Oregon Zoo April 2005 Press Releases

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NOTE: Dates indicate date of press release, not the date of the event.

April 2005

April 27 - Oregon Zoo Announces 2005 Summer Concert Series
April 21 - Zoo Invites Kids & Parents to Safe Kids Day May 7
April 21 - Zoo and HomeStreet Bank Go "Wild About Zoos" for Fourth Year
April 19 - Second Endangered Condor Hatched in Oregon
April 15 - Elephantastic at Oregon Zoo Features Packy's 43rd Birthday
April 14 - Dine & Discover the African Savanna at the Oregon Zoo
April 11 - Scientist Speaks about Endangered Tree Kangaroos
April 7 - Bowlers Remember Beloved Rhino as they Help her Endangered Species
April 5 - Large Nile Monitor Lizard with Escape History Debuts at Oregon Zoo
April 4 - Oregon Zoo Receives Conservation Award for Condors

PORTLAND, Ore.-The Wells Fargo Summer Concerts at the Oregon Zoo announces its 27th season, including "Premium" concerts John Hiatt & North Mississippi Allstars (July 9), Chris Isaak (July 15), Indigo Girls (July 17), Marc Cohn/Suzanne Vega (July 22), Bruce Hornsby (July 29), Gipsy Kings (August 6), Los Lonely Boys (August 11), Pink Martini (August 14), and Susan Tedeschi/Blind Boys of Alabama (August 26). Premium concerts are held Thursday through Sunday evenings; tickets range from $17-$35.

"Through Wells Fargo's generous support, the zoo is able to bring a variety of nationally renowned musicians to Portland," said Tony Vecchio, zoo director. "In addition to being a family-friendly series for the community, the revenue generated helps support a variety of endangered species, including ones found here in the Pacific Northwest."

Performances take place on the Oregon Zoo's park-like concert lawn, Portland's premier outdoor venue for popular music since 1979. Premium concert tickets for the Wells Fargo Summer Concerts at the Oregon Zoo are available with no service charge at the zoo, or through TicketsWest (www.ticketswest.com), 800-992-TIXX, and Safeway outlets.

In 1979, the Oregon Zoo became the first zoo in the nation to host a summer concert series. The concert series serves as a means to generate additional revenue to assist the zoo in fulfilling its mission of conservation and education.

In addition to Wells Fargo, generous support for the concert series is provided by The Oregonian A&E and Oregon Public Broadcasting. A complete roster with artists' biographical information can soon be found at www.oregonzoo.org.

The zoo will announce its lineup of an additional nine Wednesday "Plus" concerts in June.

PORTLAND, Ore. - "Follow the leader, safety starts with you" is the theme of the annual Oregon Safe Kids Day event, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 7 at the Oregon Zoo. Prizes, hands-on activities and interactive display stations teach children and parents about what to do in an emergency, along with many safety tips relating to water safety, poison prevention, traffic dangers, and more. Safe Kids Day seeks to educate parents and caregivers about potential risks to children, and especially about adults' role in preventing injuries.

The event kicks off with findings from a new safety study, which reveals the importance of adult role-modeling in preventing childhood injuries and death. The study shows that parents and caregivers must demonstrate safe behavior.

"Safe Kids Day is a great way for parents and kids to have fun and learn how to be safe in normal everyday situations," according to Adrienne Greene, Safe Kids coordinator. "Our safety stations are geared to help prevent accidents, but we'll have other safety exhibits, too. This year we want to help educate parents about how they serve as role models for proper safety behavior for their children," she added.

Safe Kids Day includes interactive safety games and displays. Various activities demonstrate how parents and caregivers can model safe behavior as pedestrians, while riding bikes or in a motor vehicle, and around water.

Kids receive a stamp on their safety passport once they find the correct answers to questions. Each safety answer can be found at the station they are visiting. Once they've visited all stations, and provided all the correct answers, they win a prize. The ten questions they must answer include:

"We have thoroughly enjoyed hosting this event annually in May as part of the National Safe Kids Campaign's Safe Kids Week promotion," said Krista Swan, Oregon Zoo event coordinator. "Oregon is famous for its summer recreation opportunities and we want children to have a safe and fun summer."

Swan received the "Champions of Oregon Safe Kids" award, which was presented by former Governor Barbara Roberts, during last year's annual Oregon Safe Kids meeting.

Swan has helped host Oregon Safe Kids Day at the zoo for the past six years, helping publicize the event, offering zoo discounts and placing safety displays throughout the zoo in order to reach the maximum number of children and parents.

The Oregon Safe Kids Coalition is part of the National Safe Kids Campaign, dedicated to the prevention of unintentional childhood injury, the number one killer of children ages 14 and under.

