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December
12, 2001
INJI
AND BATIK GET A NEW HOUSE MATE
“Move
in a male and everything changes.”
The Oregon Zoo’s two female Sumatran orangutans, Inji, and Batik,
have experienced quite a few changes lately. From their enclosure,
they watched construction crews create the zoo’s newest exhibit,
Amazon Flooded Forest. The construction closed off the public viewing
to the orang enclosure, but beginning Dec. 12, a brand new viewing
window will allow the orangs to once again observe zoo visitors. And
as if that weren’t enough, Inji and Batik encountered some changes
of their own – a new roommate – a male.
This summer, the 7-year-old orangutan, Kutai joined 41-year-old Inji
and 14-year-old Batik who have lived at the zoo since 1961 and 1996
respectively. However due to the construction of Amazon Flooded Forest,
the public has not had an opportunity to meet Kutai.
“Move in a male,” says senior primate keeper Dave Thomas,
“and everything changes.”
Oregon Zoo had been looking for a male to fill out their group, and
eventually breed with Batik, who is regarded as a genetically important
female by the Species Survival Plan for orangutans. With the arrival
of Kutai, the story of their orangutan group comes full circle. Though
he has spent his life up to now in Wichita, Kutai’s story really
begins at Oregon Zoo.
In 1987 Inji and her longtime mate, Harry, had a son, Kalimantan.
At the SSP’s recommendation, Kalimantan was moved, eventually
ending up at Sedgewick County Zoo to form a breeding group there.
As planned, Kalimantan bred with a female, a wild-born orangutan.
Kutai is their son, making Inji his grandmother.
In the long run, the Zoo hopes that Kutai and Batik will become successful
breeders. Initially, however, “we want this group,” says
Thomas, “to settle down for awhile.”
“There’s nothing any cuter than an infant orangutan,”
continues Thomas. “But that’s a ways down the road.”
The two types of orangutans, Sumatran and Bornean, are both classified
as endangered.
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October
19, 2001
CALIFORNIA
CONDORS RETURN TO OREGON
The
largest native birds in North America will be returning to Oregon
after a 97-year absence.
The Oregon Zoo has just been accepted as a member of the U.S. Fish
& Wildlife Service California Condor Recovery Program, and will
be building the nation’s fourth condor breeding facility. Existing
condor breeding facilities are at the San Diego Wild Animal Park,
the Los Angeles Zoo and the World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise,
Idaho.
The idea of bringing condors back to Oregon originated in a brainstorming
meeting about how the Oregon Zoo could participate in the Lewis and
Clark Bicentennial, slated for 2005-2006. Lewis and Clark saw condors
along the Columbia River between The Dalles and Astoria. Their first
sighting was on Oct. 28, 1805. In their journals, they refer to them
as the “beatifull Buzzard of the columbia (sic).” They killed
one and carefully examined and weighed it, making thorough notes in
their journal about the 9' 2” wingspan, red head and whitish
patches under the wings.
Condor bones at least 9,000 years old have been unearthed by archeologists
in Oregon Indian middens, and the condor is still a common design
motif in the traditional art of Wasco Indians, who lived along the
Columbia from The Dalles to Cascade Locks. Native Oregonians also
captured condor chicks and kept them as protection against natural
disasters.
Biologists surmise that condors didn’t disappear from Oregon
because of lack of habitat, but rather because they were easy prey
for humans. Lewis and Clark killed two and wounded another. Explorer
David Douglas shot a pair near Multnomah Falls in 1828. Many are also
thought to have died after eating predators poisoned by strychnine
placed by early settlers.
The last condors were seen in Oregon in 1904, near the town of Drain,
in southwest Oregon.
Condors held out a little longer in California, but in 1987, there
were only 27 left in the wild. In a desperate attempt to save the
species, biologists decided to put all the remaining condors into
a captive breeding program. The number of condors has since increased
to 161—46 in the wild, 15 in field pens, pending release and100
at breeding centers.
The first release of condors back to the wild occurred on January
14, 1992, at California’s Sespe Condor Sanctuary in Los Padres
National Forest.
