Oregon Zoo May 2005 Press Releases

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

May 2005

May 31 - Go Behind the Scenes with Marine Mammals at Zoo's Steller Cove
May 24 - Foreign-Born Students Hone English-Speaking Skills at Zoo's Butterfly Exhibit
May 19 - Oregon Zoo Fills General Curator Position From Within Ranks
May 17 - Professor Bonds with Baboons in Tanzania
May 11 - Legomania at the Zoo
May 9 - Zoo Celebrates Wildflowers with Fun and Games
May 9 - Third Endangered California Condor Chick Hatched in Oregon
May 6 - Butterflies Return by Popular Demand
May 2 - Oregon Zoo Celebrates Moms, Animal and Human

May 31, 2005
GO BEHIND THE SCENES WITH MARINE MAMMALS AT ZOO'S STELLER COVE
Tour allows guests to interact with sea lions, sea otters, and Mira the blind elephant seal

PORTLAND, Ore.-How much fish can one sea lion eat? What's the difference between a seal and a sea lion? Are sea otters related to weasels? Sign up for the zoo's Steller Cove VIP Encounter to find out! During the Steller Cove VIP Encounter on Saturday, June 18, from 10 to 11:30 a.m., guests will have the opportunity to interact with the zoo's marine mammals and learn about them directly from zoo staff. Guests get to meet the zoo's sea otters, Mira the blind elephant seal, and two Steller sea lions (Julius and Gus), and experience an insider's tour of the Steller Cove exhibit.

"Our Behind the Scenes Encounters help instill a love for animals," says Charis Henrie, education coordinator. "They provide meaningful experiences, creating memories that will last a lifetime."

In addition to the sea otter and sea lion pools, the Steller Cove exhibit includes a kelp forest-home to many fish and invertebrates. Questions about the animals and the exhibit will be answered during the 90-minute tour as guests discover the rewards and challenges of caring for marine mammals. VIP Encounters are for guests ages 14 and up. Prices are $85 for zoo members and $100 for non-members.

Other activities for VIP Encounter guests include the chance to try out training techniques and make environmental enrichment treats for the seals and sea lions. Keepers will talk about the importance of environmental enrichment to keep animals mentally stimulated as well as current conservation efforts with marine mammals.

May 24, 2005
FOREIGN-BORN STUDENTS HONE ENGLISH-SPEAKING SKILLS AT ZOO'S BUTTERFLY EXHIBIT
Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Russian, Somali, Farsi, and Ukranian speaking students share their butterfly expertise with zoo visitors

PORTLAND, Ore.-English as a Second Language (ESL) students from Aloha High School will practice their English skills at the Oregon Zoo May 24-26 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Forty ESL students will volunteer in the zoo's newly reopened Winged Wonders butterfly exhibit, helping visitors spot butterflies and answer questions.

The students recently arrived in the United States from countries all over the world. Most of the students are Spanish speaking, but Chinese, Vietnamese, Russian, Somali, Farsi, and Ukranian speaking students will also be present.

The students have been studying butterflies in the classroom as part of a several week unit. Each student has chosen one species of butterfly from the exhibit for more in-depth research; they then orally describe their findings to the class. Through their research, writing, and public speaking assignments, each student has fulfilled common curriculum goals in reading, writing, communication and life science.

Helen Lovgren, ESL teacher for Beaverton School District, says students have found butterflies to be highly interesting, engaging, and meaningful-essential ingredients for learning.

"Now comes the exciting part," says Lovgren. "The students will be in a position to share their knowledge with visitors. It's this application of knowledge in a real world situation, outside the classroom, that is so valuable to our young people."

The students may also be called upon to use their first languages for interpreting to non-English speaking zoo visitors. Each student will wear a button that will identify his or her native language.

"Our visitors come from all over the world," according to Tony Vecchio, zoo director. "It's great to have these talented students on grounds to convey butterfly information in English, as well as other languages."