Oregon Safe Kids Day is free with regular zoo admission. For more information about the Safe Kids program, please visit www.safekids.org.

Editor's Note: For more information on the research report, please contact the National SAFE KIDS Campaign communications department at 202-662-0600 or visit www.safekids.org.

Oregon SAFE KIDS Day is part of the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, the first and only national nonprofit organization dedicated solely to the prevention of unintentional childhood injury - the number one killer of children ages 14 and under. More than 300 state and local SAFE KIDS coalitions in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico make up the Campaign.

Founding Sponsor Johnson & Johnson continues its 17-year partnership with the Campaign. Johnson & Johnson will support National SAFE KIDS Week with a national advertising campaign. It will also distribute safety checklists through retail stores nationwide and send a freestanding insert of coupons to more than 41 million households.

PORTLAND, Ore.-HomeStreet Bank and Oregon Zoo are partnering for the fourth year in a row on "Wild About Zoos," a three-month promotion to raise money for conservation and education programs, including those benefiting local species such as endangered Oregon silverspot butterflies, western pond turtles, and Washington pygmy rabbits.

From now through June 30, HomeStreet Bank will donate $10 to The Oregon Zoo Foundation for every bank account, mortgage, loan and insurance policy opened at branches in Portland, Salem and Vancouver.

To date, HomeStreet has contributed more than $180,000 to zoos throughout the Northwest, including $45,000 to the Oregon Zoo, through its Wild About Zoos program.

The Oregon Zoo's mission is to inspire the community to create a better future for wildlife. As the largest fee-based attraction in the state of Oregon, the zoo hopes to educate the public about the importance of environmental stewardship. Special promotions, such as "Wild About Zoos," help fund the zoo and its conservation message.

"HomeStreet Bank has proven to be a great friend to the Oregon Zoo," said Tony Vecchio, zoo director. "Its donations directly benefit imperiled and threatened Northwest animals. We're happy to see this worthwhile program continue."

HomeStreet Bank is one of the largest privately owned banks in the Northwest. For more than 80 years, HomeStreet has actively partnered with local organizations through employee volunteer service, charitable contributions, products and services and sponsorships. Each year, HomeStreet donates 2 percent of its pre-tax profits to organizations in the community.

For more information about "Wild About Zoos," call HomeStreet Bank at 800-719-8080 or visit www.homestreet.com. For information about supporting the Oregon Zoo's conservation efforts, please contact The Oregon Zoo Foundation at 503-220-5734 or visit www.oregonzoo.org.

April 19, 2005
SECOND ENDANGERED CONDOR HATCHED IN OREGON
Zoo welcomes second condor hatched at its Jonsson Center for Wildlife Conservation

PORTLAND, Ore.- When Oregon Zoo's first California condor emerged from its shell last spring it was the first condor hatched in Oregon in a century. Yesterday, the second California condor chick to hatch in Oregon emerged from its shell at the zoo's Jonsson Center for Wildlife Conservation.

"The chick pushed off the lid of the egg and then tumbled out onto the sand," according to Joe Burnett, assistant condor curator. "The foster mother entered the nest cave shortly thereafter, blanketing the chick between her feet and nestling it into her breast feathers."

The foster mother fed the chick 20 minutes after it hatched, and both foster parents are providing around the clock care. The chick is four inches long and weighs about eight ounces.

In an online contest, the public named the chick Tatoosh. The name originates from Yurok tribal legend and means "thunderbird who shook the mountains with his flapping wings." The Yurok tribe historically lived at the mouth of the Klamath River and along the Pacific coast.

The condor egg was laid on February 21. In early April, condor keepers introduced a fake "dummy" egg to foster parents known as 137 and 147. After a few days, the foster parents began incubating the "dummy" egg.

On April 15, Senior Bird Keeper Shawn St. Michael checked the condor egg in the electric incubator and observed that the chick had pipped. The keepers carefully removed the egg and transported it to its foster parent's nest cave. The keepers lured the foster parents outside with food and hastily replaced the "dummy" egg with the real one. A few minutes later the female returned and accepted the egg. The keepers monitored the egg via a surveillance camera positioned on the ceiling of the nest cave.

Three days later, on April 18, Burnett observed the egg hatch on television monitors after the foster father went outside to eat.

Burnett hopes to determine the gender of the chick by collecting condor egg fragments and sending them to a lab for DNA testing. If the gender cannot be determined from egg fragments, veterinarians will collect blood during the chick's 30 day health examination. The sample will be sent to a lab for DNA gender testing. The chick will also receive a physical and its West Nile vaccination during the check up.

