For Members of Lincoln Park Zoo • A Magazine of Conservation and Education • Spring 2009

A Day in the LifeLincoln Park Zoo, From Morning to Night

Continue Your Visit onlineVisit www.lpzoo.org for LincolnPark Zoo photos, videos andup-to-date info on eventsand animals. You can alsofind us on Facebook!

LINCOLN PARK ZOO MAGAZINE

QuestioNs?

Contact the

Membership Department.

staff are on hand during

normal business hours—

phone 312-742-2322

or visit us online at

www.lpzoo.org.

Volume 6 Number 3 • For Members of Lincoln Park Zoo

in this issue

President and CEOKevin J. BellArt DirectorPeggy MartinEditorJames Seidler

PhotographerGreg NeiseStaff WriterChris McNamara

Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL60614, 312-742-2000, www.lpzoo.org. Lincoln Park Zoo issupported through a public/private partnership betweenthe Chicago Park District and The Lincoln Park ZoologicalSociety. The only privately managed free zoo in the country,Lincoln Park Zoo relies on membership, individual, founda-tion and corporate support as well as earned revenue.

7:00 a.m.A Day in the LifeKevin J. Bell, Lincoln ParkZoo President and C.E.O.

8:00 a.m.Antelope & Zebra Area

8:30 a.m.Judy Keller Education Center

9:00 a.m.McCormick Bird House

10:00 a.m. Helen Brach Primate House

10:30 a.m.Farm-in-the ZooPresented by John Deere

11:00 a.m.Kovler Penguin/SeabirdHouse

11:30 a.m.Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile house

Field NoteEgyptian Fruit Bat

NoonRegenstein Center for African Apes

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Field NoteChimpanzee

2:00 p.m.Kovler Sea Lion Pool

Amazing AdaptationsEarly Birds and Night Owls

2:30 p.m.Kovler Lion House

Field NoteAmur Tiger

Field Note

Meerkat

3:00 p.m.Regenstein African Journey

3:30 p.m.How You Can Help

4:00 p.m.Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo

4:30 p.m.William C. BartholomayCenter for Conservation andScience

Field NotePolar Bear

5:00 p.m.Nutrition Center

Wild FilePrimate House Permutations,Potential Breeding and aBigger Mob

News of the ZooThe Nature Boardwalk at the Chicagoland Flower &Garden Show, PrimateSanctuary Planning and

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Cert no. SW-COC-001613

This brochure was printed using Green Energy Certificates

Our printer buys Certified Renewable Energy

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Keepers reward gray seals with fish, encouraging the marinemammals to participate in their own care. Chimpanzeessequence objects on a computer touch-screen, givingresearchers insight into their thought processes. Educatorsbrainstorm the next lesson for Summer Conservation Camp,preparing kids to embrace a world of wildlife.

These activities—and countless more—are part of “A Dayin the Life” of Lincoln Park Zoo. In this issue, we chroniclesome of the hundreds of exciting efforts that go into runninga preeminent 21st century zoological institution. It’s a snap-shot of the research, learning, conservation and care thatoccur here every day.

Looking at it another way, it’s a selection of all of theamazing things you, as members, make possible.

Every day at the zoo starts differently, but mine generallystarts with a survey of the grounds. As I walk through the zoo,I’m always reminded that a day at Lincoln Park Zoo is unlikea day anywhere else. The difference extends beyond the amaz-ing wildlife—the black bears and lions and Bactrian camelsthat prowl their yards in the early morning. The wonders ofthe zoo extend to all of the people who work here, those whoarrive early and stay late to contribute to the zoo’s mission ofconservation, education and care.

As the day begins, keepers throughout the zoo are tendingto their animals, offering healthful diets and engaging enrich-ment. Scientists are planning the day’s projects, communicat-ing with collaborators in Africa or consulting with peers onnew strategies for conservation. Educators are prepping les-son plans and readying daily chats. Staff throughout thezoo—from accountants to parking lot attendants—are dedi-cating themselves to ensuring that everything runs smoothly.

Lincoln Park Zoo draws approximately 3 million annualvisitors, people who come to observe wildlife, but much ofour essential work occurs out of sight, in the small, repeatedlabors that make everything we do possible. By exploring thatwork in these pages, we’re highlighting the direct results ofyour commitment to the zoo.

So enjoy “A Day in the Life” of Lincoln Park Zoo. But afteryou’ve finished reading, be sure to come and enjoy it again inperson. After all, your visits are the most important part ofour day, every day of the year.

7:00 a.m. A Day in the Life

President and CEOKevin J. Bell

SPRING 2009 1

If the thought of getting shots is stressful to you, con-sider the stress for those who have to start their morningby delivering shots to a 600-pound antelope with horns thesize of loaves of bread. Wisely, Zoological Manager LaszloSzilagyi and keeper Andy Van Laan have trained the Sichuantakin male (below) to accept his cortisone shots, which easehis arthritis. “The animal doesn’t even notice,” says Szilagyi,proud of the fact that the process has become so smooth.

Training happens almost every day at the area informallyknown as Hoofstock. Lead Keeper Penny Reidy helps prepGrevy’s zebras for veterinary exams (below, right). The redkangaroos have learned to hop into their indoor enclosureseach night. The alpacas allow keepers to clean their woolycoats. The takin present themselves for injections.

If the takin were stressed, Rachel Santymire, Ph.D., wouldknow. The endocrinologist, who works in the Davee Centerfor Epidemiology and Endocrinology, tracks hormone levelsin these and many other zoo animals via fecal samples collect-ed by keepers. She’s also studying the droppings of these bigantelopes to chart reproductive cycles in the two females, eachof which has produced a calf in recent years.

Dave Bernier is checking onthese calves as he makes his

rounds. The Curator of Mammals reg-ularly visits his different areas to monitor

the animals. The new red kangaroos are socializing well with theexisting animals. The Grevy’s zebras are becoming more activewith the warming weather. The white-lipped deer stag is enter-ing rut and needs a bolstered diet.

Then, today at least, it’s off to meet with members of theCommunications and Education Departments to brainstormideas for new signage. Each sign at the zoo is carefully plannedto communicate the most important messages about animalbiology and conservation. As such, many hands contribute toall signage.

Next, Bernier will hustle over to the C.H. “Doc” Searle,M.D. Animal Hospital for an Animal Management Meeting todiscuss conservation plans for Grevy’s zebras and breedingrecommendations for Amur tigers.

It’s a lot to process. It’s a good thing Bernier is adept athandling stress.

2 LINCOLN PARK ZOO

Antelope & Zebra Area

8:00 a.m.This issue reflects

“A Day in the Life” at Lincoln

Park Zoo, but every day is different at

a living institution, and events and

activities may not be taking place

at the exact times listed in this

issue. This endless variety is part

of what makes each visit to

Lincoln Park Zoo so exciting!

