Oregon Zoo's Kid's Zone

Behind The Scenes

Each year, tons and tons of food pass through the zoo's kitchens. The animals dine on as much as 250 tons of timothy hay, 35 tons of alfalfa hay, 1.5 tons of shrimp, 15 tons of carrots, 22 tons of apples and tons of other foods per year.

Some of the food comes from human consumption suppliers like the local grocery suppliers or food service companies. Other food comes from a number of companies that specialize in making formulated feeds for zoo animals.

The sea otters have the most expensive diet because they eat a lot due to their high metabolic rate and the seafood they eat, in particular shellfish, is costly. They eat about 7-10 lbs of seafood "meat weight."

Keepers are responsible for feeding the animals and regulating their diets. Frequently the keepers challange the animals with stimulating enrichment. The goal of enrichment is to provide an interesting and thought-provoking environment where the animals can utilize their natural hunting and scavenging abilities.

The chimpanzees are given an artificial termite mound that is stocked with apple sauce, apple butter, jelly and tomato catsup. The chimpanzees are then driven to use sticks as tools to get their treats. Polar bears, otters, beavers and elephants all receive enrichment exercises that challenge these animals to explore their cages using their intellect to find hidden food.

A mandrill receives an allergy injection from a zoo vet to maintain and ensure a comfortable and healthy existence. The mandrill, largest of all monkeys, is part of the Species Survival Plan (SSP).

The goal of SSPs is to preserve the genetic diversity of species and the likelihood of species' future survival, both in captivity and the wild. The programs also help strengthen and coordinate captive breeding plans by individual zoos and, whenever possible, return animals to their wild habitats.

The black rhino is considered the world's most endangered mammal, with population numbers plummeting from around 65,000 to 3,500 during the last 30 years. Rhino breeding efforts have been made at the Oregon Zoo and numerous zoos throughout the world to help regenerate the rhino population and save it from extinction.

As part of the breeding program at the Oregon Zoo, keepers, vets and studbook keepers maintain meticulous records on each breeding animal's lineage, fertility, sex, longevity, care and medical history. Animals are paired based on the long-term consequences of viability of their gene pool. This also minimizes inbreeding in captive populations and the change of harmful conditions will be passed on to future animal generations.

Thirty-nine bears from 12 institutions, including three from the Oregon Zoo, will be monitored for the twelve-month study and their behavior correlated to measures of stress, reproduction, temperament, and environmental factors.

This project will increase our understanding of the relationship between stereotypical behavior and the well-being of captive polar bears. The study will identify variables, both internal (psychological and physiological factors unique to each individual), and external (exhibit design, husbandry, social composition, developmental history, etc.) that predispose polar bears to display stereotypic behavior in captivity.

The chicks stay with their parents after they hatch, although keepers take the chicks off exhibit twice a day to check on their hydration status and weight.

Of the 17 species of penguins, the Humboldt is the most threatened. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or CITES, placed Humboldts on the Appendix I list in 1981 which means they are "presently threatened with extinction."

Like most animals in the zoo, the sea lions are monitored for changes in body size. Keepers regulate the animals' diet and make sure that their eating habits are constant to ensure the animal isn't experiencing nutritional stress.

Researchers around the north Pacific Ocean are studying Steller's sea lions to find out why the western Alaska population is decreasing so dramatically.

Dental care in zoos is relatively new. Twenty-five years ago, animal oral health was almost unknown in veterinary training. Vets pulled bad teeth and that was about it. But a growing awareness of the importance of animal dental care and the advent of specialized instruments helped change that.

To clean the teeth of large animals, vets need the best instrument and anesthesias around. A grant of $20,000 from the ODS Health Plans has significantly improved the dental instruments, workstations and anesthesias at the Oregon Zoo.

Once abundent, but now rare in the lower 48 states, the grey wolf faces an uncertain future. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has successfully released and translocated the grey wolf in areas in Idaho and Yellowstone National Park.

The Endangered Species Act of 1973 temporarily halted the decline of 100s of species, including the grey wolf, however the continued destruction and pollution of habitat has had a dramatic effect on many species.