Lovgren believes that through interpreting butterflies at the zoo, the value of bilingual skills will become increasingly apparent to them.

Beaverton School District serves 5,000 English Language Learners, who represent more than 12 percent of the district enrollment. The program began in the 1970s with the arrival of Southeast Asian refugees, and today more than 70 languages are represented. Currently, there is an English Language Development program at every school in the district.

Virginia Aguilar, executive administrator of special programs for Beaverton School District, says "Opportunities like the zoo project provide students a vehicle to integrate their content knowledge, their native language, and their academic English skills."

The zoo works closely with the Beaverton School District on other educational programs. This is the second time ESL students from Aloha High School have served as interpreters at the Oregon Zoo.

Recently the Oregon Zoo was recognized for this opportunity from the English Language Learners, the Beaverton School District and the Beaverton Area Chamber of Commerce for its ongoing support of business/education partnerships and the School to Careers Program.

May 19, 2005
OREGON ZOO FILLS GENERAL CURATOR POSITION FROM WITHIN RANKS

PORTLAND, Ore.-Oregon Zoo has promoted Chris Pfefferkorn to the position of general curator. During Pfefferkorn's seven-year tenure at the zoo, he has held the positions of animal collection manager and zoological curator. Pfefferkorn has also been active in field conservation work, helping save endangered cheetahs and leopards in Zimbabwe.

Upon announcing Pfefferkorn's promotion, Oregon Zoo Deputy Director Mike Keele stated, "I am confident that Chris will perform admirably in this new position, as he has shown leadership by accepting several new challenges associated with the many changes the zoo has seen."

Pfefferkorn, 40, has a strong background in animal management. He came to Portland from Lufkin, Texas, where he served 21⁄2 years as manager of the 600-plus animal collection and its care staff at the Ellen Trout Zoo. While there, he represented the zoo on the American Zoological Association's (AZA) Species Survival Plans (SSP) for the Bali mynah and clouded leopard. He was also a member of AZA's Antelope Taxon Advisory Group (TAG) and was elected a management group member for the cotton top tamarin and mangabey SSPs. Pfefferkorn also served as the studbook keeper for four species of duiker.

While in Portland, he has continued his work with the mangabey SSP and the AZA Antelope TAG. He is its sub-chairman for 15 different species of small antelope. Pfefferkorn is the studbook keeper and population manager for three species of duiker, population manager for Amur leopard, and a member of AZA's Wildlife Conservation Monitoring Committee.

A Peoria, Ill., native, Pfefferkorn has a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Eureka College in Illinois. He served as an animal keeper at the Glen Oak Zoo in Peoria for a year and at the San Antonio Zoo for 41⁄2 years.

May 17, 2005
PROFESSOR BONDS WITH BABOONS IN TANZANIA
Final presentation of the Women in Wildlife Conservation Science lecture series at Oregon Zoo

PORTLAND, Ore.-Far below where the steam escapes its fiery throat, Dr. Jeanne Altmann investigates the shadows of Kilimanjaro, exploring the unique ecosystems and behaviors of baboons. Join Altmann at the Oregon Zoo on May 24 at 7 p.m. as she shares her discoveries in a lecture titled Primates in the Shadow of Kilimanjaro.

Altmann, who recently participated in a study with the Amboseli Baboon Research Project found similarities between obesity and diabetes in humans and primates. Baboons afflicted with these diseases are referred to as "couch baboons." She discovered that "baboons and other primates take advantage of human-created situations of abundance, such as dumps, gardens and farms. The animals add these foods to their diets if they are in the range of territory they normally cover looking for food, or they might shift their range to incorporate an abundant food source, somewhat like bears or deer in this country."

Altmann earned election to the National Academy of Sciences in 2003, which The New York Times hailed as "an honor considered second only to a Nobel Prize." Far fewer women have been recognized in the Academy than men, and Altmann knows firsthand the challenges women face in science today.