Two other populations have since been established, one at Vermilion
Cliffs, Arizona, 30 miles north of the Grand Canyon, and one at the
Ventana Wilderness Refuge, near Big Sur, California.
For now, condor eggs laid at the Oregon Zoo facility will be raised
at one of the three other breeding facilities and released at existing
sites in California and Arizona. However, although it could be years
from now, many Oregon biologists and wildlife managers believe we
may once again see condors soaring in Oregon skies.
“An Oregon population of condors makes sense from several standpoints,"
according to Zoo Director Tony Vecchio. “Not only is Oregon part
of their native range, but in the event that a disease came along
and wiped out the condors farther south, it makes sense to have an
isolated population.”
"In such small and somewhat inbred groups of animals, we worry
that a disease could come along to which they have no resistance.
A remote population which does not mix with the established populations,
could be important “insurance” in such a case.”
Whether or not condors will eventually be released in Oregon will
be the decision of the California Condor Recovery Team, a group of
representatives from various wildlife agencies and breeding facilities
appointed by the Regional Director of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service.
Four to eight pairs of condors will be housed at the Oregon Zoo’s
facility. The birds are likely to be young ones that will hatch this
spring at one of the three other facilities. The condors will not
be sexually mature for four to five years and they will not be on
exhibit to the public in the near future. The facility, which will
be ready for birds this late this year or early next year, will be
at a remote site, not on the zoo grounds.
“It is important that the condors not get used to people, and
pains will be taken so the condors don’t bond with or associate
with humans. If they become too accustomed to humans, they can become
pesky when released into the wild,” Vecchio said.
Condors, like their smaller turkey vulture cousins, are carrion-feeders,
which means they only eat animals they find already dead. Because
of this, their re-introduction into the wild has been much less controversial
than the reintroduction of species such as wolves and grizzly bears.
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September
1, 2001
ZOO
BRINGS AMAZON TO OREGON
Emerald tree boas, fresh water stingrays, howler monkeys, and colorful
toucans can be seen in new state-of-the-art exhibit
Portland, Ore.—Beginning this fall, Oregon Zoo visitors can experience
a remote jungle in South America without leaving the Pacific Northwest
by visiting the zoo’s new Amazon Flooded Forest exhibit. The
new exhibit will be unveiled Saturday, September 29, 2001.
For nearly six months each year torrential rains flood the Amazon
basin, transforming it into a watery world, known as the varzea. The
varzea is home to some of the planet’s most extraordinary and
diverse plants and animals.
“The plants, animals and people there actually thrive when the
river is at flood stage,” said Oregon Zoo Director Tony Vecchio.
“There are many species of fish, which do most of their feeding
during floods, swimming up into the branches of submerged trees to
eat the seeds, nuts and fruit. These unique fruit-eating fish take
on the role of seed dispersers by passing the seeds from different
trees far from where they were consumed, creating new generations
of trees when the waters recede.”
With their first step into the zoo's Amazon Flooded Forest, visitors
will be transported to a world inhabited by stunning emerald tree
boas, colorful poison dart frogs and large Brazilian cockroaches.
The distinctive songs of paradise tanagers can be heard as they fly
from limb to limb in the forest canopy. On a branch nearby, a motmot
tries to attract a mate by twitching its long tail from side to side
like a metronome. As visitors travel deeper into the Amazon, they'll
encounter marmosets, agouti (a friendly rodent the size of a cat),
iguanas and rare species of fish, some of which grow as large as seven
feet. In the treetops, large beautiful birds such as Swainson’s
and channel billed toucans perch as they watch the other birds that
call the canopy home. Nearby, saki and howler monkeys can be seen
grooming and swinging on sturdy vines. Spending much of its day sleeping,
the two-toed sloth hangs upside-down on a mossy branch. Just below
the vines and tree limbs are deep shadowy pools of water. Here reside
fearsome-looking caiman and unusual Amazonian fish, including rarely
seen species such as orange spot freshwater stingrays, arawana, heckle
discus, Amazon catfish, bucktooth tetras and arapaima. The largest
fish are the arapaima, which can grow up to 10 feet and weigh 400
pounds. The Amazon catfish is also impressive, growing to six feet
and weighing up to 600 pounds.