SPRING 2009 3

Judy Keller Education CenterBefore the squealing pack of kids show up in

shorts and sandals, before they dirty their handsexploring the organic garden, before they play gameson the South Lawn, before any observations havebeen taken in a field guide, Jenni Quick is seated ather computer imagining all of that excitement.

The manager of public programs began creatingprogramming for Lincoln Park Zoo SummerConservation Camps back in October. “I’ve beenworking since then to get the framework forConservation Camps ready,” says Quick. “Werevamped camp this year, so we were starting fromthe ground up.”

Conservation Camp wasn’t broken, mind you.Last year’s offering sold out, enlightening some 500kids throughout six weeks of laughing and learning.But Quick wanted to reemphasize the “camp”aspect. (These are kids, after all—4-years-oldsthrough eighth graders.) “We wanted more outdooractivities. More games. More time together as acamp community,” she explains.

Two extra weeks were added. Also updated wasthe Conservation Camp structure. This year par-ents can register their children for one or twoweeks, with focuses on local and global issues. “Westress how the animals are ambassadors for theirspecies in the wild,” says Quick. “We want campersto learn about our place in the world.”

When she began formulating the program forConservation Camps, Quick kept in mind memo-ries from camps she’d attended as a kid. Fun. Sun.Learning, of course, but miles from the typicalclassroom environment. And that, she figured, iswhat today’s kids wanted in a camp, including oneheld in a green oasis teeming with wildlife.

8:30 a.m.

Manager of Public Programs Jenni Quick and Director

of Public Programs and Guest Engagement Jessica

Monahan lay the groundwork for this year’s Summer

Conservation Camps.

McCormick Bird HouseIntroducing new arrivals always requires careful planning, but

when territorial animals are involved, such as the endangeredGuam rail at the McCormick Bird House, it’s best to take thingsslow. To acclimate the resident male to a new female, keepers startthe day by placing the latter within a private enclosure in theexhibit they will share. The look-smell-hear-but-don’t-touchapproach encourages familiarity—and offsets aggression at theactual introduction.

Guam rail conservation is a priority at Lincoln Park Zoo.General Curator Megan Ross, Ph.D., serves as the coordinator forthe Guam Rail Species Survival Plan®, which manages the bird’srecovery in zoos across the country. Hope B. McCormick Curatorof Birds Colleen Lynch assists Ross by acting as PopulationManagement Center advisor, helping to analyze studbooks (collec-tions of family lineages used to plan breeding), identify homes formaturing Guam rails and even choose birds to be relocated toGuam, where they may be reintroduced to the wild.

Extinct on Guam due to the introduction of the brown treesnake, the flightless bird relies on the collaboration of zoos world-wide for their recovery. Each introduction—meticulous as it maybe—represents another step forward.

Raw MaterialsWhile the Guam rails continue their introduction, keepers else-

where in the building provide nesting materials to encourage birdsto start building for breeding season. Wood bark, grasses, twigsand moss are common construction materials during spring at theBird House. The nests that result are not only good for breeding,but enriching for the birds as well.

To Survey a ScavengerFor cinereous vultures, scanning surroundings for carrion is a

cinch, but participating in veterinary exams is a learned behavior.To help the birds participate in their own care, outdoor keepers atthe Regenstein Birds of Prey Exhibit are conducting operant con-ditioning sessions aimed at encouraging the vultures to approachthe edge of their exhibit. That way, veterinarians can get a closelook in a stress-free manner—a benefit on both sides of the mesh.

9:00 a.m.

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Top: Beyond being extremely endangered, Guam rails are also exceed-

ingly territorial, making careful introduction planning a must. Left:

Keepers provide extra materials to help birds such as Nicobar pigeons

build nests for breeding season.

10:00 a.m.Helen Brach Primate House

By 10 a.m., the residents of the Primate House are well into theirdaily routines. The howler monkeys have been sunning themselvesfor a few hours. The white-cheeked gibbons have finished singingtheir morning songs. The titi monkeys have untwined their furrytails and begun scampering around the branches of their exhibit.

The staff and volunteers are even more active. After attending 7a.m. meetings and reviewing notes on all the animals under hercare here, Assistant Curator of Primates Maureen Leahy beginschecking weights of the animals. “A lot of these primates are verysmall, and minor weight fluctuations can mean a lot, so we do fre-quent weighing here to ensure everyone is doing well,” she says.Each animal must be trained to voluntarily step onto scales, whichis an ongoing process for keepers behind the scenes.

Graduate student Michelle Rafacz is monitoring gibbon behaviorwhile nearby, out in the public hallway, a docent begins her presen-tation before the huge window of the gibbon exhibit, pausing toanswer questions. “Why is that one white?” Because she’s female.“Which one is the daddy?” The black one hanging from the ceiling.

Today a black-and-white colobus is having a minor medicalprocedure, so Leahy will accompany her to the hospital, whereshe’ll update the veterinarians on the animal’s condition.

Meanwhile, back at the Primate House, a keeper is steamingcarrots in the kitchen. Not for his lunch, mind you, but for the 18-year-old emperor tamarin, who needs his carrots softer than most.(Dental problems don’t only afflict human primates.)

SPRING 2009 5

Left: One of the more active species at the Primate House, white-

cheeked gibbons draw a crowd, enabling docents to educate visitors

about their behavior and biology. Below: Keeper Anita Yantz chops

apples for the monkeys' morning meal.

10:30 a.m.Farm-in-the-Zoo Presented by John Deere

Life on a farm isn’t that different than life on the Farm-in-the-ZooPresented by John Deere. Except, of course, here there are skyscraperslooming beyond the pony pen and a mob of kangaroos lounging a fewyards away in the zoo.

By mid-morning, Keeper Jill Tade has already done a chicken head-count and fed the goats their grain. “They trample you for the grain. It’stheir favorite,” she says. Tade and her peers have placed fresh grassinside the rabbit pens and shifted the ponies to holding exhibits inorder to clean out their stalls.

They’ve fed medicinal paste to a rabbit. They’ve groomed the Jacobsheep. They’ve ushered the sow to her outdoor yard in order to providefresh hay to her sleeping quarters. Now it’s time for Farm staff to chopfresh produce to create meals for the vegetarian animals. After that,they’ll weigh out frozen mice for the owls.

While the daily chores are being done, visiting children are marvelingat the cow-milking demonstrations taking place in the Dairy Barn, whereman, machine and mooers work in tandem. They attend a presentationby a ferrier who shows them how horses’ hooves are maintained. Nearbyat the Farmhouse, strollers roll down the ramps carrying children who’djust sang and danced during the popular Story Time program.

While kids are enthralled, animals are enriched. Tade blows bubblesin the Livestock Barn, which the owls marvel at and the chickens popwith pointy beaks. It’s not all work on a farm.

6 LINCOLN PARK ZOO

Right: Ferrier Joe Vass comes regularly to ensure the ponies’ hoofs are trim

and healthy. Below: Cow-feeding and cow-milking demonstrations, led here

by Keeper Art Diaz, are part of the fun at the Crown Dairy Barn.

