • Blood Draws – Hoping to get blood samples from Pippen and Daphne on Thursday.
  • Basking Site – Working to get a basking site constructed for the turtles in the Gar Pool.

Wings of the World:

  • 1.1 red-capped cardinals, 1.1 hawk-headed parrots, and 1.1 blue-crowned laughingthrush are leaving this week.
  • Guam rails have a clutch of eggs, they will be pulled and replaced with dummies. Eggs will be humanely euthanized (per SSP).
  • Artificial trees went up in Eurasian eagle owl enclosure, it’s coming together nicely!
  • Work has started on the first outdoor aviary in Jungle Trails. Netting will be replaced, viewing area will get a minor upgrade, and new perching will be installed. Habitat will house 1.1 scarlet macaws and 1.1 helmeted curassow.
  • Kea egg pipped on Monday p.m. Estimated hatch probably Wednesday.
  • New rockhopper penguin cleared from quarantine and introduced to polar penguin habitat.
  • Smew egg found on the deck of the exhibit. Pulled for artificial incubation for now, will give it back to the hen is she starts laying in a box.

Cat Ambassador Program:

  • Monthly welfare assessment on ocelot Sihil- she continues to do well- eating all her food and still active in her enclosure.

Interpretive/CZ:

  • Moe continues to spend time at the base of his tree now that he knows how to get down. Keepers are encouraging him to be up higher during the day, but he has been choosing to be down, partially out of view recently. This is causing guests to climb into the gardens and up onto the enclosure wall. Lyn and her team have strategically placed plants, Graphics has installed new signage, and keeper/Education staff continue to police the area when they can.
  • All Screaming Hairy armadillos received ultrasounds last Friday as we follow their cycles. None are pregnant at this time, but all pairs are back together.
  • Tanzi, African Pygmy Falcon, and Zulu, Lady Ross’ Turaco, were anesthetized for blood draws and annual bird rounds PE.
  • Annual bird rounds were conducted on all birds in Interp.
  • ChaCha, Flamingo, is causing issues again in the exhibit. She doesn’t seem to be happy wherever she is – exhibit, Mahali, or indoor enclosure. Keepers are working on extra enrichment for all 3 locations and something may need to be done about keeping her off of the fence line in the exhibit. She is too close to guests and risks injury.

Reptile:

  • John continues to work once a week at Bowyer Farm clearing an ideal survey site of invasive plants while preparing it for the surveys.
  • We are conducting another FrogWatch event Friday, May 3rd at 8 pm at Bowyer Farm. This is to help Identify the frogs on grounds.
  • Chillers are up and running on the Giant Salamander maintaining temps at 50F.
  • Brown Mountain Tortoises are planning to be transferred to JT-2 Swamp exhibit this week.
  • Galap Construction continues, on track to finish by 1 June deadline at the moment.
  • 0.0.6 Pascagoula Map Turtles are leaving for San Diego this week.

Browse:

  • Horticulture coordinated the planting of the nearly 3,000 trees at Bowyer to begin our browse plantation. See picture. Chase is working with a new tree company to receive trimmings of
    edible browse. Along with the new tree company, Chase will coordinate pick up from REMC in Indiana and utilize browse from Bowyer this Summer. The zoo is reaching out to Duke to see if we can work with any of their tree crews to receive edible browse from their trimmings.
  • There are a couple of video links below. Double click on the with the left mouse button and click open to watch.

Press Releases & Marketing – 4/24/19

Links to MVP and Zoo Educator Resource Site

MyVolunteerPage.com

Zoo Educator Resources – The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

Doug Feist
Volunteer Education Program Manager
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
513.559.7750
[email protected]