The best has been saved for last. In this pool, visitors encounter
small fish darting in and out of soft beams of sunlight. The fish
are wary because they share their world with the largest predator
of the Amazon—the green anaconda. Anaconda can grow up to 30
feet, making it the world’s largest snake. Here visitors enter
the anaconda’s watery world (without getting wet!) and literally
come eye to eye with this legendary and elusive snake.
“The anaconda is almost mythical,” Vecchio said. “To
see a giant snake like that underwater is unforgettable.”
After months of design and construction, the ambitious exhibit will
feature several mixed species exhibits and flood the entire front
of the exhibit, making it one of the first of its kind at any zoo.
According to Mike Marshall, primate keeper, “This is a big departure
for us. We’ll have in this one exhibit the full spectrum of species
living in this ecosystem – mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians
and invertebrates. It will really give you a sense of what an Amazon
forest is like.”
The Amazon Flooded Forest is the first phase of a multi-year renovation
of the zoo’s 40-year-old primate house. Originally built in 1959,
the exhibit was last renovated in 1980 to include Chimp Island and
several other exhibits.
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August
7, 2001
OREGON
ZOO CHIMPANZEE EXPERIENCES HEALTH CHALLENGES
Delilah,
a female chimpanzee at the Oregon Zoo has been undergoing diagnostic
procedures at Oregon Health and Science University over the past several
weeks. Zoo veterinarians have been treating the 28-year-old chimp
for liver disease for the past two and one-half years.
Primate keepers observed De, as she is affectionately called, exhibiting
signs of abdominal pain early last month and alerted zoo veterinarians.
An ultrasound was performed at the zoo hospital, but vets needed more
specialized diagnostic testing, which is only available at large teaching
hospitals such as OHSU. Due to the similarities between humans and
primates, doctors at OHSU compared the chimps ultrasound to a
human baseline.
Pathologists at OHSU who read the latest round of biopsies from De
reported seeing the same abnormality that was seen on prior biopsies.
"This is a non-specific finding," said zoo veterinarian,
Mitch Finnegan, "but exactly why she has this problem is still
the million dollar question."
In
an effort to answer that question, zoo veterinary staff will send
biopsy samples to veterinary pathologists specializing in primates
as well as physicians who treat liver disease in humans.
Delilah,
who was born and raised at the zoo, has formed close bonds with her
chimp group and her keepers. In fact, according to senior primate
keeper, Dave Thomas, one of her keepers has been with her since she
was 6 months old.
"She's
very dear to our hearts and we really enjoy interacting with her,"
said Thomas. "I'm not sure if it's because she's resided here
for so many years, or because it's so difficult not to become attached
to chimpanzees due to their similarities with humans, or maybe it's
just because of De's unique personality. Whatever the reason, we're
doing everything possible to make this time easier for her."
Thomas
indicates that it is very important for Delilah to remain with the
other chimps and to keep their daily routine as normal as possible.
Therefore, she has only been separated from her group while being
examined. This not only helps De, but also eliminates the stress being
separated from each other would cause the entire group.
"She
continues to have access to the outdoors and the opportunity to hang
out wherever she wants," said Thomas. "This also gives us
the chance to assess her behavior. We keep a watchful eye on her day
and night."
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July
20, 2001
OREGON
ZOO TO CLOSE EARLY FOR ZOOLALA
The
Oregon Zoo will close early on Saturday, July 21 in preparation for
the Oregon Zoo Foundation's gala fundraiser, Zoolala. The zoo gates
will close at 3:30 p.m., however visitors may remain on-grounds until
6 p.m. Some areas of the zoo will be inaccessible.
Zoolala
tickets are still available through the Oregon Zoo Foundation office.
Funds raised at Zoolala will be used for the zoo's Great Northwest
exhibit, which will feature endangered salmon, eagles and a family
farm.