SPRING 2009 7

11:00 a.m.Kovler Penguin/Seabird House

Trout, silverside, herring, capelin—these are some of the aquatic eatsbeing put out for the morning meal at the Kovler Penguin/SeabirdHouse. While the common murres, razorbills and tufted puffins getready to gobble their fishy goodies, the penguins next door are alreadydigesting their breakfast. Every chinstrap, rockhopper and king penguinhas already been handfed, a step keepers take to ensure the smaller pen-guins get their fair share.

All the fish on the menu have been enhanced with a vitamin mixtureto provide a full slate of nutrients. This addition—along with the fishselection and portion sizes—is carefully planned by the zoo’s NutritionCenter to maximize the diet’s benefit.

To keep the birds’ bellies full, the Nutrition Center’s delivery vancomes by every other day to deliver another 90-pound load of scalysnacks. Even as the keepers feed the cold-loving animals in their care,tomorrow’s meal is already thawing behind-the-scenes…even penguinsdon’t eat frozen fish.

To ensure sound nutrition, rockhopper penguins (right), chinstrap penguins

(lower right) and king penguins are handfed their daily meals. Keepers regu-

larly don cold-weather gear to enter the frosty habitat.

Regenstein Small Mammal-ReptileHouse

In a building that houses both nocturnal and diurnal animals,it makes sense that events are planned midday. (Guests see thecritters coming and going.) Today the star of the 11:30 a.m.Animal of the Hour session is the blue-tongued skink (right),which the docent holds while discussing its titular taster.

A few steps away, the eastern massasauga rattlesnake slithersthrough its rocky exhibit. This is a comfortable existence com-pared to its wild cousins, which are threatened throughout theMidwest due to habitat loss and poaching by humans. While thisrattlesnake educates guests, scientists are creating plans to bringthe species back from the brink of extinction.

Behind the scenes, in a workshop area, Keeper Michal Kisielinski(below) is busy breaking down the exhibit for the black tree moni-tor. Each exhibit is periodically revamped for cleaning and repair-ing damage caused by day-to-day use. Kisielinski is expert at creat-ing exhibits that mirror species’ wild habitats. Whenever possible,he adorns exhibits with plants native to the animal’s wild region. Hechecks t he pump and drainage systems, making sure humidityremains around 85 percent for this lizard.

The lobby remains comfortable and dry for guests, who in theafternoon will be introduced to a box turtle (lower, right) duringthe second daily Animal of the Hour session. By then some resi-dents of the Small Mammal-Reptile House will be getting sleepy.Others will be just waking up.

11:30 a.m.

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Egyptian Fruit BatRousettus aegyptiacus

Upon arriving at Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile House, the Egyptian fruit bats will share spacewith straw-colored fruit bats, climbing and flyingthrough their darkened exhibit and enjoying the sweetsustenance reflected in their name. At the moment,though, they’re hanging upside down in one of thequarantine rooms at the C.H. “Doc” Searle, M.D.Animal Hospital, waiting for a clean bill of healthbefore moving on to their new home.

Why the precaution? To safeguard animal well-being, quarantine periods are standard operating pro-cedure for new arrivals at Lincoln Park Zoo. Evenbefore a move takes place, health records are carefullyscrutinized and pre-shipment exams are conducted atthe sending institution to screen for health issues or ill-nesses (especially those that could be transferred tonew exhibitmates).

Still, quarantine periods give the zoo’s veterinarystaff an opportunity to monitor the animals firsthandand get them used to their new diets. They safeguardthe zoo’s animals against any “bugs” new arrivals mayhave brought from their old homes. But they also makesure the newcomers are healthy and ready to inhabittheir new digs.

“Part of quarantine is monitoring the animals tosee how they’re doing in a new environment,” saysKathryn Gamble, D.V.M., director of VeterinaryServices. “But we’ll also do a full physical—radi-ographs, blood samples, fecal cultures and parasitecheck—to make sure they’re healthy.”

When their observation period is over, the Egyptianfruit bats will move on, but new animals will come intoquarantine as transfers are made in response to breed-ing recommendations and aging in the population.The animals change, but the dedication and care staysthe same—another part of a day in the life at LincolnPark Zoo.

field note

SPRING 2009 9

10 LINCOLN PARK ZOO

Regenstein Center forAfrican Apes

Sticks at the ready, the chimpanzeesin Hank’s group at Regenstein Centerfor African Apes are excited for theirnoontime snack. Out of the animals’sight—but in clear view of visitors—akeeper is prepping the area’s artificialtermite mound while a researcher fromthe Lester E. Fisher Center for the Studyand Conservation of Apes gets ready tocollect data. PVC canisters containingsmall amounts of ketchup are beingattached to the mound’s empty holes,enabling the chimpanzees to “fish” withsticks and long grass for the reward,much as they would “fish” for termitesin the wild.

The results are filmed, and scientistsuse the footage to study ape tool-use.Chimpanzees, and to a rare extent, goril-las, use tools in the wild to gather foodand aid other tasks. By observing tool-use in controlled conditions, with plentyof help from the building’s keepers, sci-entists can better understand how theseanimals perceive their surroundings andsolve problems.

Recently, researchers sequentiallyreduced the number of active holes—those bearing ketchup—down to zero toobserve how the changing environmentimpacted tool-use behavior. The resultswere surprising, in terms of selflessness.“There were instances of animals takingturns at the hole when there was onlyone hole baited,” says Fisher CenterDirector Elizabeth Lonsdorf, Ph.D.“That’s not something we expected.”

Every day, it seems, brings new lessons.

Noon

See more Regenstein Center for African Apes

photos at www.lpzoo.org/

magazine

Gorillas Greet the AfternoonWhile the chimpanzees in the central exhibit are wrapping up with the termite

mound, the gorilla groups are starting to rouse from their morning nap. The greatapes stretch and saunter, prepping big muscles for afternoon activity. Youngsters—Azizi and Susie in JoJo’s gorilla group, Amare in Kwan’s—dash and play.

Whether the apes are climbing, grooming or still napping, behavioral-researchinterns record their activity with hand-held computers. This constant stream of infor-mation helps researchers understand how the apes interact with their surroundingsand with one another. They also provide a baseline against which any changes inbehavior can be measured. By learning more about ape behavior, the scientists canalso improve standards for care.

Indeed, the building itself can be viewed as an ongoing experiment. Its designreflects behavioral data collected in the old Great Ape House, showing—among otherthings—that chimpanzees and gorillas prefer hanging out in corners, which arenumerous in Regenstein Center for African Apes.

Right: Keepers provide an afternoon “scatter” of fresh vegetables to encourage apes to

actively seek their food, as they would in the wild. Below, right: Interns monitor ape behav-

ior to improve understanding and care.

1:00 p.m.

