Apes and Monkeys

Apes and Monkeys

3

Found: Strange Things in Animal Exhibits

By
Bruce Rideout
– May 14, 2012Posted in: Animals and Plants, Apes and Monkeys, Conservation, Conservation at the Zoo, Uncategorized

A lion-tailed macaque

One of the fun things about working in a zoo is that each day brings something new and different; we never know what we will be working on from one day to the next. Most of our work in the Wildlife Disease Laboratories, San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, involves examining animal tissues and fluids for disease surveillance, diagnostics, and research designed to improve the health and well-being of the animals in our care. But every once in a while we have to solve a mystery about strange things found in our animal exhibits. Animal keepers are very vigilant in monitoring their animals and exhibit environments. If some unidentified thing found in an exhibit might be an indication of a disease problem in an animal, or a health threat to an animal, it is our job to identify the object and determine its significance.

This is what a normal primate placenta looks like under the microscope.

Some time ago we had a five-year-old, pregnant lion-tailed macaque at the Zoo that had been a good mother to her previous two offspring; this time she delivered an infant that was found cold and weak shortly after birth. The veterinarians were concerned that this might be evidence of an infection in the baby, and possibly the mother as well. One of the best ways to diagnose a neonatal infection is to examine the placenta, so the keeper wisely set about scouring the enclosure and eventually found something that was the right color and consistency to be a piece of placenta. It was submitted to us for an urgent examination. We quickly processed it for microscopic examination and began our investigation.

The mystery tissue under the microscope.

Although the sample looked like a piece of placenta to the naked eye, it didn’t look anything like a placenta under the microscope (see photo at right). If it wasn’t a placenta, what was it?

The first thing to notice is the presence of thin pink outlines surrounding clear spaces. Within these clear spaces are translucent objects with dark centers.

When we see strange translucent structures like this, one quick evaluation tool we often turn to is examination under polarized light. Some objects transmit polarized light while others block it, which gives us information about the structural nature of the material.

The mystery tissue polarized

This photo at left shows the translucent structures illuminated with polarized light. You can see they glow pink and blue. This helps me confirm my suspicion: this is not a piece of placenta but a piece of sweet potato! The thin, pink outlines are the plant cell walls and the small translucent objects are starch granules (the things that make sweet potatoes rich in carbohydrates). Sweet potatoes are a normal part of the diet of these animals, so this sample represented a small piece of food that had been lost in the exhibit and had become desiccated just enough to make it difficult to identify.

In the end, no placenta was ever found, but the story had a happy ending, as the infant quickly recovered and was successfully reared by his mother. Although our investigation in this case took an unexpected turn and ended up not being as useful as we had hoped in guiding the immediate treatment of the infant, in other cases it does. Stay tuned for our next installment, when we reveal how you can tell whether something that looks like vomit really is. Until then, I can’t wait to see what diagnostic challenges we’ll face tomorrow.

Bruce Rideout is the director of the Wildlife Disease Laboratories, San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research.

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11

Primates: Quality Family Time

By
Karyl Carmignani
– February 23, 2012Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Apes and Monkeys

An orangutan takes a burlap sack enrichment item to be enjoyed from up high.

When I heard about the special Inside Look tour offered during Discovery Days: Absolutely Apes at the San Diego Zoo, it seemed like the perfect “experience gift” for my husband. Even though I work at the Zoo, we enjoy playing “tourist” sometimes…and with behind-the-scenes ape ops, well, it was the ideal Valentine’s gift!

The walking tour took us through Lost Forest (for the first time I didn’t get lost!) and our enthusiastic guide, Kindra, showed us some monkeys along the way and explained the Zoo’s participation in the national Species Survival Plan (SSP) and how we keep the lives of our primates interesting with a variety of enrichment items and husbandry training sessions. For instance, one female spot-nosed guenon is diabetic, and keepers are able to get her into a training chute, turn around, and present her leg or shoulder for an insulin shot. She is rewarded with Craisins.

On our way to the apes, we stopped to speak with Jackie, a keeper of 15 tufted capuchin monkeys. These house cat-sized monkeys are highly intelligent, incredibly dexterous, and can fly through the trees like wind. Speaking to their intellect, they have been described as “chimpanzees in little capuchin suits.” Jackie showed us how the alpha male, Ozzie, likes to trade things with his keeper, slipping twigs and other offerings through the mesh to get a nut from her in return. There’s no denying the capuchin’s clever, problem-solving capabilities!