"The fact that we still have a long way to go is frequently clear," Altmann commented, "but with commitment on the part of many individuals, changes are coming."

"I think that each of us has been faced with different challenges and at different times," added Altmann, "and there have probably been as many ways of overcoming them as there are women in science. In every case, though, I think an overriding, passionate commitment has been essential, and support from other women and from men has been critical as well."
Altmann has dedicated more than 40 years to the Amboseli Baboon Research Project. Her studies are currently focused in the area of baboon biology, with interest in genetics, hormones, nutrition, hybridization, and relations with other species. She has been the one consistent presence at the Project since its beginning, providing the primary source of vision, focus, and scientific expertise.

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.

May 11, 2005
LEGOMANIA AT THE ZOO

PORTLAND, Ore.-Oregon Episcopal School's LEGO Physics classes present an original display of their computerized LEGO masterpieces in the Oregon Zoo's Elephant Museum, May 21-22, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. This is the eighth year the school has displayed their LEGO creations, which demonstrate physics principles in a fun and imaginative way.

This year's theme, PETE AND PACKY GO TO THE MOVIES, includes the "LEGO Logo Board," which brings together 15 detailed and motorized constructions designed and built by the students to honor the zoo's famous rhino and elephant. The students are on hand to operate all their constructions, and visitors can try out such highlights as a remote-controlled bowling rhino, a car that follows a tape line, and the squiggle pen.

" These are great kids building great contraptions," said Jane Kenney-Norberg, LEGO physics instructor. "I stress constantly to the kids that they are representing themselves, their family and their school-and that once they've done a zoo show, people will recognize them out in the real world. That certainly makes them pull it together!"

The display has been designed and constructed entirely by the students in the LEGO physics classes, which cover several grade levels. Fifty-six advanced LEGO "engineers" between the ages of 8 and 15 demonstrate what they've built-many with motors, some with programmable bricks, and some controlled by sensors and computers. "LEGO Physics" teaches principles of simple mechanics, engineering, computer programming, and high-level troubleshooting. Not only do the kids design and build all the constructions, but they devise the "story," and then execute it by programming each construction using two incompatible computers and four Robolab RCX Bricks. They must devise a way for the three systems to work together to present the whole sequence. For the last three years, the Oregon Episcopal School has been invited to the Oregon State Fair in Salem to display their Logo Board, and the fair has already requested a return appearance this August.

May 9, 2005
ZOO CELEBRATES WILDFLOWERS WITH FUN AND GAMES SATURDAY, MAY 14

PORTLAND, Ore. - The Oregon Zoo will showcase Oregon wildflowers and their part within the web of life during Celebrating Wildflowers, Saturday, May 14 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. The event, which is sponsored by the Bureau of Land Management, offers an opportunity to see the interdependence of plants and wildlife throughout Oregon while engaging in fun, family activities.
Special activities include craft making, seed planting and face painting. Children can play the Flower Game, where they dress like butterflies and bees, carrying "pollen" balls from flower to flower. Adults can take advantage of on-site experts who will demonstrate how to attract butterflies and other pollinators by planting native flowers.

" Wildflowers and other native plants are critical to a healthy ecosystem," says Tony Vecchio, Oregon Zoo director. "Their vital role is often taken for granted. This event, while involving people with conservation programs, highlights the importance of wildflowers in ways that are fun and exciting for both children and adults."

Celebrating Wildflowers is an annual event that emphasizes the importance of conservation and management of native plants and their habitats. The event highlights the aesthetic, recreational, biological, medicinal, and economic values of wildflowers.

For more information about Celebrating Wildflowers nationwide, visit www.nps.gov/plants/cw/. Celebrating Wildflowers is free with zoo admission.

May 9, 2005
THIRD ENDANGERED CALIFORNIA CONDOR CHICK HATCHED IN OREGON
Second condor egg in less than a month hatched at its Jonsson Center for Wildlife Conservation

PORTLAND, Ore.-At 6:45 this morning, while Oregon Zoo staff conducted their morning "egg watch," they observed male California condor, Paxa, stand up and give staff their first view of a new California chick, the second hatched this year. The chick may have hatched last night or this morning. The new chick is the second condor to hatch at the zoo's Jonsson Center for Wildlife Conservation in less than a month.