SPRING 2009 11

Many Ways to Explore Ape BehaviorThroughout the day, in an off-exhibit area, some chimpanzees and

gorillas participate in a cognitive study, performing memory tasks on atouch-screen computer. Their voluntary participation provides zoo sci-entists insight into the ways their minds work. But they aren’t the onlyprimates working computers at Regenstein Center for African Apes.

Each weekend day at 1:30 p.m. (and at 11 a.m. Wednesdays–Fridays) zoo visitors participate in Exploring Ape Behavior, a pro-gram that enables them to step into the shoes of scientists and peermore closely into the world of apes. With iPod Touch computers inhand, participants monitor and record gorillas’ behavior based on ashort tutorial presented by the program coordinator. It’s a crashcourse in zoo research—a study of scientific study.

The program not only provides a new, more interactive way tolearn about great-ape behavior, but it also sheds light on the scientif-ic work that takes place at Lincoln Park Zoo. Guests may have spot-ted researchers intently observing the animals, but they may not haveunderstood what exactly they were doing. Now, they can.

Whether the animals are simply socializing in their exhibits orwhen, say, silverback Kwan is participating in his 1:30 p.m. trainingsessions, alumnae of Exploring Ape Behavior have a keen under-standing of what is happening and why.

These alumnae may not be scientists, but they’re thinking like them.

1:30 p.m.

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Left: Chimpanzee Keo performs a voluntary task at the touch-screen—a

process that’s enriching for him and informative for scientists studying

chimpanzee behavior. Below: Exploring Ape Behavior participants get a

crash course on ape observations.

Experience Exploring Ape Behavior online! Visit our Explorer’sOutpost at www.lpzoo.org/magazine to try your hand at classi-fying ape behavior.

Chimpanzee Pan troglodytes

The chimpanzees’ day within Regenstein Center for AfricanApes closely mirrors that of their wild counterparts. They wakewith the sunrise. The youngsters start wrestling. The adultsgroom and socialize. Then some play on the computer.

That’s one difference from the wild—no PCs in the jungle. When keepers are cleaning the exhibit he shares with his

troupe, 10-year-old Optimus mans a computer station in anoff-exhibit area. The memory games on the touch-screencomputer, which reward success with treats, are stimulatingfor the apes. Observing their actions is proving enlighteningfor zoo scientists.

“We are learning more about how chimpanzees and goril-las view their social and physical environment,” saysSupervisor of Behavioral and Cognitive Research Steve Ross,who created the program but emphasizes that keepers areintegral to running it. “The touch-screen research enables usto ask them questions, in a sense, and understand more howthey perceive and categorize objects and symbols.”

As artificial—as electronic—as this activity is, it mirrors thewild environment in that it enables the chimpanzees to makechoices as they would throughout their normal days. It pro-vides the participating animals control over their environment.Part of that control is the ability to quit whenever they’d likeand return to the activity of their group.

After a full day of wrestling, foraging, grooming, socializingand computing, the chimpanzees’ day ends as naturally as itstarted. By 4 p.m. they are busy building nests in the woodchipsubstrate and prepping burlap sacks to be used as blankets. Inthe wild, chimpanzees sleep in leaf nests built in the branches,but here at the zoo—in the absence of predators—most snoozeon the ground.

A few, perhaps, dreaming of tomorrow’s computer session.

field note

SPRING 2009 13

It starts at the edge of the water, with seals swimming up totouch a target with their noses. A whistle is blown, a fish isoffered and the keepers at the Kovler Sea Lion Pool move on tothe next task on their operant-conditioning list. Onlookers“ooh” and “aah” at the sight of the marine mammals out of thewater, and zoo educators offer commentary, educating guestson the role of training sessions in maintaining animal health.

After keepers get the seals to recognize the target—a thinstick with a large rubber ball on the end—they move the tool(and use the promise of a reward) to encourage the animals toleave the water. As zoo educators explain to the crowd, eachblown whistle informs the seal that a desired behavior hasbeen achieved. The fish serve as positive reinforcement—effective ones, given how quickly they’re gobbled. All behav-

iors are voluntary, and seals have the option not to participate.They’re generally game, though, with their training dou-

bling as enrichment. Once on land, the gray seals are ledthrough a training session that has them twist and turn, pre-senting their bodies—from whisker to flipper—for inspec-tion. Keepers can even coax the animals onto a hidden scale tomonitor their weight. All of this information—collecteddaily—helps keepers and veterinarians keep tabs on animalsthat live, literally, in a different element.

More importantly, the process gets the animals comfort-able with husbandry efforts. “We reinforce these behaviorsevery day,” says Zoological Manager of Carnivores MarkKamhout (below). “As a result, the animals are accustomed towhat we need them to do for their own care.”

2:00 p.m.

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Kovler Sea Lion Pool

amazing adaptationsearly Birds & Night owls

Even the first staff member to arrive on zoogrounds each morning can’t beat the early-rising ani-mals. While there’s no rooster at the Farm-in-the-ZooPresented by John Deere, the residents are wide-eyedeach morning when keepers arrive around 7 a.m. Thehens want to eat. The cows are ready to be milked.

Inside the Helen Brach Primate House, thehowlers are what you’d call “morning monkeys.”When the sun first pours into their exhibit theystretch out in the warmest spots and soak up therays. On cloudy days, says Assistant Curator ofPrimates Maureen Leahy, they sleep in, which can betough since the white-cheeked gibbons nearby her-ald each new day with an ear-splitting duet.

Throughout the night the gray seals take quick napson the floor of their pool. The sun bears snuggle uptogether in their indoor habitat. Chilean flamingossleep erect, perched atop two long legs.

In summer months, residents of the condobuildings across from the zoo boast that they havelion alarm clocks. The big cats roar into their morn-ings, usually the females first, followed by the throatymale. “They have to let everyone know they’reawake,” chuckles Keeper Cathy Mauer.

Great apes are great sleepers. The chimpanzeesstart snuggling into nests within their exhibitsaround 4:30 p.m. “They play hard and sleep hard,”explains Leahy. And when the sun hits the windowsof Regenstein Center for African Apes, the gorillaslumber to life. The youngsters spring up and startwrestling. The silverbacks are slower, like groggydads stumbling around on Christmas morning. Aswith the chimpanzees that share the facility, theadult gorillas begin each day with social groomingthat reestablishes bonds.

Some nocturnal zoo animals have their lightcycles switched. The brush-tailed bettongs, which inthe wild are day sleepers, bound through theirexhibits at Regenstein Small Mammal-ReptileHouse (SMRH) during business hours thanks tosome light-bulb trickery.

But other creatures of the night snooze whileguests peer at them, then awaken after hours. Themoon elicits high-pitched barks from the SolomonIsland leaf frogs within SMRH. And only when thesun sets do the nocturnal screech owls (right) cometo life at the Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo, sound-ing their titular call to alert keepers that they’reready for dinner. Or rather, breakfast.