The event will feature live music from the Tom Grant Band, the Pacific
northwest's most prominent musical group with hits consistently topping
the New Adult Contemporary/Smooth Jazz charts; Hawaiian music and
dance band Naleo O KoFolau; Gypsy Caravan; Chata Addy and Grupo Kultura.
Zoolala will also showcase a wide array of delicious foods from 28
of Portland's leading restaurants such as Hall Street Grill; Huber's
Restaurant; Jazz De Opus & Opus Too; Morton's of Chicago and Wild
Abandon.
A silent auction will feature such items as vacation packages to Palm
Springs, Seattle and Sun River; an evening in the AT&T Wireless
suite at the Rose Garden to watch a Blazers game; dinner prepared
by a professional chef; artwork; and sailing lessons for four.
Zoolala is presented by AT&T Wireless and co-sponsored by Spirit
Mountain Casino. Sponsorship packages are available and include an
invitation to the pre-gala patron party with Joan Embery and her animals.
Tickets are $150 per person ($100 of each ticket price is tax deductible).
For reservations, sponsorship and ticket information contact Kris
Carico at 503-220-2492.
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July
15, 2001
OREGON
ZOO'S STELLER COVE AND ITS STAR RESIDENT REACH MILESTONES
Portland,
Ore.- The Oregon Zoo's newest exhibit, Steller Cove, has been open
for one year, and what a year it's been. The exhibit was launched
last July with the expectation that it would be a big hit. And indeed
it has been, but it is the residents of the exhibit that have garnered
international attention.
On Jan. 3, 2001, nearly six months after Steller Cove opened, marine
life keepers arrived at the exhibit to begin what had become their
routine. But routine went out the window, as they observed an addition
to the sea otter pool. Immediately recognizing they had a rare birth
on their hands, marine life keeper quickly went to work to make sure
that the pup had every chance to survive. They removed the dad, Eddie
to another pool so that the mom, Thelma could nurture and bond with
the pup without distraction, then keepers stood back and watched,
ready to intervene only if absolutely necessary.
The result is the now famous southern sea otter pup, Oz has the distinction
of being the first in the world to be conceived, born, and raised
by its mother at a zoo or aquarium. Other southern sea otters have
been born in zoos or aquariums but none have survived. Oz made his
public debut March 9 with his mother never far way.
"Thelma's been such a great mom," said Karen Rifenbury,
marine life keeper. "She deserves a lot of credit for Oz reaching
this milestone."
Southern
sea otters are an endangered species. Oz's parents were both found
stranded when they were infants. They were brought to the Monterey
Bay Aquarium Sea Otter Research and Conservation Program in April
1998 where they were deemed not viable release candidates. Thelma
and Eddie came to the zoo when Steller Cove opened.The young sea otter
family has been the big draw for the $11 million exhibit, however,
it is named for its large Steller sea lions, which inhabit the pool
next door. The sea lion area features a 190,000 gallon pool with two
islands and rocky, grass-covered cliffs where visitors can view these
1,200-pound animals from above water or through a large, curved window
in an underwater grotto. The southern sea otters swim in a 71,000-gallon
pool and are visible from above or below water level. Further along,
an impressive kelp forest is home to sea stars, urchins, crabs, anemones,
sea cucumbers, rockfish, painted greenlings, kelp greenlings, surf
perch, cabezon and snails. And at the tide pool, docents share insights
about fascinating marine creatures, including sea urchins, anemones,
mussels, crabs, sea stars, sculpins, gobies, painted greenlings and
gunnels. Nearby, a blowhole set in the rockwork erupts at irregular
intervals, spraying lightly salted water into the air.
"We
are extremely pleased with the public's response to Steller Cove,"
said Kathy Kiaunis, zoo deputy director. "The impressive
size of the Steller sea lions is often surprising to our visitors
and the sea otter's antics are always crowd pleasers. The exhibit
has exceeded our expectations, and with the record setting attendance,
we couldn't be more pleased," she added.
Steller
Cove is the second phase of the zoo's ambitious Great Northwest exhibit,
which begins at Cascade Crest Fan alpine habitat with mountain goats,
located at the zoo's main entrance. In the future the Great Northwest
will also include an Eagle-Salmon exhibit, plus showcase bears, wolverines
and other northwest animals nearby. A Family Farm is also in the works
featuring a contact area housing domestic animals from a typical Oregon
farm as well as rare breeds of farm animals.