There are no more than 60 bonobos in zoos in the U.S. and Europe.

Bonobos (formerly called pygmy chimps) are raucous, yet largely peaceable great apes that live in matriarchal groups. Our small tour group was on a platform above the exhibit with longtime bonobo keeper Mike, who shared the ins and outs of bonobo life and what it takes to look after this extraordinary primate.  “Being a bonobo keeper has made me a better dad,” said Mike, “and being a dad has made me a better bonobo keeper.” He proceeded to provide his charges with a “scatter” of food, which generated much vocalizing from the apes. I had never heard their deafening calls when observing them from behind the exhibit glass. Mike has a great deal of respect for the bonobos and shared how they are trained to place their arm through a tube and hold still so keepers can get blood draws or administer medicine when necessary. “In the old days, we had to knock down an animal when we needed a sample or a good look at them,” he said. “Now their lives, and ours, are less stressful thanks to training.”

Our next stop was gorillas. Giddy with excitement, we approached the barn-sized back gate and met keeper April, who ushered us to the gorilla bedroom area, where we peeked from a respectable distance at silverback Maka. I gasped with pleasure at the salty, earthy gorilla scent.  Despite a genetic anomaly that left him a bit smaller than most adult male gorillas, he was an imposing presence. April described the gorilla groups like she was talking about her extended family. There are two gorilla troops at the Zoo and lone male Maka who all take turns out on exhibit. The bedroom areas are spacious and bathed in natural light from several sunroofs.

Frank, our youngest gorilla, is now 3 years old!

April led us up to the roof, where we took in a bird’s-eye view of Paul Donn’s troop. She tossed raisins and broccoli into the exhibit as she “introduced” us to the group. Sweet-faced Imani is one of my all-time favorite gorillas. If I had more hair and was a better knuckle walker, I’m pretty sure we’d be BFF’s. And little Frank is not so little anymore, yet he still sports a white rump patch, the badge of a youngster, and is filling out into a robust little lad. He plays with and copies his mighty father, Paul Donn. I count myself fortunate to share the planet with such noble creatures as gorillas.

We concluded our special great ape tour at the orangutan exhibit, where Janey and company were celebrating her 50th birthday. Though in the wild orangutans would happily live a solitary existence, at the Zoo they seem to enjoy each other and even the lanky, long-armed siamangs that share their exhibit. Their fluid, agile brachiation through the exhibit reminds me how important forests are to more species than I can count, as well as to our closest living relatives, the great apes. This tour has been a glorious glimpse into the rich lives of our simian brethren. Hooray for quality family time!

Karyl Carmignani is a staff writer for San Diego Zoo Global. Read her previous post, A Keeper of Cats.

Take an Inside Look tour on your next visit to the Zoo.

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4

Conservation in Cameroon

By
Bethan Morgan
– February 17, 2012Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Apes and Monkeys, Conservation, Elephants, Projects in the Field

The mountains of the Ebo forest peek behind Iboti village.

Cameroon is a relatively densely populated Central Africa country, and much of its original forest has long since been converted into farmland—vast commercial plantations of bananas, rubber, palm oil, or logging concessions. I first came to work in Cameroon in 2002, after spending two years in a remote coastal rain forest in Gabon, miles away from any human settlement. Here I encountered large, wild animals on a daily basis, and often in very close proximity (I even had to construct a rope fence around my tent to deter inquisitive forest elephants). But Cameroon is a different kettle of fish, with far more pressure on the land, and I soon realized that even finding a good field site to study my target species was going to be a challenge.

Bethan and Ekwoge Abwe cross the Dibamba river in the dry season.

I spent weeks, and then months, scouring Cameroon forests for indications of drills–-large, elusive primates with colorful faces and large social groups. But more often than not, I just encountered more signs of human presence. The “empty-forest syndrome” was very disheartening. Many species were locally extinct, and the forest itself cannot survive without animals dispersing the seeds of hundreds of plant species. The entire rain forest system is a complex web of interdependencies that we humans are only slowly beginning to understand.

But then, while spending two weeks in a relatively unknown area called the Ebo forest with a local hunter, Jonas, I found what I had been looking for. After a night disturbed by several thunderstorms and flooded tents, we were awakened by the distinct sound of hollow, low-frequency beating noises on the other side of the river valley. The previous days had been spent finding indisputable evidence of drills in the area (footprints, turned logs, and smashed crabs), and we had heard chimpanzees distinctly on several occasions. I knew that this beating noise indicated the presence of something even more special-–gorillas.