SPRING 2009 15

Kovler Lion HouseThe lions at the Kovler Lion House are used to being the center of

attention. Maned male Adelor and females Myra and Helene cangather a crowd even when they’re lounging lazily on the rock forma-tions of their exhibit. When Adelor unleashes one of his iconic roars,visitors from throughout the zoo hurry over to experience one of theprimal sounds of nature.

But while the lions are used to attention, recent conservation workhas established them as stand-ins for an entire wild population.Lincoln Park Zoo is leading the Serengeti Health Initiative, a wide-ranging conservation project aimed at securing the health of one ofAfrica’s signature ecosystems.

By vaccinating domestic dogs for diseases such as rabies andcanine distemper in the area surrounding Tanzania’s SerengetiNational Park, zoo collaborators prevent these diseases from enteringthe park, where they have devastated lion populations in the past.Other aligned research—disease surveys, predator censuses and edu-cational outreach efforts—help protect wild lions and the ecosystemthey live in. A place where they lounge, hunt and—like their cousinsin Chicago—roar with gusto.

2:30 p.m.

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SPRING 2009 17

Amur tigerPanthera tigris altaica

There is plenty of snarling. Massive paws swipe at muscular necks. Furflies. The Amur tigers’ awesome physicality is on full display.

To an untrained eye, it could appear as though the male and female arefighting, but that’s far from the truth. These battles of strength initiate tigerbreeding, something Lincoln Park Zoo is hoping happens soon.

The zoo’s resident tiger couple has been together for more than threeyears, but they often seem more like roommates than feline familiars.And it’s the male who is taking things slowly.

Normally, it’s his job to impress the female by overpowering her. If thefemale is receptive, she will allow herself to be bred. Unfortunately for thismale, the female has proven to be a little out of his league. She is a big cat, aslarge as he is. And she’s quite a bit older than her hesitant potential mate.

Curator of Mammals Dave Bernier, who has overseen this process, iswaiting for the male to become more assertive. “Breeding tigers can betricky—it can take years before a pair is successful,” he says. “So thisdelay, while frustrating, is not abnormal. We’d just all love to see a litterof cubs romping through the exhibit sometime soon.”

In the wild, tigers are solitary animals. Males and females come togetheronly to breed. Bernier and staff initially tried replicating this social struc-ture by introducing the pair just when she was in estrus. It didn’t work.

So recently the tigers were given shared time each day, more on thosedays when she would be most receptive. “Hopefully they will become morecomfortable with each other, and that leads to mating,” says Bernier. “Wesaw some positive results from the get-go. The last time the female cameinto estrus, she and the male were resting beside each other.”

Snuggling is more encouraging than snarls and swipes.

Lydia Wood

field note

18 LINCOLN PARK ZOO

MeerkatSuricata suricatta

Anyone attending the daily MeerkatChats at Regenstein African Journey willquickly learn why some experts considerthese small mammals to be the planet’s mostcooperative species. Living in groups called“gangs,” meerkats require teamwork to sur-vive the harsh habitat of the African KalahariDesert. While life in the zoo is safe, elementsof their natural behavior are still evident toonlookers.

As the zoo educator giving the 1 p.m. chatexplains, meerkat behavior is rooted in digging, which zookeepers encourage with aspecial exhibit substrate that lets the animalstunnel underground. The exhibit also features enrichment objects such as tubing,providing the feeling of being inside burrows.

Because these small members of themongoose family lack excess body-fat stores,wild meerkats have to forage every day forinsects, eggs and small animals. Meerkats atthe zoo never have to worry about getting enough to eat, but a sentry stillstands watch for possible dangers while therest of the group feeds.

Regenstein African Journey’s naturalisticexhibit design enables chat participants toview the animals from above. Since thebiggest threat in the wild comes fromswooping raptors, the meerkats often watchback, with similar interest.

Joe Geglio

field note

See moreRegenstein

African Journeyphotos at

www.lpzoo.org/magazine

3:00 p.m.

SPRING 2009 19

Regenstein African JourneyA certain smell—a sharp, pungent smell—may greet you as you make

your way into the Dry Thorn Forest area at Regenstein African Journey.While the meerkats have run of the place for much of the day (with thegiraffes surveying the action), in late afternoon the aardvark (right) rous-es from his nocturnal slumber and begins to explore the exhibit.

Beyond their odor, aardvarks possess a number of interestingadaptations. Big, thick claws help the species dig burrows and breachthe tough walls of termite mounds. Long, thin tongues help themslurp up termites. Large, sensitive ears help the insectivores standwatch for predators, such as African wild dogs.

Aardvarks and African wild dogs don’t share space in RegensteinAfrican Journey (thankfully), but they do coexist in the Serengetiecosystem. And as Lincoln Park Zoo researchers work to conserveAfrican wild dogs, the zoo’s pack helps them learn crucial informa-tion about the species.

To boost research, keepers spend part of each afternoon collect-ing fecal samples from the building’s African wild dogs (below).Endocrinologist Rachel Santymire, Ph.D., has used these samples tocreate a field-ready kit for analyzing stress hormones. These kits willhelp scientists monitor stress associated with moving the dogs forconservation purposes.

While Santymire’s work with African wild dogs benefits animalson the other side of the world, her research with the building’spygmy hippotamuses (below, right) could help an endangeredspecies rebound right here at the zoo. To assist a Species SurvivalPlan® breeding recommendation, keepers regularly collect thefemale hippo’s saliva for Santymire to analyze. By measuring repro-ductive hormones in the saliva, Santymire hopes to pinpoint thefemale’s reproductive cycle. This info could help keepers introducethese solitary swimmers at the peak time for breeding.

20 LINCOLN PARK ZOO

How You Can HelpKeepers care, educators teach, scientists study wildlife.

All of these roles are integral to the zoo’s mission of conser-vation and care, but they wouldn’t be possible without onekey factor: you.

Members make possible everything Lincoln Park Zoodoes, from conserving chimpanzees in the Congo to pro-viding nutritious meals and state-of-the-art care here athome. Without your support, a “Day in the Life” at LincolnPark Zoo simply wouldn’t be possible. Thank you.

3:30 p.m.

How Funding FlowsIt costs approximately $50,000 each day to operate the zoo,including feeding, housing and taking care of all the animals.All of this work is made possible by a combination of dona-tions, a fixed subsidy from the Chicago Park District and rev-enue from parking, gift purchases, food sales and more.

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Visits Vary with the SeasonsThe zoo’s 3 million annual guests are spread throughoutthe calendar year, with visits soaring during the sunnymonths of summer.

Who Works at Lincoln Park Zoo?From keepers who care for animals to scientists who con-serve them, educators who raise awareness and all theother people who are essential to making the zoo run,Lincoln Park Zoo packs plenty of work into its 35 acres.

Pritzker Family Children’s ZooKeepers use a variety of tools to deliver their daily care. Knives and

cutting boards help craft healthful meals. Rubber gloves and powersprayers are employed in cleaning exhibits. But a saw seems like astrange addition to the keeper’s toolkit...at least until you think of theAmerican beavers (below) living at the Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo.The stereotypically busy mammals regularly receive a willow, aspen orpoplar tree for enrichment.