The
zoo is located five minutes from downtown Portland just off Highway
26 and is also accessible by MAX light rail line. The zoo is open
9 a.m. daily. General admission is $6.50 (12-64), seniors $5 (65+),
children $4 (3-11), and children under 3 are free. Additional information
is available on the zoo's web site at www.oregonzoo.org or by calling
503-226-1561.
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February
13, 2001
ZOO
VOTERS CHOOSE “OZ” BY A LANDSLIDE
World's first southern sea otter conceived, born and raised by
his mother has a new name!
Portland,
Ore.—The ballots have been counted and the official vote results
are in—the Oregon Zoo's sea otter pup will be named Oz (nicknamed
Ozzie). At 10 a.m. this morning Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury
certified the vote and zoo Director Tony Vecchio made the official
announcement of the pup's name in front of the zoo's Steller Cove
exhibit.
The Web site staff has cleared all of the discrepancies over participants
voting multiple times in the naming contest leaving Oz the clear winner.
Web Programmer David Petterson referred to these voters as “excessively
enthusiastic participants.” With or without the votes of these
enthusiastic people Oz still comes out on top.
A
total of 4233 legitimate votes were counted. The vote results are
as follows:
1.
OZ — 2,221 (2171 online votes and 50 hand votes)
2.
Elakha — 1,148 (1118 online votes and 30 hand votes)
3.
Zale — 543 (501 online votes and 42 hand votes)
4.
Eureka — 173 (156 online votes and 17 hand votes)
5.
Del Mar — 148 (142 online votes and 6 hand votes)
Marine
life keeper Jeremy Goggins championed the new name for the first pup
in the world to be conceived, born and raised by his mother in any
zoo or aquarium. “It's like a dream that this little pup has
done so well—especially since no other zoo-born southern sea
otters have survived,” said Goggins. “I liked Oz because
the initials represents the Oregon Zoo, which will forever link the
pup to the place of his birth.”
Born on January 3, the pup surprised marine life keepers because both
his mother Thelma and father Eddie were considered too young to have
offspring.
The zoo is located five minutes from downtown Portland just off Highway
26 and is also accessible by MAX light rail line. The zoo is open
9 a.m. daily. General admission is $6.50 (12-64), seniors $5 (65+),
children $4 (3-11), and children under 3 are free. Additional information
is available on the zoo's web site at www.oregonzoo.org or by calling
503-226-1561.
#
# #
The
following totals show the differences between legitimate and illegitimate
hand ballots and internet ballots:
Total
from hand ballots: Total hand ballots with participant names*:
| Oz
- 498 |
Oz
- 50 |
| Elakha
- 221 |
Elakha
- 30 |
| Del
Mar - 96 |
Del
Mar - 6 |
| Eureka
- 113 |
Eureka
- 17 |
| Zale
- 305 |
Zale
- 42 |
Total
from internet ballots: Total internet ballots excluding multiple
votes**:
| Oz
- 2322 |
Oz
- 2171 |
| Elakha
- 1198 |
Elakha
- 1118 |
| Del
Mar - 198 |
Del
Mar - 142 |
| Eureka
- 183 |
Eureka
- 156 |
| Zale
- 589 |
Zale
- 501 |
*
Voters at the zoo were instructed to write their name, address and
phone number on the ballot. ** These votes represent ballots in which
name, address and phone number was omitted.
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February
1, 2001
PERU'S
ENDANGERED PENGUINS THREATENED BY GUANO HARVEST
Oregon Zoo sends observer to oversee harvest
PORTLAND,
Ore.--Since the early 1980s the Humboldt penguin population in Chile
and Peru has dropped from 20,000 to 9,000. In an effort to help protect
the penguin's Peruvian nesting grounds, Oregon Zoo's Zoological Curator,
Jan Steele, will serve as an international observer during the guano
harvest from February 16 through March 6 at Punta San Juan.