The zoo is still incubating two additional eggs. One egg is in an incubator and will be sent to San Diego Wild Animal Park (prior to hatching) on April 26. The other egg will remain with its parents, Paxa and Sawlu. If all goes well, the egg traveling to San Diego will hatch May 7. The other Oregon egg is expected to hatch on Mother's Day, May 8.

The Oregon Zoo is only the third zoo in the nation invited to join the California Condor Recovery Program. California condor captive breeding programs are operated at San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park, Los Angeles Zoo, and The Peregrine Fund's World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise. The recovery goal for the condor program is to establish a captive population of 150 birds and two separate wild populations of condors (150 each), one in California and the other in Arizona. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Condor Recovery Program coordinate and implement the recovery efforts and provide oversight of all program partners.

The Oregon Zoo's condor recovery efforts take place at the Jonsson Center for Wildlife Conservation, located in Clackamas County on Metro-owned open space. The remoteness of the facility minimizes the exposure of young condors to people, increasing the chances for captive-hatched birds to survive and breed in the wild.

Condors are the largest land birds in North America, with wingspans of up to ten feet and weigh between 18 to 31 pounds. They are highly intelligent and inquisitive, often engaging in play. During the Pleistocene Era, which ended about 10,000 years ago, the condors' range extended across much of North America. By 1940, the range was reduced to the coastal mountains of southern California.

April 15, 2005
ELEPHANTASTIC AT OREGON ZOO FEATURES PACKY'S 43rd BIRTHDAY

PORTLAND, Ore. - Zoo expands Packy's birthday to create a two-day elephant extravaganza.

Oregon Zoo is throwing an elephant-sized party to celebrate the species that made it famous. Elephantastic, a two-day celebration of Asian elephants April 16 and 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., will showcase training sessions, keeper talks, games and the ever-popular fashion accessory, elephant ears.

" We decided that, since Packy is so big and so well loved, he needed not just one but two days to celebrate," said Oregon Zoo Director Tony Vecchio.

Packy's cake, baked by the zoo's own Chef Paul Warner, is a 40-pound whole-wheat concoction topped with frosting, apples, carrots and celery. All guests are invited to share free birthday cake, courtesy of Lamb's Markets, beginning at noon.

Also on Saturday, visitors can meet costumed elephants Eliza and Elliot while they enjoy face painting and games, and the day wouldn't be complete without taking a moment to sign the BIG guy's birthday card.

Packy, the first elephant born in the Western Hemisphere in more than 45 years, was born on April 14, 1962, making international news. Gifts poured in, a song was written in his honor and a radio station sponsored a naming contest. Gresham, Oregon resident Wayne W. French submitted the winning name.

Packy is the oldest and largest male Asian elephant in the United States; he stands 10'6" at the shoulder and his average weight is 14,020 pounds. He has fathered seven calves, including 21-year-old Sung-Surin ("Sunshine") and Rama, both of whom currently live at the zoo.

Elephantastic continues on Sunday with elephant training and feeding demonstrations, with a special focus on Rama and his painting activities. Rama will also celebrate his 22nd birthday (belatedly) with a special cake in the indoor gallery on Sunday, April 17 at 1 p.m. (Rama's birthday was April 1).

April 14, 2005
DINE & DISCOVER THE AFRICAN SAVANNA AT THE OREGON ZOO
Oregon Zoo General Curator Chris Pfefferkorn shares insights about Cheetah and Leopard Conservation

PORTLAND, Ore. - The Oregon Zoo Foundation offers a golden opportunity to explore the cuisine of Africa while learning about two of the savanna's fabulous felines-cheetahs and leopards. Dine & Discover The Savannas of Africa takes place on Wednesday, April 20, 2005 at 6:30 p.m. in the Skyline Room at the Oregon Zoo and is the last of the season's series. Dine & Discover is sponsored by River City/Carlson Wagonlit Travel.

The evening begins with appetizers and drinks and is followed by a four-course feast. The menu depicts the flavors of the African Savanna as imagined by the zoo's Executive Chef Paul Warner. Diners will begin their culinary adventure with appetizers featuring an assortment of African delicacies before moving on to the coconut curry chicken soup with red lentils called kuku paka. Next on the menu is grilled tilapia with kachumbari vegetable slaw, followed by braised beef short ribs in peanut sauce with couscous and collard greens. The meal comes to a sweet end with a dessert of coconut and sweet potato pie.

Oregon Zoo General Curator Chris Pfefferkorn will share his adventures in Zimbabwe relocating cheetahs and leopards to protected lands. Pfefferkorn has been involved with cheetah and leopard conservation for 4 years.