As beavers are primarily nocturnal, keepers typically wait until lateafternoon to harvest a tree. To do so, they visit one of two nurseriesthat were established on zoo grounds during construction of theChildren’s Zoo to provide the beavers with browse. After a few pulls ofthe saw, keepers bring the trees back to the beaver exhibit, wherethey’re installed in a ground-level stand. The beavers go to work as thekeepers leave; by the next morning, they’ve typically reduced their treeto twigs. The whole experience shows how good planning ensuresgood husbandry…with the right tools, of course.

Top: Lead Keeper Michael Brown-Palsgrove pulls oak leaves from the freez-

er to feed the walking sticks. Keepers gather leaves throughout the summer

and freeze them, thawing a new batch every day during mealtime. Right:

Director of Veterinary Services Kathryn Gamble, D.V.M., Veterinarian Owen

Wilson, D.V.M., and Veterinary Resident Trevor Zachariah, D.V.M., consult on

arthritis relief for the Children Zoo’s geriatric black bear. Veterinarians make

regular rounds throughout the day to monitor and care for animals.

4:00 p.m.

22 LINCOLN PARK ZOO

See more Pritzker Family Children’s

Zoo photos at www.lpzoo.org/

magazine

SPRING 2009 23

4:30 p.m.William C. Bartholomay Centerfor Conservation & Science

Chimpanzee surveys in Gombe National Park,domestic dog vaccinations in the Serengeti—all theseglobe-trotting conservation efforts are rooted in meet-ings held in the conference room at the zoo’s conserva-tion center. Meetings that, subject matter aside, proba-bly aren’t too different from those that go on in yourworkplace. Plans are sketched out, responsibilities out-lined, budgets adhered to and animals across the globeare conserved (well, that last part may differ).

“People see field work as the most glamorousaspect of what we do, but the vast majority of conser-vation action involves meeting and planning,” saysSteve Thompson, Ph.D., Senior Vice President ofConservation Programs. “Collaboration and commu-nication are integral to getting anything done.”

The most-frequent meetings taking place are thoseof the Population Management Center (PMC). Hostedat Lincoln Park Zoo in partnership with the Associationof Zoos and Aquariums, the PMC employs four full-time population biologists to help zoos throughout thecountry create collaborative breeding and transfer plansfor the animals in their care. By analyzing populationtrends and genetic profiles, these scientists are able torecommend the best matches for breeding, pairings thathelp zoos preserve the diversity of the wild.

Many of the PMC’s meetings take place in thebuilding’s main conference room, which was designedto accommodate scientific planning. Copious dry-erase boards enable impromptu sketches of animalgenealogies. Audio-visual equipment lets fieldresearchers project data collected in the wild. And themassive meeting area, equipped with plenty of chairs,ensures that everyone has a place at the table.

Top: Hard drives full of data and flow charts listing every

animal in the North American zoo population help

Population Management Center biologists Cara Groome,

Kristine Schad and Kristin Kovar develop breeding recom-

mendations. Bottom: A steady stream of samples pass

through the endocrinology lab in the Davee Center for

Epidemiology and Endocrinology, where researchers, led

by Endocrinologist Rachel Santymire, Ph.D., process fecal

samples to measure reproductive and stress hormones.

The data produced helps inform conservation planning

from the zoo to the wilds of Africa.

Judging by her fur, the polar bear likes to start the day witha swim. Keepers often arrive at Polar Bear Plaza to find thefemale bear dripping from a morning dip.

As she dries, keepers give the carnivore a fish-and-producesnack to tide her over as the indoor habitat is cleaned. Oncethe den is sparkling, the bear gets a morning meal of polarbear chow at 10 a.m.

Spring days are filled with a number of natural behav-iors—the bear swims and lounges in the sun, retreating to theindoor den to relax and emerging again to explore the sur-roundings. A snack is served at noon—more produce andfish—and keepers provide a variety of enrichment to encour-age natural behaviors. “Anything that can be pounced on ispopular,” says Lead Keeper Jill Gossett. “We think it remindsher of seals.” Tires, crates and even a floating buoy have servedas stand-ins for prey.

Operant conditioning is also an important part of the day,as keepers work with the polar bear to help her participate inher own care. She’s already learned an open-mouth display tohelp veterinarians get a better view of her teeth. (Vets andkeepers, it goes without saying, are always safely separatedfrom the big carnivore.) Ongoing efforts include getting herto stand upright for a full-body view and encouraging her tovoluntarily enter the training wall—behaviors that help takethe stress out of veterinary exams.

After a long day of swimming and stalking “prey,” the bearreceives a final meal in the evening. Appetite is light duringcold months—an adaptation to life in the Arctic, where foodwould be scarce. Collections staff mirror the natural cycle.Nine pounds of chow is enough to fill her up in winter, butshe makes up for it in summer, when more than twice thatamount helps her to fatten up for the chill ahead. Those early-morning swims require a little insulation, after all.

field note

24 LINCOLN PARK ZOO

Polar BearUrsus maritimus

Nutrition CenterThe food van is parked for the evening, the knives and utensils

have been cleaned and filed away. Fresh food is safely secured in coldrooms and freezers, awaiting the next day’s preparations. NutritionManager Shana Lavin, Ph.D., surveys her surroundings one last time,ready to head home after a long day.

While keepers throughout the zoo play a crucial role in food prepa-ration, the Nutrition Center is ground zero for feeding the zoo’s ani-mals. Lavin and staff represent the entry point for all food items. Hayfor hoofstock, crickets for kingfishers, melon for monkeys—all are dis-tributed to animal houses via the Nutrition Center’s delivery van.

Beyond delivering foodstuffs, Lavin and crew keep tabs on suppli-ers, ensuring that food meets strict standards for animal health. Theyalso prep bulk fare to distribute, creating massive amounts of dicedfruits and veggies for hungry birds and lizards.

Lavin has reviewed every diet throughout the zoo to ensure ani-mals receive their necessary nutrients. If a meerkat is looking a little,well, stocky, she guides changes to the diets to ensure fitness. If afinicky Goeldi’s monkey is losing weight, she’ll prescribe nutrient-rich fat supplements to pack on the pounds.

Beyond ensuring healthy diets, Lavin also dedicates time to betterunderstanding good nutrition. Ongoing research projects includestudying the presence of antibiotic resistance in the food chain and theimpact of diet on breeding in endangered black-footed ferrets.

It’s enough to fill the longest of days, and that doesn’t includemanaging the invoices involved in keeping 500-pound gorillas and18-foot-tall giraffes sated. With insects, beef slabs, exotic fruits and“pinky” mice added in, the total can top $40,000 a month. It’s enoughto feed the most-demanding palates…one day at a time.

5:00 p.m.