During
the last harvest at this site, in 1987, observers recorded at least
150 penguin deaths. Today there are only 1,200 penguins left in Punta
San Juan, which is home to the world's largest breeding colony of
Humboldt penguins.
"The
deaths in 1987 translated to roughly twelve percent of the reserve's
total population, and that's a significant toll on these birds,"
said Steele, who is the curator of the zoo's Humboldt penguin collection.
"Because these penguins don't reproduce until they are five years
old, and their chicks have one of the highest mortality rates of all
penguins, it's a serious impact when adults perish needlessly. These
penguins just can't take mortality at that rate and hope to survive."
Humboldt
penguins breed in colonies and dig their nest in the guano. Guano
is bird excrement and is highly sought after as fertilizer. Nesting
in guano helps protect the birds, their eggs and chicks from predators.
In addition to the birds that were lost during the 1987 harvest, further
losses occurred in later years because the guano had been so over
harvested that it forced penguins to locate their nests above ground,
which significantly lowers reproductive success. Because of the dramatic
decline in the penguin population, a 1998 agreement was reached between
the Peruvian government and the Wildlife Conservation Society. The
agreement calls for international observers, such as Steele, to monitor
the guano harvest to ensure that penguins and their nesting areas
are not disturbed. All workers taking part in the guano harvest must
sign an "ecological contract" for the protection of penguins
and seals. The observers have the authority to encourage compliance
with the contract and will monitor the nesting grounds to ensure that
unauthorized personnel do not intrude into sensitive areas. If necessary,
they will confront individuals who may cause harm to the penguins.
The
zoo is committed to the penguins at Punta San Juan. In the last ten
years, the zoo has sent two other employees to Punta San Juan to assist
with nesting research, and to check on repairs to the one-mile-long
concrete wall, which was built to prevent foxes from preying upon
penguins. The wall was built more than 50 years ago and had fallen
in disrepair, allowing predators to enter nest sites. The Oregon Zoo
Foundation raised $25,000 in 1998-99 from 63 individuals and foundations,
including the IFC Foundation and the Foley/Frischkorn Wildlife and
Conservation Fund, to pay for repairing the wall.
Checking
on that protective wall will be a part of Steele's daily monitoring.
Steele, a member of the American Zoo and Aquarium's (AZA) Penguin
Taxon Advisory Group steering committee, is committed to helping save
these endangered birds.
"I
want to make every effort to ensure that penguins will continue to
be found in the wild," she said. "I want to observe their
behaviors and interactions so I can better understand what our zoo
animals need. The more I know about penguins, the better advocate
I can be for them."
Humboldt
penguin numbers first began to decline in the mid-1800s due to the
over harvesting of guano and the damage harvesters caused to nest
sites. Their population has also declined because they have been harvested
for their eggs, meat, oil and skins. Oil spills and commercial fishing
have also had an impact. Penguins have drowned after getting caught
in fishing nets or starved because over fishing has reduced their
food source. Climate changes have also hurt Humboldts. Scientists
estimate 65 percent of the Peruvian population of penguins perished
during the 1982-83 El Nino due to a lack of food. During the 1998
El Nino there was a dramatic decrease in fish populations, very high
rainfall at nest sites and unseasonable temperatures, which attributed
to only a few penguins breeding that year.
Humboldt
penguins live along the Pacific coast of Chile and Peru. They stand
about 27 inches tall and are covered by scale-like feathers, which
protect them against frigid water and wind. Downy feathers underneath
their top coat help trap a warm layer of air. Nesting on rocky coasts,
Humboldt penguins feed primarily on small fish and squid.
Oregon
Zoo penguins have produced more than 60 offspring, making it one of
the most prolific groups of captive Humboldts in the world. Many of
those chicks have helped begin or strengthen Humboldt groups at other
zoos. Of the roughly 250 Humboldt penguins in captivity at eleven
North American zoos, 25 currently reside at the Oregon Zoo. The zoo's
colony is second in size only to that of SeaWorld San Diego. Seattle's
Woodland Park Zoo recently sent five Humboldt penguins for breeding
purposes and the Oregon Zoo is expecting two more from the Sea Life
Park in Waimanalo, Hawaii.