After an hour scrambling up the other side of the valley, we eventually came across the gorillas. We spent an hour quietly watching a group of 11 individuals, until the large male silverback noticed our presence and made it patently clear that he wanted his family to be left alone by charging us noisily. We moved away slowly and left them to continue eating. But I had hit the field-site jackpot!

This two-week exploration led to the establishment of our two research stations in the forest, permanently manned by trained local ex-hunters, including Jonas, who now revel in the pride that comes with knowing that their forest is exceptional not only within Cameroon but within Africa.

The spectacular gray-necked rockfowl (Picathartes oreas) in the Ebo forest.

Now well established, the Ebo Forest Research Project is garnering interest from a broad range of scientists. Ebo is home to an amazing scope of creatures like Goliath frogs, the largest in the world, dwarf crocodiles, chameleons, the incredible rockfowl, which build clay nests against rocky overhangs, crowned eagles and hornbills, forest elephants (we are currently conducting our fourth annual forest-wide elephant survey), a myriad of monkey species, and the two great ape species, gorillas and chimpanzees. The Ebo gorillas are unique in being a “halfway house” between two different gorilla subspecies, while the Ebo chimpanzees are among the healthiest populations of these species remaining anywhere.

A yellow-bellied wattle-eye (Platysteira concreta) in the Ebo forest.

My role has slowly changed over the years from physically leading all the forest research work to training, supporting, and assisting our wonderful national staff to do this work, including maintaining a higher-education program. This “capacity building” of national staff is the only sustainable, long-term approach to conservation. Our program goals are to encourage local people to conduct research, as well as to work with the local communities, traditional authorities, and government to develop the Ebo National Park.

I still relish spending time in the forest, and I am still struck by the wonder of such a complex environment that we humans can barely understand. From the flowering of a tree species new to science (and of unknown benefit to humankind) to an army ant attack on our tents (terrifying but awesome!) to watching a gorilla family peacefully enjoying a morning snack, I think that conserving places like the Ebo forest should be a priority for all of us. We have much to learn from these few remaining wilderness places and their inhabitants.

Bethan Morgan is head of the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research’s Central Africa Program. Read her previous post, Elephant Survey: Frogs and Primates.

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3

Making Progress Toward Monkey Conservation in Vietnam

By
Corrin LaCombe
– January 9, 2012Posted in: Animals and Plants, Apes and Monkeys, Conservation, Projects in the Field, Uncategorized

Tonkin snub-nosed monkey

I have just arrived back in Hanoi, Vietnam, from the field, and I miss the villages already. Some might say that the endless hiking, hardwood floor beds, and simple cuisine are the hard part, but, personally, I think this is the best. There’s nothing more wholesome and fulfilling than living off the land, learning from some of the wisest of people, and getting your feet a little dirty. What an amazing trip! (See post, Trip Preparations: Monkeys in Vietnam.)

Corrin conducts households interviews in Vietnam's Ban Bo village.

To get to the villages, we traveled north by bus for approximately nine hours. The travel buses are always packed, with bodies squeezed into every inch of open space. Once in Ha Giang Province, we checked in with local forest protection authorities and gathered our last-minute supplies. This year we spent extra time in the market buying seemingly random parts and pieces: scrap metal, weighing scales, washers, plastic jars, pots, transportable stoves, markers, plastic bags, metal wire, and pliers. As our translators looked on in a bit of puzzlement over our must-have purchases, we were ready to begin the uphill climb to the mountains. Onto Khau Ca we went.

Corrin collects soil samples from agricultural fields in Khau Ca villages.

To begin the trek, we first took a special high-clearance taxi that was able to withstand poor and muddy road conditions. Then we hopped onto a motorbike taxi for a 40-minute ride, culminating in a 3-mile hike on foot. This was about the time when we began thinking through our shopping spree items again: do we REALLY need these cumbersome and heavy materials?

Once in the villages, the real fun began: household interviews and group discussions. We are working to develop an understanding of the daily lives of people in Khau Ca in order to generate livelihood improvement and alternative project initiatives that are culturally appropriate, economically viable, environmentally sensitive, and sustainable.

Corrin organizes soil samples for analysis.