" Chris has spent an enormous amount of time on cheetah and leopard conservation," says Tony Vecchio, zoo director. "His personal stories and amiable personality will make this an enjoyable evening for the audience."

The cost for Dine & Discover is $75 per person, or $500 per table of eight. Seating is limited to those with reservations. To make reservations, call 503-220-2492 by April 15, 2005. Guests must be 21 years of age or older.

Net proceeds benefit The Oregon Zoo Foundation's Future for Wildlife program.
Future for Wildlife annually offers grants to support projects that directly contribute to the survival of animal populations in the wild. Projects funded in the past include repairs to the perimeter wall of the Humboldt penguin reserve in Punta San Juan, Peru; development of an environmental education program on Rodrigues, Mauritius; and a survey of endangered turtles in Hainan, China.

April 11, 2005
SCIENTIST SPEAKS ABOUT ENDANGERED TREE KANGAROOS
Oregon Zoo recognizes women in science and their conservation efforts

PORTLAND Ore. - New York native Dr. Lisa Dabek may appear to have little in common with the people of Papua New Guinea, but they share a common goal: saving the Papua New Guinea tree kangaroo. Dabek will share her experiences April 26 at 7 p.m. in a lecture titled Saving Tree Kangaroos in Papua New Guinea.

" Tree kangaroos are facing an uncertain future because of an overuse of the region's resources," according to Tony Vecchio, zoo director. "But with Dabek helping to spread the word about what can be done to help these small animals, people are now taking action to save them."

As director of the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program (TKCP), Dabek educates landowners on the importance of biodiversity. Dabek heads the long-term conservation program by studying the status of wild tree kangaroos, researching their natural history, recording traditional stories and beliefs about tree kangaroos, and working to establish new conservation areas.

Dabek and the TKCP encourage landowners to designate portions of their land as no-hunting areas, and share in management duties of the resulting conservation area. Papua New Guinea natives have a history of hunting tree kangaroos for their meat and fur as well as selling logging and mineral rights to their property. The combination of these practices and the low reproductive rate of the tree kangaroos are major contributors to the marsupials' endangered state. By educating the natives in their homes and classrooms, Dabek is able to communicate the delicate state of the tree kangaroos and the need to preserve them as well as their habitat.

As of December 2004, Dabek has set aside over 100,000 acres of rainforest habitat for conservation, key to the survival of the tree kangaroo and other species. These conservation efforts have been made with support from the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program, the Oregon Zoo, and residents of Papua New Guinea.

Not only has Dabek worked tirelessly with landowners and legislators, she has also developed ways to instill the values of conservation in youth. Through an exchange program, Dabek has enabled U.S. and Papua New Guinea students to educate each other in global environmental awareness.

The Women in Wildlife Conservation Science series is presented by Pro Photo Supply with additional support from David Evans and Associates, Portland General Electric and Southwest Airlines. Hosts for the series are Audubon Society of Portland, Oregon Zoo, and World Forestry Center. The motivation for this series is the hope that community knowledge will be raised in the areas of wildlife conservation, environmental problems, and ecological systems.

Lectures will be held in the Oregon Zoo's Banquet Center and begin at 7 p.m. Cost for each lecture: $10 for non-members, $8 for members of host organizations, students or seniors. Cost for season tickets for four-lecture series: $36 for non-members, $28 for members of host organizations, students, or seniors.

April 7, 2005
BOWLERS REMEMBER BELOVED RHINO AS THEY HELP HER ENDANGERED SPECIES
16th Annual Bowling for Rhinos slated for Saturday, April 23 dedicated to Miadi

PORTLAND, Ore. - When hundreds of bowlers hit the lanes Saturday, April 23 to save the world's endangered rhinos, their thoughts won't be on the dwindling rhino population as much as on the recent loss of Miadi, Oregon Zoo's black rhino that passed away February 13.

Bowling for Rhinos, an annual fundraiser in its 16th year, takes place at Beaverton's Brunswick Sunset Lanes in two afternoon sessions beginning at noon and 3 p.m. The Portland Chapter of the American Association of Zookeepers sponsors the event.

Bowling for Rhinos is a national program that has raised more than $1.9 million since its inception. Portland bowlers have raised more than $157,000 of that amount, more than any other city in the country. Money raised goes directly to three specific rhino conservation projects working to protect three of the world's five species of rhinos.

Bowlers raise funds by collecting tax-deductible pledges. The Portland event features door prizes and a raffle for a variety of items. Nationally, the top two fundraisers win a two-week trip to Kenya, and will be the guests of the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.