Paxa fed the chick briefly, then resumed brooding. Late Sunday afternoon, Assistant Condor Curator Joe Burnett could hear the new chick vocalizing upstairs in the nest room while under Paxa, but he couldn't confirm a hatch because Paxa wouldn't move, which is normal during hatching. The last visual of the intact egg was at 5:45 p.m. Sunday.

Chick number two hatched from the zoo's third egg of the season and his parents, Paxa and Sawlu, naturally incubated their first egg together, establishing a solid foundation for future breeding efforts. This is the first egg produced from Paxa and Sawlu since their arrival in Oregon.

" Since this is the first condor egg produced by this couple, we decided to leave the egg alone and allow them to get comfortable with one another without any potential disturbances to the egg, rather than remove the egg and artificially incubate it," said Burnett.

The hatching process began on Thursday, May 5 when staff switched out the real egg with a dummy egg so they could check on the chick's progress. A condor can take several days to hatch.
" While examining the egg, we could hear our other chick, Tatoosh, down the hallway making short hiss-grunt sounds," said Burnett. "We discovered we weren't the only ones hearing Tatoosh. We were startled when we heard the chick inside the egg quickly answer back with a hiss-grunt sound of its own."

Paxa came from the wild in 1982. He was estimated to be one year old. His parents both disappeared in the winter of 1985. He represents some important genetics that were lost. Sawlu also carries genes from a wild female that disappeared.

" Both birds have unique genetics that are critical to the condor population. Offspring from this pair will create greater genetic diversity in the species," Burnett added.

This hatching makes the 246th California condor in the world.
More Condors
Another egg from Oregon breeding pair Wiloq and Woy was shipped to the San Diego Wild Animal Park on April 26 due to abnormalities in the egg. Sadly, the chick died during the hatching process on May 4.

Wiloq, an inexperienced mother, had laid her egg on the concrete floor in the feeding room rather than in her nest cave. The egg dropped during the laying process and suffered multiple hairline fractures.
" We didn't have high expectations for the condor to survive, due to the fractures and abnormalities. We were hoping for a miracle, but it just didn't happen," said Burnett.

Tatoosh continues to thrive
At 22 days old, Tatoosh is continuing to get stronger and can be heard making short hiss-grunt sounds to get the attention of foster mom and dad. Tatoosh's gender has not been determined. Staff plan to draw blood for DNA gender testing during his one-month physical, which will also include a West Nile virus vaccination.

Condors in Oregon
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 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.

Condors have a long history in Oregon. Archeologists have unearthed nine thousand year old condor bones from Native American middens. The condor was a common design motif of the Wasco people, who lived along the Columbia River from The Dalles to Cascade Locks-the condor was considered a helper to the native peoples and a key character in many myths.

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.

May 6, 2005
BUTTERFLIES RETURN BY POPULAR DEMAND
Last summer zoo director is inundated with e-mails asking for the return of butterflies

PORTLAND, Ore. - This summer, butterflies return to the Oregon Zoo, alighting on delighted visitors during the grand opening of Winged Wonders May 21-22. Butterfly hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the opening week. From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, hours will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Butterfly admission is an additional $2.

The bevies of beautiful butterflies make their encore appearance mostly because Oregon Zoo Director Tony Vecchio received a flurry of e-mails requesting that the zoo bring the colorful creatures back for another summer.

