For more information visit www.elpasozoo.org December 3, 2008

JUST JUST JUST JUST ININININ TIME TIME TIME TIME FORFORFORFOR THE THE THE THE HOLIDAYS:HOLIDAYS:HOLIDAYS:HOLIDAYS:

ZOOZOOZOOZOO NIGHT NIGHT NIGHT NIGHT PROWLS!PROWLS!PROWLS!PROWLS! New El Paso animal encounters offer unique nature experiences Have you ever imagined what it is like at the Zoo when all the keepers have gone home? What do the animals do at night? Are they all sleeping? Are some awake? What goes on at the Zoo in the darkness of the night? The El Paso Zoo now offers unique Night Prowl adventures for groups of 10-30 people on a reservation basis. Every Night Prowl is a unique experience because many Zoo animals are nocturnal. One of the highlights on a recent Night Prowl was seeing a group of flying foxes. Most Zoo visitors know these unique creatures only as hanging balls of fur roosting upside down in their Asia Forest Exhibit. Seeing these large fruit-eating bats at night is a whole different story as the bats fly around and interact with each other in the darkness. Continued on page 2

VolunteVolunteVolunteVolunteer Coordinator’s er Coordinator’s er Coordinator’s er Coordinator’s

CornerCornerCornerCorner by Annie Langenfeld

A reminder to all volunteers----if you have NOT received your new monthly schedule before the first of the coming month PLEASE contact Anne or Marlene as soon as possible so we can get one to you.. Don’t wait for a few days or a week to let us know BECAUSE the new schedule should ALWAYS get to you before the first of the month. Jeanette and the other committee members have been busy phoning all of you to see if you are coming to our Holiday party. I hope many of you are saying “yes” and that we have a big crowd for this fun gathering. Remember, we are NOT having the December Volunteer Meeting. But plan on attending the Recognition Banquet on January 31 at the Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino.

Acts of Kindness One of our former volunteers, Myrna Wolf, of Montana, donated money to buy toys for the education birds. Another of our former volunteers, Carol Hanson, donated a very nice check to help fix up our new quarters whenever we get to move into them. Nan Faflik, a current volunteer, donated money so the patients at her favorite small nursing home could visit the zoo. Derrill was busy the day after Halloween, buying up Halloween items for next years’ Boo at the Zoo. Jim Henson has been busy for months delivering electric fans to those who cannot afford them and is now busy delivering blankets to the less fortunate. Sal has been very busy trying to save our beautiful Bosque from the Border Fence going up along the Continued on page 2

Grasslands Café Offers $1 Holiday Menu

El Paso, Texas – The El Paso Zoo’s Grasslands Café now has a $1.00 Holiday Menu. Items included on the menu are:

• Regular Hot Dog • Regular Nachos • Small Drink • Small Ice Cream Cone • 12” Churro • Small Pretzel • Small Cotton Candy

The El Paso Zoo makes the perfect outing on a weekday or weekend. Bring the entire family and take advantage of the new $1.00 Holiday Menu!

Holiday Schedule The Zoo will be closed only on the following days during the holidays: December 25, and January 1.

Volunteer Corner Continued from page 1

Texas/Mexican border. Another volunteer is giving time to get people to donate to ACHE (Animal Cruelty Heartline El Paso) a local group who rescue abused horses, dogs, etc. Daria Brown suggested we send Christmas cards to our soldiers who are in hospitals. You can address them to: Recovering American Soldier, c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center, 6900 Georgia Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20307-5011. I know there are more of you who do good and kind things for your community. This is what makes the United States unique among countries! Thanks to all of you for your BIG hearts. This is a shortened article this month-Holidays you know--- and I have to put on my Santa Hat and go shopping and get the house decorated. See you December 6.

Many Happy Ho Ho Ho’s to the following December Birthday People: 2, Jim Leech---12, Jackie Downing---12, Marlene Levine---13, Gilberto Monarez---14, Loren Ochoa---18, Charles Stalnaker---

Night Prowls Continued from page 1 Families and friends looking for a unique nature experience can arrange for their own special adventure any time of the year by simply registering online at www.elpasozoo.org/adventure. To make your Night Prowl even more enjoyable you can also arrange for a late evening meal after your experience by contacting the Zoo’s Taste of the Wild Catering office. For more information by phone call 915-521-1850 and ask for the Zoo Adventure Coordinator.

Our Wish List Call 351-5350 or write Annie at langenfeldar@elpasotexas.gov for more information. 1. Newspapers, without all the colored ad inserts. 2. Pesticide free closed pinecones (birds love to pull them open for the seeds). 3. Towels, hand towels, wash cloths, sheets, pillow cases. 4. Vegetable dyed wooden toys for the birds, also old phone books. 5. Carry cages in good condition. 6. Empty soda boxes or small cardboard boxes that candy or other smaller items come in. Little animals like to use them for hiding and the big birds like to tear the bigger ones apart. 7. If you have some office furniture in good condition or a small table and chairs or comfortable chairs you want to donate we can use these items in our new office when we get ready to move in. 8. FOR THE COLLECTIONS SECTION---Binoculars and Pressure Washers. Remember to put your newspapers, etc in the grey container behind the bamboo fence on the side of the Ad/Min Bldg. Please put your newspapers in a paper sack. It is much easier to pick them out of the deep container.

