On May 11, 2008, Blackie, the San Diego Zoo’s Manchurian brown bear, stepped out of his bedroom area into a twilight zone (see Hali’s previous blog, Brown Bear Welcomed). There to greet him was a tent, a cooler, some hiking boots, and a fire pit. What a surprise for this 24-year-old brown bear who had lived his whole life in managed care!
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Do you like rock hyrax? Not sure what they are? People often mistake them for rodents, but they are related to the elephant and are called “little brother of the elephant.” But they look like and are about the size of a football!
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This weekend I’ve been fortunate to have had more communications with my friends in Wolong and had a good long phone call with Zhou Xiaoping in Bifengxia (where Mei Sheng resides safely). This is the facility near Ya’An. I learned that Zhou’s daughter, now 13 years old, was in Chengdu when the earthquake hit and she is fine.
I can remember carrying her around and throwing her up in the air when she was a year old. A few years later she was calling me “lao wai Su Su” (Uncle Foreigner) and later, Ron Su Su. For the past several years she’s usually been away at school when I’ve been in Wolong. I’m very happy to know for sure she is okay.
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The picture at Wolong is becoming clearer. It’s not as horrific as it could have been, but it is bad and the battle is not over. I’ve now had direct contact with Wolong staff who were not at Wolong during the quake and contact with others who have had some limited communications with people in Wolong.
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This is a farewell to Karim-Alam, a 1½-year-old siamang. Born December 13, 2006, little Karim-Alam, whose name means “generous nature” in Indonesian, was named in acknowledgment of all the generous donors who have supported the San Diego Zoo throughout the years.
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I’ve just spent the evening googling “wolong earthquake” and “panda earthquake” to get the latest on the situation in Wolong. I checked my e-mail again and called all my friends’ cell phone numbers again. A frustrating experience. I can’t get through to anyone and have very little information on Wolong. I’m relieved about the reports stating that the pandas at the Wolong breeding center are safe, but disappointed that I can’t get more information about the staff. One report, fairly reliable, states that someone from Wolong made a satellite phone call to the State Forestry Administration saying that the staff are okay. Someone else says that they talked to the panda vet at Bifengxia, who apparently spoke to someone in Wolong and said they were okay. I’m glad the information is positive, but still only a little relieved.
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We have three new additions to Tiger River at the San Diego Zoo! At 6 a.m. on April 29, keepers discovered that Mek, our ten-year-old Malayan tiger, had given birth to three cubs. She had been on birth watch since April 24, and her behavior was somewhat different on the 28th but, as is often the case, she waited until we went home to give birth.
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NEWS RELEASE
May 13, 2008
BOISE, Idaho – People who consume venison from game animals shot with lead bullets risk being exposed to lead, according to a joint study presented today by The Peregrine Fund and Washington State University at a conference of scientists, biologists and health experts at Boise State University.
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Our little meerkat pups are growing by leaps and bounds every day (see Laura’s previous blog, Crowd-pleasing Meerkat Pups). Last week was their first set of vaccines, which always proves to be fun. The meerkats don’t seem to agree! I have been training everyone to come into the back keeper service area so they are easy to catch. Every day I wait for them all to come into the back for their meatballs. They are all very enthusiastic about eating and will follow me basically anywhere. Getting the four pups all back there at the same time can be challenging.
Three run in, one is scared and stays right outside the door. Then one will run out and that fourth one will run in. It’s like they planned it!
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It’s breeding season here at the Maui Bird Conservation Center (MBCC), and that means all the occupants (the staff, interns, and birds) are very busy!
It all starts with planning and preparation. The staff and interns work hard in the weeks leading up to breeding season building nest platforms, putting up nest boxes, and collecting various nesting materials that the birds can use to build their nests. Nest cameras are set up in breeding females’ aviaries so that nesting behavior can be observed around the clock.
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