" It's surprising how such small creatures can have such a big impact on people," said Vecchio. "I received so many impassioned e-mails from young and old alike-it was clear that we'd bring butterflies back in 2005. "

The zoo has planned a variety of fun butterfly activities for the grand opening weekend. Visitors can follow the winding path of butterflies to reach activity stations that include:
"    Drawing chalk butterflies and wildflowers on the path
"    Creating wildflower or butterfly bookmarks
"    Butterfly and wildflower face painting
"    Butterfly-themed puppet show
"    Creating butterfly finger puppets
"    Dressing up like butterflies in the pollinator game
"    Stamping activity highlighting backyard habitat
"    Learning about attracting butterflies to the home garden
"    Planting a free native seedling to attract garden butterflies
Winged Wonders showcases more than 20 species of North American butterflies and by mid-summer, the zoo will add vibrant exotic butterflies Central and South America. Colorful butterflies such as Zebra Swallowtails, Buckeyes, and Red Admirals are the main attraction. Visitors can meander through beautiful gardens with water features. Some lucky visitors may have butterflies land on them, making this exhibit truly interactive. "Lingering" areas with benches allow visitors to sit back and be totally immersed in a world of winged wonders. Before leaving the main exhibit area, visitors can view the life cycle of a butterfly through a pupae display.

An interpretive area allows visitors to learn more about the butterflies with which they've just interacted. Interesting and fun hands-on activities explain how a butterfly uses its senses of sight, smell and taste.

The exit area consists of a butterfly garden with locally available plants native to North America. Plants include butterfly bush, cornelian cherry, kinnikinnick, spirea and dogwood, all of which attract butterflies. Here visitors discover what they can do in their own backyard to create a butterfly-friendly habitat.

" You have to think in terms of plants that will attract butterflies in all stages of their development," remarked Linda Coady Richardson, the zoo's horticultural supervisor. "The caterpillar's plant needs are different from the pupae's, which are different from the butterfly's. " Bfly

The zoo's field conservation projects with endangered Oregon silverspot and Fender's blue butterflies are also featured. The interactive display describes how the zoo rears endangered butterflies. The zoo has teamed up with the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) to form the Butterfly Conservation Initiative. The Initiative brings government and non-government agencies together to help save imperiled North American butterflies. A portion of the proceeds from the Oregon Zoo's butterfly exhibit helps support the zoo's butterfly education and conservation efforts.

" Most people don't realize there are endangered butterflies here in the northwest," said Vecchio. "We believe efforts in our own region are the most effective way to engage visitors in conservation actions. "We hope by connecting people to beautiful butterflies, they'll begin to care more about the environment and wildlife," he added.

May 2, 2005
OREGON ZOO CELEBRATES MOMS, ANIMAL AND HUMAN

PORTLAND, Ore.-Oregon Zoo would like the public to help choose the Zoo Mother of the Year for 2005. The three finalists for this special honor are Coco, a chimpanzee; Mali, a colobus monkey; and Tama, a California condor. An on-line ballot featuring photos of zoo moms with short biographies is posted at www.oregonzoo.org.

" All three moms are incredibly important to their species, which are either threatened or endangered," said Tony Vecchio, zoo director. "Allowing the public to choose a Zoo Mother of the Year gives us a chance to educate them about the challenges facing these species."

The three finalists were chosen by zoo employees, who were given an initial list of eight zoo moms.
" Employees really let their emotions show with their votes," said Vecchio. "They not only cast their vote, but write explanations of why their choice should win."

On-line votes will be accepted through Thursday, May 5 at 5 p.m. The zoo will announce the 2005 Zoo Mother of the Year on Friday, May 6 at 10 a.m.

The zoo is also honoring human moms with a special Mother's Day Brunch served at the zoo's Cascade Banquet Center, Sunday, May 8 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The brunch buffet includes seasonal fruits, assorted pastries and muffins, scrambled eggs, rosemary roasted red potatoes, bacon and sausage, made-to-order omelets, pork loin with fruit chutney, French toast, and assorted salads and desserts. Cost for the brunch is $18.95 for adults 12 and older and $8.95 for children ages 3-11. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 503-525-4299. Zoo admission is not included in the price of the brunch; however, zoo admission is not required to attend the brunch.