Implementing household interviews and group discussions may sound a bit more straightforward than it actually is. We need to be culturally sensitive, gracious, and respectful. This usually entails casually drinking tea or locally distilled rice wine, chatting about family and friends, exchanging small gifts, and sharing fun stories about the past. This can take hours, yet the time is well spent, as our success relies upon building solid relationships, involving people in creating solutions, encouraging a sense of ownership, and teaming up with locals as true colleagues.

Did we get what we came for? We certainly think so! Pilot project plans are now being drafted, fully equipped with all the necessary details. We’re exploring locally created opportunities in agriculture improvement training, cattle husbandry management alternatives, merchandise businesses, tree nurseries, and possibly fuel-efficient stove utilization. Moreover, all the supplies we carried with us have been left in the villages as good-faith gifts, and locals are now collecting baseline fuel wood usage-rates and experimenting with locally made alternative stoves. We plan to submit pilot project plans to local residents and authorities, local and international experts, and colleagues within San Diego Zoo Global for additional feedback. With a little help from our friends, we hope to implement the next steps in the very near future.

Future conservation biologists?

What does all of this have to do with the conservation of Tonkin snub-nosed monkeys? Quite a lot! We want to help ensure that resources and livelihood techniques that have historically been dependent on forested areas where the snub-nosed monkeys live are made available outside of the protected area or by other means. In this way, we can collectively reduce degradation to the ecosystem on which the monkeys depend while helping to improve the lives of local people in adjacent villages.

Conservation can pose challenges for people living near protected areas. We believe that by involving local communities, we are benefiting from their knowledge and experience and are working toward mutually beneficial solutions that will strengthen our conservation efforts and make them more sustainable. In reality, it is the local citizen who will be carrying the conservation torch into the future. Only by working together can we move mountains, or in this case, save critically endangered monkeys and the unique forest they call home.

Stay tuned as we continue our work on this project. Until next time, look for our new Tonkin snub-nosed monkey plush animal in San Diego Zoo and Safari Park gift shops. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each plush goes directly to our conservation efforts! Thanks, as always, for your support.

Corrin LaCombe is a conservation education research coordinator for the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research.

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3

Trip Preparations: Monkeys in Vietnam

By
Corrin LaCombe
– December 14, 2011Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Apes and Monkeys, Conservation, Projects in the Field, Uncategorized

Laden with bags for the adventure ahead and loving it!

“Welcome ma’am. Passport, please,” says the attendant behind the airline ticket counter. I hand over my passport, feeling confident that I have all the boxes on my “to do” list checked. She returns a few moments later and says, “Thank you, ma’am, but did you get the email that your ticket was cancelled?” Such is the nature of planning for an adventure out to the field. Unexpected challenges and hurdles always seem to pop up. So what goes into preparing for a 24-day expedition to remote villages in northern Vietnam? A lot!

First there is the task of getting permission to visit the area. Khau Ca, the area to which I am going to work with local communities in support of San Diego Zoo Global’s Tonkin snub-nosed monkey conservation project, is not open to tourists. An exact timeline must be prepared along with justifications for each move one plans to make. Granted, this task has gotten easier since my first trip there in December 2009 (see post Monkey Habitat in Vietnam), but one still has to be certain to think of everything. Once permission seeking paperwork, visa applications, and trip authorization forms are complete and submitted, one can move on to the next areas of concern: health and safety.

What vaccinations are recommended? Am I up to date? Sometimes bellies get upset with the change in food types. Do I have all the over-the-counter meds I need? Are my water tablets current? Is my first-aid kit stocked full, and did I buy travel insurance? Check. Check. Check. I think I’m all set.

Gifts for local people and some of the equipment packed for the trip

Now that the basics are finished, one can move on to the fun part—generating interview documents. During this phase, the brain goes 100 miles a minute. While preparing semi-structured interviews, surveys, and group discussion topics, the wheels are turning. The information gleaned from literature review, discussions with professionals, lessons learned from previous trips—in short, everything—must be considered. Is it culturally appropriate? Will these questions and these techniques address the questions I seek to answer? Have my translators confirmed yet? I’ve wracked my brain and drafted and redrafted these documents. I’ve put my heart and soul into it and collaborated with many others in the process, so I definitely hope so.