SPRING 2009 25

A gorilla snack originates in the Nutrition Center, where Nutrition

Manager Shana Lavin, Ph.D., and Technician Ashley Yates organize fresh

deliveries of produce and chow. Technician Dennis Lane delivers the

food to each animal house with the Nutrition Center’s delivery van.

26 LINCOLN PARK ZOO

Primate House Permutations A pied tamarin group that had never been seen by zoo visitors

was placed on exhibit in early April. Though the offspring in thisgroup are more than a year old, they stick close to mom and dad.Of course, that doesn’t mean they’re a dull family. “Pied tamarinsare very energetic,” explains Assistant Curator of PrimatesMaureen Leahy.

Two Goeldi’s monkeys were recently introduced to the howlermonkeys, and some strange things started happening. After somelight aggression and chasing (sorting out the social/territorialarrangements), the Goeldi’s brothers began grooming the femalehowler’s tail. Some of the howler males have even been touchingnoses with the newcomers, a positive social sign.

The Mob Gets BiggerThe mob is getting larger in Chicago. In March, two red kan-

garoos arrived at Lincoln Park Zoo from San Antonio Zoo,increasing the size of our kangaroo mob to six. That collectivenoun—mob—is used for kangaroos and other species such asemus, wallabies and wombats. While the common definition ofthat word applies to an unruly group of humans, the kangaroomob is placid. A social structure is in place, with one dominantmale leading three subordinate males and two females. The factthat the dominant male is nicknamed “Capone” by keepers ismerely coincidence.

A Splash of Color It’s easy to spot the Francois’ langur born in February at the

Helen Brach Primate House. The little male is orange, which con-trasts with the jet-black hair of its mother. ��

That orange hair will turn dark in about seven months. Untilthen, it serves as a notice to other females within the group, like abillboard that says, “I’m young and need to be cared for.”

In addition to mom, the two other females in the group arequick to lend a hand. Francois’ langurs exhibit alloparenting,meaning all adult females within a group play babysitter. In thiscase, dad doesn’t do much rearing, but he does reprimand theyounger aunt, who tends to be a little careless in her nurturing.

This breeding was recommended by the Francois’ LangurSpecies Survival Plan®, which managers the 65 individuals atNorth American zoos. This species is threatened in its nativeSoutheast Asia, where deforestation is undermining populations.There are fewer black adults swinging through the trees, fewerorange tykes clinging to their bellies. The scene at Lincoln ParkZoo provides a nice, bright counterpoint.

Breeding Birds By the end of March, many residents of the McCormick Bird

House had begun breeding processes. For the Blyth’s hornbills, thismeans the male feeding the female all of his prized grapes. Withthe Mandarin ducks in the Free Flight Area, it means the males dis-

wild file

Left-to-right: Goeldi’s monkeys now share space with the howler monkeys in the Helen Brach Primate House, while the newest arrival, a male

Francois’ langur, maintains his orange coloration a few habitats down. Two new kangaroos have arrived at the Antelope & Zebra Area, increasing

the size of the mob there to six.

SPRING 2009 27

playing their new boldly colored plumage and fluffing themselvesup. And for the laughing thrushes, it means building nests out ofstraw and moss presented by keepers.

It’s a lot of work. So diets for these birds are bolstered, replicat-ing the increased amount and variety of foods available in the wildeach spring.

Youngsters Out, Hoping for Pups The adult red wolves are again alone at the Pritzker Family

Children’s Zoo. Their 2-year-old offspring were recently trans-ferred to other zoos, where they will form their own packs. Thismirrors life in the wild, where wolf pups leave their family group atthis age. Lincoln Park Zoo’s adult pair has a breeding recommen-dation from the Red Wolf Species Survival Plan®, so staff is hope-ful a new litter will arrive later in the spring.

Big Cats, Big News By nature, big cat courtship isn’t always gentle, and the female

Amur tiger sustained a cut on her right forearm during courtshipbehavior early in the year. Veterinary staff decided the wound neededtreatment, so they anesthetized the big cat, cleaned the cut andsutured it closed. While they had her at the hospital, they also per-formed a physical to check on her health. All outcomes were good:within a month the wound had healed, no scar was observed and thecat was courting again.

Exotic ArrivalsThe Kovler Lion House welcomed some exotic new residents in

recent months. In March, a snow leopard, native to the mountainsof China, arrived from Bronx Zoo. The 6-year-old male hasimpressed staff with his leaping ability—he gracefully hops up tothe upper ledges of his outdoor exhibit.

In February, the Lion House welcomed a new male red panda,a species native to the Himalayan Mountains. In early summer, afemale is arriving with a Species Survival Plan® recommendationfor breeding. “We have a nice setup for this,” says ZoologicalManager of Carnivores Mark Kamhout. “The exhibit is large. Wehave two holding areas, so we can house them separately and thenbring them together for breeding. And she would have her ownspace to raise young.”

“We’re very excited to breed these animals,” he continues.“There aren’t many in zoos, so this is a great opportunity for gueststo see them.”

Red panda breeding season is in early winter. In an ideal situa-tion, red panda cubs would arrive in summer 2010, bumping momand dad from the cutest-animals-at-the-zoo pedestal.

Left-to-right: Male mandarin ducks display bright plumage during breeding season at the McCormick Bird House. A snow leopard is among the new

arrivals at the Kovler Lion House.

28 LINCOLN PARK ZOO

Nature Boardwalk Preview at Chicagoland Flower & Garden Show

The green-thumbed attendees of the Chicagoland Flower &Garden Show were able to experience Lincoln Park Zoo’s vision forthe Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo. The event, held at NavyPier from March 7–15, featured a model of the planned urbanoasis. Guests strolled through a 2,300-square-foot garden, com-plete with a boardwalk bridge, pond and copious native plants.

The garden was part of a themed midway area featuring horti-cultural offerings from Chicago cultural institutions. It wasdesigned and installed entirely with the contributions of zoo col-laborators: the Brickman Group Ltd.; Laughing Waters Inc.; F. H.Paschen, S. N. Nielsen; Pepper Construction Company; ShawEnvironmental & Infrastructure Inc.; Studio/Gang/Architects; andWRD Environmental.

The garden drew a steady stream of visitors, who were excitedabout the zoo’s vision for a transformed South Pond (andentranced by the sweet fragrance of the white stock flowers bloom-ing on display). Construction on the Nature Boardwalk at LincolnPark Zoo is proceeding as planned. The new urban ecosystem isscheduled to be unveiled in spring 2010.

Primate Sanctuaries Plan for the FutureSanctuaries throughout Africa are working to conserve endan-

gered primates, taking in chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos and otheranimals that have been confiscated from smugglers or orphaneddue to poaching. To raise visibility and establish shared standards,a number of sanctuaries formed the Pan-African SanctuaryAlliance (PASA), a conservation alliance encompassing 18 sanctu-aries in 12 African countries.