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January
31, 2001
DOMESTIC
ASIAN ELEPHANTS FACE UNCERTAIN FUTURE WITH FOREST INDUSTRY DECLINE
Elephant experts meet in Bangkok to find solutions
PORTLAND,
Ore.—Oregon Zoo’s Assistant Director, Mike Keele, will attend
the International Workshop on the Domesticated Asian Elephant, February
5-10, in Bangkok, Thailand. Keele serves as the coordinator of the
American Zoo and Aquarium Association’s (AZA) elephant species
survival plan and holds the studbook for all North American Asian
elephants. He hopes to identify ways that North American zoos can
contribute to the effort to reverse the decline of domesticated elephants
in Asia.
“With
the decline of the forest industry in Asia, some of the 16,000 out-of-work
elephants are being left to fend for themselves,” according to
Keele. “That’s of great concern because there’s little
suitable habitat left and what is left is going fast. These elephants
are competing more and more for fewer and fewer resources. I’m
pleased that we’re beginning global discussions to find solutions
for these complex problems.”
In
the face of Asia’s rapid human population growth, both the wild
and domesticated Asian elephant populations are experiencing an ever-worsening
crisis. The population of about 37,000 wild Asian elephants in 13
countries of South and Southeast Asia has been steadily declining,
primarily because of habitat destruction. A drop in the numbers of
domesticated elephants, now only about 16,000, parallels the wild
elephant’s precipitous decline.
The
workshop, the first international conference without a strictly veterinary
focus, aims to discuss all of the larger management aspects of the
domesticated Asian elephant within a neutral forum. Many experts from
around the world will begin a dialogue to identify hands-on field
projects designed to quickly help elephants and try to create a permanent
entity to facilitate and support those projects.
At
the end of the conference information gathered will include: a record
of the discussions, conclusions and recommendations; an action plan
on how to implement the workshop’s recommendations; an established
group to produce a model registration form and a specialized database;
and a mechanism to publicize findings to promote better public awareness.
Since
the 1960s, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
(FAO) Forestry Department’s wildlife and protected area management
program has been active in the conservation and management of elephants,
as well as in facilitating human-elephant conflict resolution. Nearly
all of these efforts have, however, been focused on wild elephants.
FAO has noted that the domesticated Asian elephant receives much less
global attention than its wild counterpart. Unfortunately, funding
support for the domesticated Asian elephant has been next to nothing
according to FAO. They believe that in ten to twenty years many of
these animals will be critically important for wildlife conservation
and therefore it is critical that the wildlife conservation community
play a greater role in monitoring their numbers.
The
Oregon Zoo is committed to help save the world’s wild and domesticated
Asian elephants.
“Elephants
have been an integral part of the culture of greater Portland and
the Pacific Northwest for nearly 40 years, with more than a million
people visiting the Oregon Zoo each year,” said Keele. “The
zoo’s elephants serve as living ambassadors, educating people
to the importance of elephant stewardship.”
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PORTLAND,
Ore.-Thelma, the Oregon Zoo's southern sea otter, gave birth to a
baby on Wednesday morning, January 3. The infant appears to be healthy
and zookeepers hope that Thelma, who is a first-time mom, will nurture
and take good care of her new baby.
Keeper
Jeremy Goggins discovered the new baby when he looked at the sea otter
video monitor and saw something unusual. “What's that?”
he asked Senior Keeper JoEllen Marshall. Marshall looked at the monitor
and replied, “It's a baby sea otter!”
Both
were quite surprised because Thelma is not even three years old yet
and sea otters are not normally sexually mature until they reach at
least four years of age. Both keepers immediately went down to the
sea otter pool and separated dad (Eddie) from Thelma so she could
concentrate solely on her newborn.
According
to Chris Pfefferkorn, zoological curator "Thelma seems to be
doing a good job taking care of her baby, but we'll keep a close watch
on what transpires over the next 48 to 72 hours. If she continues
to nurse successfully, we'll feel pretty confident at that point.