Does it end there? Not a chance! What about equipment and gear? Have I packed it all? Grab the GPS units, the water-testing kits, the cameras, the scales, the field guides, notebooks, pens, batteries, more pens, headlamps, flashlights, memory cards, and gifts for the local people. Raingear, warm clothes, extra shoes—do I have it all? Check. Check. Check. I think I’m all set.

And so with all this done and complete, I think to myself “Great! I’m ready to go.” Then I look around to see how much luggage I’ve generated. Holy smokes! Who’s going to carry all of this? And it’s at about this point that a huge smile crosses my face, and I say aloud, “I AM!” In this line of work we must put in everything we’ve got: our thoughts, our strength, our time, and most importantly, our hearts.

So as I sit here on the plane writing this blog post, muscles sore from carrying luggage and my stomach already a little queasy from the airplane food, I am thinking to myself “Gosh, I love my job!”

Stay tuned, as I will be in touch again soon with more information and stories from the field. It is definitely going to be an adventure out there. Wish me luck!

Corrin LaCombe is a conservation education research coordinator for the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research. Read her previous post, Leave No Child Inside.

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17

54th Birthday Party for Gorilla

By
Peggy Sexton
– November 28, 2011Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Apes and Monkeys, Uncategorized

Vila examines a birthday "gift."

It was a momentous occasion at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park when we celebrated gorilla Vila’s 54th birthday on November 23, 2011. Party guests included gorilla fans of all ages who have generously contributed to the gorillas’ online Animal Care Wish List, providing all kinds of items to pique the gorillas’ interest and stimulate their minds!

The exhibit was decorated with all kinds of fun: large, painted cardboard animals, papier-mache balloons, wrapped packages filled with treats like popcorn, raisins, carrots, bell peppers, apples, magazines with seeds inside, puzzle feeders, plastic balls filled with lettuce and kale, mirrors, paper towel rolls, lots of tasty plants such as ginger, banana leaves, and eugenia. A brightly colored “Happy Birthday” sign and streamers were glued to the wall with peanut butter!

Winston's curiousity is piqued by a colorful "present."

To look at her, you would never guess that Vila is a great-great grandmother, the matriarch of five generations of gorillas at the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park. Born in 1957, Vila was raised at the Zoo’s Children’s Zoo, where she grew to be a favorite among visitors and an important ambassador for her species. Participating in a landmark study on great ape intelligence that spanned six years, Vila contributed to the base of scientific knowledge about gorillas. Then paired with Albert, another San Diego legend, she gave birth in 1965 to Alvila, the first gorilla born in San Diego and only the fifth gorilla to be born in a zoo.

Upon moving to the Safari Park in 1975, Vila quickly endeared herself to the visitors and staff. Although reproductive problems prevented her from maintaining additional pregnancies, Vila’s gentleness and patience with infants made her a perfect candidate to be a surrogate mother for infants whose own mothers could not or would not take care of them. One such infant was her granddaughter, Alberta. Raised in the Park’s Animal Care Center, Alberta started making daily visits to the gorilla exhibit with her keepers at four months of age. It was Vila’s calm manner and sustained interest in the infant that earned Vila the opportunity to raise her granddaughter.

Winston strikes a pose next to a whimisical cardboard creature.

While Vila acted as a surrogate mother for hand-reared infants, mother-reared infants have also gravitated toward her. This attraction proved invaluable when Vila took over the care of Schroeder, a three-year-old whose mother had died of a rare condition. Although he no longer needed to nurse, such a young gorilla would still be in need of nurturing. Fortunately, he and Vila had already established an exceptionally strong bond, and she immediately took over his care, insuring his place in the troop.

Characteristically, Vila is letting our newest baby, little Monroe, call the shots in their relationship! At five months of age, the little guy is really starting to explore, and his mom, Kokamo, ever watchful, is loosening her grip. Just this morning, Monroe had his nose right next to Vila’s face as she ate some melon, and later, when he was clumsily trying to climb a hanging tire, Vila lent a helping hand and cradled his head in her palm.

Kokamo and son Monroe enjoy some leafy goodies.

Vila has a long history of nurturing infants and mentoring other gorillas, which not only establishes her as an invaluable member of the troop but also identifies the strength of the troop social dynamic and family unit. The capability of gorillas to overcome inadequacies in their rearing through the establishment of conspecific relationships is remarkable. The relationships between the individuals continue to evolve as youngsters are born into the troop and throughout all the stages of life.