Lincoln Park Zoo has partnered with PASA on many projects inthe past, providing advice on veterinary practices and reintroduc-tion plans as well as funding a series of information cards to helpAfrican border agents identify endangered great apes and findthem safe homes. The zoo is now helping the sanctuaries map theirfuture, with help from Research Biologist Lisa Faust, Ph.D.

Faust’s collaboration with PASA is built upon a 2002 sanctuarysurvey that showed trends toward overcapacity. To avoid being vic-tims of their own success—running short of room to house rescuedapes—the sanctuaries enlisted Faust to project future populationgrowth with ZooRisk, a population-planning model developed byLincoln Park Zoo’s Alexander Center for Applied PopulationBiology. Faust used historic arrival rates of apes at the sanctuariesand demographic information provided by PASA to project a rangeof future growth rates. This information will help PASA ensure theyhave the space they need to care for future arrivals.

“This partnership stems from success—PASA has done a greatjob providing care for the orphans arriving on their doorsteps,”says Faust. “This modeling project will help them adjust their man-agement for an uncertain future.”

Animal Events Celebrate ConservationDrop a peeled hard-boiled egg into a bowl of water mixed with

food dye and coffee grounds, and you’ll see how quickly the eggpicks up the imperfections of its environment. This example mir-rors the vulnerability of soft amphibian eggs to polluted water—alow-tech lesson that highlighted the crisis facing amphibians dur-ing Lincoln Park Zoo’s “Spring Forward” for Amphibians event.

The event, a continuation of last year’s Association of Zoos andAquariums Year of the Frog, was held at Regenstein Small

news of the zoo

Left-to-right: Visitors to the Chicagoland Flower & Garden Show were able to walk through a 2,300 square-foot preview garden representing the

zoo’s vision for the Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo. Chimpanzee sanctuaries in Africa received help planning for the future from a population

model developed by Research Biologist Lisa Faust, Ph.D.

SPRING 2009 iii

Mammal-Reptile House on March 8 to coincide with Chicago’sswitch to daylight-saving time. The daylong educational programhighlighted the problems facing amphibians in the wild—habitatloss, disease and pollution. As a result, many frog, toad, amphibianand newt species are threatened with extinction.

“Raising awareness is an important part of dealing with theamphibian crisis,” says Docent Coordinator Jeremy Joslin. “Wewanted to let people know what the problem is and how they canhelp, whether it’s supporting conservation or reducing run-offfrom their home.”

Another effort to raise awareness was International Polar BearDay, celebrated February 27. Keepers at the Polar Bear Plazaplanned a special enrichment schedule that offered the bear extraencouragement to swim, stalk and pounce, just as she would in thewild. Guests received mini-posters highlighting polar bear funfacts and information on how climate change threatens these mas-sive predators, who rely on Arctic ice to hunt and survive. Thepolar bear will be in the spotlight again during Bear AwarenessWeek (May 10–16), so be sure to visit to learn how you can helpconserve this amazing species.

Generous Grants Fund Wild WorkLincoln Park Zoo’s conservation efforts received a boost with

two prestigious grants to fund wide-ranging research projects. Carson Murray, Ph.D., a post-doctoral research fellow with the

Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes,recently received a five-year grant from the National Institutes ofHealth to study the mother-infant relationship in chimpanzees inTanzania’s Gombe National Park. The study will be conducted incollaboration with Fisher Center Director Elizabeth Lonsdorf,

Ph.D., and Rachel Santymire, Ph.D., endocrinologist for the DaveeCenter for Epidemiology and Endocrinology. The project will pairmodern laboratory methods with decades of observational datacollected at Gombe National Park, the site of Jane Goodall’sgroundbreaking research. The results will offer an unprecedentedlook into maternal stress and its impact on offspring develop-ment—information that may help us better understand the moth-er-infant relationship in humans.

In the zoo’s Urban Wildlife Institute, Sarah Keenan Jacobi,Ph.D., was awarded a Smith Fellowship from the Society forConservation Biology and the Cedar Tree Foundation, the nation’spremier post-doctoral program in conservation biology. This pres-tigious fellowship will support Jacobi’s efforts to develop comput-er models to guide the distribution of conservation resources. Byadapting programs that businesses use to maximize efficiency, thescientist will use her background in environmental engineering tohelp conservationists get the most bang for their buck (or, to put itanother way, utilize scarce resources to save the most species).

Jacobi will begin developing her framework with two case stud-ies: allocating monetary resources to develop and maintain habi-tats for North American waterfowl migration and allocatingresources to protect against reed canary grass invasion. Both proj-ects will complement the Urban Wildlife Institute’s mission of cre-ating scientific standards for managing conflict between humansand the natural ecosystem.

“These fellowships highlight the strength of the research that’sbeing done at Lincoln Park Zoo,” says Vice President of Conservation& Science Dominic Travis, D.V.M. “The work they’re supporting willhelp us take further steps toward conserving wildlife.”

Left-to-right: Dyeing poison arrow frogs were one of the frog species highlighted during March’s “Spring Forward” for Amphibians event. Zoo

researcher Sarah Keenan Jacobi, Ph.D., received a prestigious Smith Fellowship to fund conservation research including the development of com-

puter models to guide habitat management for migratory birds.

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Park Zoo magazine. thank you.

save the Date—superZooPicnicOne of the highlights of summer—SuperZooPicnic—is Friday,June 19. Get ready to join us for face painting,music, clowns, games and more. Mark your calen-dar today and stay tuned for more details.

Members…Make the Most of Your summer! Come early to beat crowds or stay later and take advantage of thezoo’s extended summer hours. On weekends from Memorial Dayto Labor Day, grounds stay open until 7 p.m.�

*Quick trips can be great ones. Some members receive freeparking—perfect for short visits to the zoo.

*Eat at the zoo. Use your member discount at zoo restaurantsand eat in the wildest setting in the city.

*Your discount applies to zoo shops too. Pick up a souvenir orshop for birthday gifts and save.

thank YouThanks to all who participated in our online magazine survey.We appreciate your comments and will use the feedback to makeLincoln Park Zoo magazine even better! Member Mary Bernahlwas randomly selected as the winner of our free behind-the-scenes tour.

We Want to Hear From You!Love the magazine? Looking for changes? Give us your feedbackat magazine@lpzoo.org.

membership matters summer ADoPt special Lincoln Park Zoo animals eat diets very similar to those

of their wild cousins. Our pygmy hippos munch carrots,corn and sweet potatoes. Our river otters gnaw on fish andbones. Our saki monkeys nibble wax worms.

It’s a wild menu at Lincoln Park Zoo. You can supportthe care and feeding of our animals by purchasing aSummer ADOPT special. Each package costs $40 (plus $6shipping) and includes a pygmy hippo, river otter or sakimonkey plush, ADOPT certificate, animal fact sheet andanimal photo.

ADOPT packages can be purchased at www.lpzoo.org,by calling 312-742-2322 or on zoo grounds.