Only if it's deemed necessary for the infant's survival, will we intervene,"
he added.
Keepers
don't know the sex of the baby because they are keeping their distance
in hopes that Thelma will nurse and care for her new infant. Southern
sea otters, which are threatened species, have a six-month gestation
period and it is believed she conceived while she was in quarantine
with Eddie, who is also nearly three years old.
Southern
baby sea otters weigh an estimated 3-5 pounds at birth and rely on
their mothers to feed, groom and clean them every two hours. Keepers
will watch Thelma constantly for the next 48 hours to ensure she is
taking proper care of her baby.
Interaction
with people will be kept at a minimum to give Thelma the best possible
chance for success at motherhood. Keepers will observe mother and
baby from a distance, but will have limited contact during this crucial
time.
If
Thelma is successful raising her baby, the infant will probably go
on display with its parents in the next couple of months, according
to Pfefferkorn. In the meantime, zoo staff will be installing a video
monitor early next week so visitors can watch Thelma raise her pup.
Thelma
and Eddie, both southern sea otters, were found stranded when they
were infants. Thelma was brought to the Monterey Bay Aquarium on April
18, 1998, where she was nursed back to health and taught how to forage
on her own. She was released back into the wild, but was not able
to forage well enough to maintain her body weight and was deemed an
"exhibit" animal. Eddie became stranded at Moonstone Beach
in San Luis Obispo County, California on April 6, 1998, and was transported
to the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito for rehabilitation. Later,
at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, keepers noticed that Eddie's growth
was significantly behind that of a "normal" pup. It was
determined that he bonded too closely with the people and would not
be a viable release candidate. Eddie joined Thelma at Point Defiance
Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, Washington, where they waited for the
move to their new home at the Oregon Zoo.
The
zoo's new sea otter pool holds 100,000 gallons of seawater and is
13 feet deep at its deepest. Surrounding it are haul-out beaches where
the otters can leave the water. Four vantage points offer the public
both above-water and below-water views.
Adult
southern sea otters average about four feet in length and weigh between
45 to 80 pounds. To help maintain body temperature in the cold seawater,
a sea otter will eat about 25 percent of its weight each day. Clams,
crabs, sea stars, urchins, mussels, oysters, snails and many other
animals are featured on their menu. They tend to forage in water less
than 60 feet deep, eating almost any invertebrate they come across.
Thelma and Eddie are fed clams, crabs, pollock fillets, urchins and
clam strips. The baby, of course, is still nursing at this point.
Unlike
other marine mammals, sea otters do not have a thick layer of fat
to keep them warm in frigid waters. Instead they have the ultimate
in double-layered water-resistant fur. Long, outer (guard) hairs form
a protective covering that keeps a dense fine undercoat dry. On some
areas of their body, otters have 170,000-1,000,000 hairs per square
inch of skin--more hairs than any other animal on earth. The average
human has approximately 100,000 hairs on his whole head--some even
less! Sea otters spend much of their time grooming to keep their fur
in good condition. A sea otter blows air into its fur, trapping air
next to its skin in order to maintain its 100-degree body temperature.
The air bubbles protect the sea otter's skin from cold temperatures,
and the coat must be constantly groomed for it to remain waterproof.
If not properly groomed, water could reach the sea otter's skin causing
the animal to suffer hypothermia and die.
The
sea otters' soft, luxurious fur was almost its downfall. Once found
from Baja, California to Alaska and Northern Japan, unlimited hunting
for the fur trade in the late 1800s and early 1900s almost lead to
southern sea otters' extinction. By 1911 only 13 small colonies existed
throughout their range. The Fur Seal Treaty of 1911 ended hunting.
An imperiled population of southern sea otters still exists in California,
while a more vigorous population of northern sea otters can be found
in Alaska, although their numbers are in decline due to predation
by killer whales.
Located
five minutes from downtown Portland just off Highway 26. The zoo is
open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through March 31. General admission is
$6.50 (12-64), seniors $5 (65+), children $4 (3-11), and under 3 are
free. For additional information, please visit the zoo's web site
at www.oregonzoo.org or call 503-226-1561.
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