Little is known about gerontology in gorillas, as they have only been studied in the wild since the mid-1960s. Throughout her life, Vila has and will continue to contribute immeasurably to the scientific base of knowledge for her species. She also continues to add a rich dimension to the daily life of her troop. It is a rare opportunity we have at the Safari Park to witness such a remarkably full gorilla life and vibrant, natural troop dynamic.

At the impressive age of 54, Vila is an elderly, but quite healthy, gorilla. Living in southern California certainly seems to agree with her. She receives a daily senior multivitamin. She has lost some teeth and, yes, tooth loss and periodontal disease have been reported in free-ranging gorilla populations. In the wild, this type of condition would eventually lead to the gorilla’s demise. Although Vila has lost a number of teeth throughout her life, she has the distinct advantage of exceptional medical care, and she continues to enjoy an excellent quality of life. Corn on the cob is still a favorite, and she doesn’t miss a kernel!

Watch video of all the fun!

Peggy Sexton is a lead keeper at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Read her previous post, A Tribute to Gorilla Alberta.

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23

Orangutans: Change is Good!

By
Tanya Howard
– November 16, 2011Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Apes and Monkeys, Uncategorized

This photo of Satu was taken in June.

It has been more than six months since orangutan Clyde left the San Diego Zoo for Kansas, and I am happy to say that things could not be going better both here and in Kansas at Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure! (See Tanya’s previous post, Changes for Orangutans.) After his initial quarantine period, Clyde was introduced to his new exhibit and Rusa, his new, potential “girlfriend.” Both took to each other, and no problems have been observed between them. Previously, Rusa had been paired with younger males, and they were not to her liking. With Clyde, she immediately solicited him, choosing to be close to him (a behavior not seen with her before). In fact, the only issues the keepers there have reported is difficulty is getting them to separate from one another for husbandry needs. It is so great knowing that Clyde is doing so well and that the keepers at his new zoo love him and are taking such great care of him.

Our own introductions with Karen and Satu went with little of the issues we were expecting. Satu was excited to be with Karen and chose to spend nights with her, especially at the beginning. But a lot of the breeding behavior that we were worried about never became an issue. Karen would submit to Satu, and we had little-to-no rough behavior. Karen does have hair loss on her back as a result of her contact with Satu, but since the breeding has decreased in duration and frequency, we expect her hair to grow back in soon.

It was the girls that had to work out their issues. Orangutans are solitary by nature, and females do not interact with each other. With three females on exhibit, they had to work out territory and tolerance for each other. We have noticed an increased use of the exhibit by Indah, and anyone who has spent any time watching the orangutans can tell you that Indah has her favorite spot and tends to stay there. We are very happy about this turn of events, as it lets us know that she is more comfortable in the exhibit without Clyde in the area.

We can already see changes in Satu as he grows into adulthood. His hair is longer, more wavy, and forming dreadlocks. His weight is up (190 pounds or 86 kilograms now!), and his checkpads continue to get larger. He is becoming an adult! Fortunately, he is keeping his same, sweet behavior. He has father Clyde’s disposition. Keep watch at the orangutan and siamang exhibit for more changes to come with Satu.

Tanya Howard is a keeper at the San Diego Zoo.

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3

Cocha Cashu: Exploring Uncharted Territory

By
Ron Swaisgood
– November 4, 2011Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Apes and Monkeys, Birds, Conservation, Projects in the Field, Reptiles and Amphibians, Uncategorized

Curious giant river otters inspect Ron and his group.

For the past two years the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research has been on a journey. The path has been long, and not always straight, but the endpoint is clear: we are exploring uncharted territory in search of a new and improved conservation vision. I am proud to say that I have been helping to steer us down this path, alongside my colleague and friend, Alan Lieberman, director of Regional Conservation Programs for the Institute. It all started two years ago, when John Terborgh, professor at Duke University, asked us if we were interested in inheriting his legacy of four decades at the Cocha Cashu Biological Station in Manu National Park in the magnificent Peruvian Amazon. Manu is a park without peer, a huge expanse sheltering more species than any other park on Earth. It is still pristine, almost untouched by human activity, other than the indigenous people living in the park as they have for thousands of years, some of whom remain uncontacted by the outside world. Learn more about the park and the Station from these earlier blogs: Cocha Cashu: Wild Nature, A Walk in the Woods with John Terborgh, and Manu National Park: Worth the Bites.

The Cocha Cashu Station will be set up to house researchers.