Lewa was the first rhino program supported by the bowling event. Two additional Indonesian programs now receive funds - Ujung Kulon National Park on the island of Java, a tropical lowland rainforest area home to the reclusive Javan rhino; and Bukit Barasan Selatan National Park, on the island of Sumatra. Bukit Barison is home to the rare Sumatran rhino and other endangered animals, including Asian elephants, tigers, clouded leopards and Malayan sun bears.

"There are less than 2,700 black, only 300 Sumatran, and less than 60 Javan rhinos left in the wild," said Illig. "While populations of white rhinos (estimated to be 10,400) and Indian rhinos (estimated to be 2,400) are more stable, they too are considered threatened. Saving all species of rhinos is important, but the most critically endangered species drive our efforts."

Oregon Zoo Director Tony Vecchio is pleased that the zoo's keepers and the greater zoo community have done so much to save rhinos.

"The primary mission of the Oregon Zoo is conservation," said Vecchio. "It's gratifying to see that our staff believe so strongly in that mission that they've devoted much of their own time and resources to this important effort."

Registration forms for both bowlers and sponsors are available on the zoo's Web site at www.oregonzoo.org. Individuals and teams are encouraged to register early, but walk-ins are welcome. Additional information is available by calling the zoo's Michael Illig at 503-226-1561, extension 5275, or by e-mail at portlandaazk@aol.com.

The Oregon Zoo is an accredited member of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) and is working to facilitate a conservation ethic in children and adults alike. Bowling for Rhinos is an event that can involve the entire community, and has become a fun tradition for some families.

April 5, 2005
LARGE NILE MONITOR LIZARD WITH ESCAPE HISTORY DEBUTS AT OREGON ZOO

PORTLAND, Ore. - A Nile monitor with a fondness for freedom made its debut in Oregon Zoo's Africa swamp exhibit today. The six-foot long, 33-pound reptile named Merlin has an intriguing background, which includes an encounter with Florida's Miami-Dade police in July 2004.

According to Steve Conners, General Curator at Miami Metrozoo, the monitor freed itself from the makeshift handcuffs of rope and tape they had bound it with and leapt out of the back window of the patrol car. "From there it was off into the vegetation that can be thick in the undeveloped parts of the zoo property."

It was spotted in the Miami Metrozoo parking lot August 8 and recaptured by zoo staff.

The zoo is beefing up the exhibit Merlin will call home just to be on the safe side.

Nile monitors, which can get up to 7 feet long, are found in most of Africa, except the northwest. They have an aggressive temperament, a powerful bite and a lashing tail.

Nile monitors are listed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), the regulatory body that oversees the international movement and trade of endangered species. They are considered in danger of being threatened with extinction.

"There are many species of non-native reptiles that have become established in south Florida and it is a growing problem," said Conners. "Most of these can be traced to the pet trade."

PORTLAND, Ore. - Oregon Zoo is the recipient of The Wildlife Society's Conservation Award for "creating the nation's fourth California condor breeding facility." Matt Hane of The Wildlife Society's Oregon Chapter presented the award to Joe Burnett, Oregon Zoo assistant condor curator, during their recent annual wildlife conference in Corvallis, Ore.

"Oregon Zoo is pleased to be recognized by The Wildlife Society for our condor conservation efforts, which are yielding dividends" said Oregon Zoo Director Tony Vecchio. "The breeding facility had two eggs in its first year, and we've seen three eggs so far this year. Every egg is extremely important to the survival of this rare species."

In 1987 there were only 17 condors left in the wild. In an attempt to save the species, biologists decided to place all the remaining condors into a captive breeding program. When Congress passed the Endangered Species Act in 1973, the California condor was one of the original animals included on the list.

The Wildlife Society's Conservation Award is presented to "individuals, city or county agencies, corporations, or conservation organizations who demonstrate ongoing, positive wildlife conservation or advocacy efforts." The award committee considers the sustainability, scope, and significance of the resulting benefits to wildlife and the community. Characteristics of an award recipient should include innovation, integrity, advocacy, and good will.

The Wildlife Society, which was founded in 1937, is an international non-profit scientific and educational association dedicated to excellence in wildlife stewardship through science and education. It is based in Bethesda, Md.

In November 2003, the Oregon Zoo received 12 condors. On Mother's Day 2004, the zoo welcomed its first condor chick.

Condors are the largest land birds in North America, with wingspans of 91ž2 feet. They are highly intelligent and inquisitive, often engaging in play. During the Pleistocene Era, which ended about 10,000 years ago, the condors' range extended across much of North America. By 1940, the range was reduced to the coastal mountains of southern California.