Sandhill Cranes During the month of December thousands of Sandhill Cranes can be seen at Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. This wildlife paradise is just a three hour drive north of El Paso.

Palawan Peacock Pheasant This colorful pheasant lives in the Asia Forest Complex. He is very secretive so you might have to spend some time looking before you find him.

Spider Monkey These long-tailed primates are very popular at the Zoo. Watch them use their prehensile tails as they climb through the tree branches.

African Lion The Zoo’s new “Passport to Africa” expansion is scheduled to have its grand opening during the spring of 2010. The savanna exhibit will be home to lions, zebras, giraffes, meerkats and many other Africa animals. All Photos by Rick LoBello

Special thanks to Andrea Caldera Pachyderm Press Index Back issues available online at www.elpasozoo.org/edu Topic Month Year 2006 is Banner Year for Discoveries of January 2007 New Species in Borneo's Rainforests 60 minutes reports on tiger conservation in India December 2006 Acouchi (Myoprocta pratti) - Fact Sheet September 2006 African Savannahs and Rainforest at the March 2006 El Paso Zoo Amur leopard featured on BBC’s Planet July 2007 Earth Amur Leopard Update December 2006 Animal Communication January 2007 Asian Elephant—(Elephas maximus) September 2006 Fact Sheet Biodiversity Loss is increasing April 2007 Check out our new Animal ID Tiles in September 2007 Asia Chihuahuan desert and the El Paso Zoo March 2006 Chinese River Dolphin January 2007 Feared Extinct, Hope Remains for Finless Porpoise Commitment and Urgent Actions are needed December 2007 to save the remaining tigers and elephants Cornsnake -Elaphe guttata Fact Sheet September 2007 Conservation in Action at the El Paso Zoo August 2007 Dreams of Africa and the El Paso Zoo January 2007 Elephants released in Tesso Nilo National December 2006 Park Elephants = [equals] Passion and Emotion May 2007 Elephants Will Stay! April 2007 Elite rangers take on rebels end the slaughter January 2007 Of Congo's hippos Farewell to “Sheba” the oldest living AZA December 2007 Zoo Jaguar December 2005 First shipment of books sent to Zambia

Flying Squad lands a new home in Sumatra December 2006 Flying Squad October 2007 Focus on the Amur leopard- El Paso Zoo February 2007 Groundbreaking study identifies impact October 2006 On zoo and aquarium visits Ibu art and the Orangutan Foundation January 2006 International Learn to present sea lion programs at the September 2006 Zoo- Educator/Volunteer Information Loris Confiscations Highlight need for Protection June 2007 National park in Kenya down-graded November 2005 to a national park Number of threatened species by a December 2005 Major group of organisms (1996-2004) Mexican Wolf Update (11-06) November 2006 Mozart helps bereaved Elephant in Croatia September 2006 Palm Oil- One of the world’s largest February 2006 agriculture leading commodity Poverty will make the great Apes history October 2005 Recycling at the Zoo August 2007 Return of a big border cat December 2005 Save the Orangutan from extinction next January 2007 time you shop Siamang baby brings joy for the New Year January 2008 A slaughter of California Sea Lions December 2005 Sumatran Rainforest and the El Paso Zoo March 2006 Test your elephant IQ October 2007 Test your lizard IQ September 2007 Three Eagles, free again! May 2007 They're back and they're Barking- January 2007 Praire Dogs and the El Paso Zoo Tigers and Power Plant out of India August 2006 Malayan Tigers and Tapirs Rare species May 2007 at the Zoo Meaning of the word Docent May 2006 Ocean Habitats and the El Paso Zoo March 2006

Ocean Project- El Paso Zoo February 2007 Over 500 people visited our Conservation April 2007 Action Center during Habitat for Wildlife Weekend. What animal species at the Zoo once December 2007 lived with Dinosaurs? Where do you get your news about animals December 2007 and conservation efforts? Will the Malayan Tiger soon go extinct in December 2007 the wild? World zoos and aquariums develop plan to April 2006 Respond to the extinction of frogs Zoo Education Handling Tips November 2006 Zoo's Elephant Conservation Program is October 2006 helping ecosystems in the world Zoo Support for Elephant Conservation February 2008 Hits Record Levels Zoo to launch new Animal Discovery January 2008 Program in February Zoos will highlight 2008 as the Year of the December 2007 Frog

Education Specialists Antonia, Rose and Valerie went birdwatching with Rick last month at Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge near Socorro, New Mexico. They saw over 20,000 snow geese and over 4,000 sandhill cranes! Learn more at http://www.friendsofthebosque.org