Cocha Cashu is deep in the heart of this park and, as such, is not easy to access. Having secured a 10-year agreement with the Peruvian National Parks Service to administer the Station, my journey starts in Cusco, where I am meeting our newly hired staff. I am joined by Cesar Flores, program director, Jessica Groenendijk, education coordinator, and Veronica Chavez, logistics coordinator. We board a van and spend the day on the long, winding road to a high Andean pass and then plummet down the mountainside along a single-lane dirt track to the Amazon basin. The direction of traffic alternates from day to day. Views of the cloud forests flanking the Andes are breathtaking. Along the way we are treated to a rare sighting of the preposterously ornate cock-of-the-rock, a bird that appears to have a slice of orange super-glued to its head.

A motorized canoe brings researchers to the Station.

At Atalaya we board a motorized canoe and travel all day down the upper “Mother of God” River to a jungle town called Boca Manu. From there, it is a pleasant two-day trip by boat up the Manu River, past the last bastions of civilization, to the Cocha Cashu Biological Station. Along the way we see more than 50 species of birds (out of the more than 1,000 that live in Manu), white caiman, river turtles, neotropical river otters, and several species of monkeys. We enjoy watching a group of red howler monkeys, dangling by their tails from the vegetation and scooping up mouthfuls of mineral-laden soil from the cliff.

At the Station, we spend our time brainstorming our mission and inspecting the infrastructure to determine how to upgrade the facilities. We will work to create more creature comforts for visiting scientists, who will pay a small fee to support the Station, while still maintaining the rustic—some may say primitive—charm of the Station. Planned are a new kitchen, improved bathrooms, a shower facility (replacing bathing in the nearby oxbow lake, though some may still prefer to attend to their hygienic needs alongside the piranha and black caiman that share the lake!), and improved solar power and internet connection. Yes, the Station does not yet have proper toilets, but it does have email! Most enjoyable, we check out the vital network of trails that provide researchers access to the forest and animals they study.

Ron inspects a large spider.

Despite the difficult task at hand, we slowly fall under Cashu’s spell. Eight species of primates visited the forest surrounding the Station, and we were treated to groups of spider and capuchin monkeys sipping the nectar from the flowering giant trees. Sometimes they were joined by scarlet macaws, and together they created quite a ruckus. Morning coffee was enjoyed at the dock, where the resident group of giant river otters often passed by, an incredible animal measuring 6 feet in length. We also took the small dugout canoe out on the lake and observed the otters playing and fishing. Jessica spent several years studying these animals and was a tremendous fountain of knowledge and expertise on the species. And there is nothing so magical as watching a full moon rise over the Manu River, silhouetting the ancient primeval forest that has remained unchanged for millennia.

A black-capped squirrel monkey is just one of the many species found in this pristine rain forest.

A week later, sadly, we retraced our steps back out of the Park. We left with a better understanding of the Station’s needs and a new and improved mission: to contribute to the knowledge and conservation of tropical biological diversity by improving infrastructure, educating the public, building conservation capacity, and promoting quality, innovative, scientific research at local, regional, national, and international levels. A tall order! We hope you will continue to follow us on this journey.” Though we work in the field in 35 countries around the globe and maintain several field stations, this is our first station “open for business” to any and all scientists and is our first program in the Amazonian ecosystem. The path is sure to be an exciting one, full of adventure and surprise.

Ron Swaisgood is the director of Applied Animal Ecology and the general scientific director of the Cocha Cashu Biological Station for the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research. Read his previous post, Tracking Pandas in Foping Nature Reserve.

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10

Saving Monkeys Takes a Team

By
Chia Tan
– October 27, 2011Posted in: Animals and Plants, Apes and Monkeys, Conservation, Projects in the Field, Uncategorized

An adolescent male Guizhou snub-nosed monkey

San Diego Zoo Global and China’s Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve Administration are working together to conserve the last remaining population of Guizhou snub-nosed monkeys, currently numbering about 750 individuals. Most people probably have never heard of these monkeys. That’s because Guizhou snub-nosed monkeys are elusive and difficult to observe in the wild. Although a troop typically contains 100 to 200 individuals, the monkeys are extremely wary of potential predators, nowadays mainly humans. Also, Fanjingshan is steep in topography, making it a challenge for researchers to conduct fieldwork. Nevertheless, since we began our collaborative research in 2007, we have been advancing our knowledge of the monkeys’ habitat and dietary requirements, information that is essential for the species’ long-term survival.

March in Fanjingshan, Yangaoping research area. Photo credit: Kefeng Niu

A successful conservation endeavor requires a team of dedicated people. I am fortunate to work directly with the reserve director, Yeqin Yang, a fellow biologist whose legacy resides in protecting the Guizhou snub-nosed monkey, the cornerstone species in the reserve. Partnering with the reserve administration has truly been a privilege. In China, rarely do foreign scientists have direct access to reserve administrations. It is often the case that foreign scientists join an in-country academic who establishes and maintains the relationship with protected area management. Needless to say, working through an intermediary is not the most effective way to carry out one’s research and conservation objectives.

April in Fanjingshan, Yangaoping research area

This year, besides incorporating camera-trap technology in our scientific investigations of the monkeys, we are adding an education component to our in situ conservation efforts. With funds from the Offield Family Foundation, San Diego Zoo Global, Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve Administration, International Primatological Society, and an anonymous donor, we have developed a conservation education program that is socioculturally relevant to the rural setting in Fanjingshan. Heading this program in the reserve administration is one of their engineers, Kefeng Niu, a promising young scientist with great determination and leadership qualities. The program, called Little Green Guards, targets primary school children and aims to foster a generation of environmentally conscious citizens. Through games, storytelling, arts, and music, we want to instill empathy and respect toward wildlife in children living near nature reserves.

The Little Green Guards logo, designed by one of our enthusiastic volunteers, Bing Yang.

Conservation education is still a novel concept to most Chinese, and appreciation for nature and wildlife is incompatible with traditional utilitarian views on natural resources. With a country of over 1.3 billion people, the Little Green Guards have a long march ahead. We believe in our team efforts, and we are hopeful that our regional conservation movement will gain momentum and garner national and international support.

Chia Tan is a scientist with the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research.

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43

Tribute to Gorilla Alberta

By
Peggy Sexton
– October 14, 2011Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Apes and Monkeys, Uncategorized

Alberta will be missed!

Alberta, a well-known and popular gorilla resident of the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, died peacefully in her sleep last night, October 13, 2011.

Born on March 21, 1979, at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo, California, to Alvila and Freddy, Alberta was initially cared for by her mother. However, it was soon apparent that Alvila had no milk to feed her baby, so Alberta was cared for by the zoo director’s wife until she was healthy enough to be moved to the Safari Park. On April 23, 1979, Alberta arrived at the Park and was raised in our Animal Care Center, where she quickly became a favorite of visitors and employees.

Starting at about three months old, she made daily visits to the Park’s gorilla exhibit with her keepers, where she met her grandmother, Vila, and other members of the troop. Once she was old enough to move permanently to the exhibit, Vila took over her care.

Alberta flourished in the normal gorilla family troop, learned appropriate gorilla behavior, and helped raise little ones. Eventually, when Winston came to the Park, Alberta was introduced to him, and they had three offspring (Ione, Mbili, and Ndjole). Alberta’s mothering style was far from the norm but very successful. Gorilla mothers usually have their infants riding on their backs at about 3 months of age; 10 days old was Alberta’s idea. She also adopted an infant (Kebara) from a female (Penny) who was not prepared for motherhood. Alberta was still lactating and able to feed and care for the infant. Her own infant, Ndjole, was 10½ months old at the time. With Alberta and Ndjole’s help, Penny learned appropriate maternal behavior and subsequently was involved in raising both of those infants.

Since Monroe’s birth in June 2011, Alberta had been spending lots of time building her relationship with Kokamo, Monroe’s mother. As a result, Alberta was able to hold and play with Monroe occasionally and with increasing frequency.

Alberta recently had some shoulder issues and was a willing participant in her physical therapy, as she enjoyed all the attention from her keepers. A unique character, Alberta was an important influence in her troop, capable of solving complex social issues. She will be tremendously missed by Winston, Vila, Kami, Kokamo, and Monroe, and well as her keepers, Park staff, and visitors.

Peggy Sexton is a lead keeper at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Read her previous post, Gorilla Vila is 52!

See our Facebook photo tribute to Alberta’s life…

Update (October 21, 2011): The gorilla Alberta, who died recently at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, is greatly missed by the animal care staff who worked with her.  Her death was sudden and unexpected. Necropsy findings indicate that she died from an aortic dissection that ruptured (sometimes called a dissecting aneurysm).

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