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Magazine of the No rth Carolina Zoological Society ALIVE THE ISSUE... Spring 2009 Issue No.56 SOCIETY BOARD OF DIRECTORS MARY F. FLANAGAN ...is Good Citizenship Chair Chapel Hill he and the Zoo Society are and accessible educational opportunities EARL JOHNSON, JR. more than friendly places. for families and friends. Our on-site pro - ViceChair Too often, Zoo and grams pry into nature’s secrets and reveal Raleigh T members put the Zoo and the Zoo Society her surprises. Our walkways lead people R. SEAN TRAUSCHKE Treasurer into the same category as movies and pic - to explore the lives of plants and . Charlotte nics. These audiences think of us as Our staff and signs encourage visitors to HUGH “CRAE” MORTON III friendly, entertaining places that hold out strengthen their emotional bonds with the Secretary Linville the promise of an interesting afternoon world around them. We continue to ALBERT L. BUTLER III with and friends. improve the Zoo’s remarkable exhibits Winston-Salem While we take pride in our friendly and collections in to remind our LYNNE YATES GRAHAM atmosphere and the fun enjoyed by our Advance audiences of nature’s bounty and beauty ADDIE LUTHER visitors, the Zoo and the Zoo Society and of our collective responsibility to pro - Asheboro serve the greater good, as well. This issue tect them both. MARK K. METZ Charlotte MOLLY MILLIS-HEDGECOCK High Point MARY NORRIS PREYER OGLESBY Chapel Hill THERENCE O. PICKETT Greensboro NANCY PROIA Durham MEHRAN RAVANPAY Winston-Salem TOM GILLESPIE SCOTT E. REED Winston-Salem of your Alive magazine reminds our read - We, the Zoo and the Zoo Society, serve DAVID K. ROBB Charlotte ers of the benefits our two institutions the global community with conservation LIZ D. TAFT, Ph.D. extend to society at large. programs that help endangered Greenville We, the Zoo and the Zoo Society, serve and their human neighbors. We teach peo - LAURA H. VIRKLER the people of by protect - ple to understand and care for the natural Hillsborough ing the natural systems that underpin the world, just as we help people find ways to SYDNOR M . “MONTY” WHITE, JR. Raleigh state’s economy, ecosystems and quality live safely with their wild neighbors. MELANIE WILSON of life. We teach about, and work toward, We, the Zoo and the Zoo Society, stand Raleigh protecting water and air as well as endan - together in these hard economic times, RUSSELL H. WILLIAMS gered plant and species. We find with the promise that our Zoo will con - ExecutiveDirector AssistantSecretary ways to conserve energy and water just as tinue to offer inexpensive and exorbitant we work to conserve biological diversity. opportunities for families and friends to EDITORIAL BOARD We, the Zoo and the Zoo Society, serve learn and laugh together in the fresh air Jayne Owen Parker, Ph.D., Editor the local community by providing safe and the sunshine. De Potter, Design&Layout Kara Dough Stephanie Gee John D. Groves The North Carolina Zoo is open every day of the , except on Christmas Day. Summer hours begin on April 1 and extend from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Standard admission Rod Hackney prices are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $6 for children. Winter hours begin Printed on recycled paper Dr. David Jones November 1 and extend from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Zoo Society members and registered Michael Loomis, DVM North Carolina school groups are admitted free. The Zoo offers free parking, free tram Hayley McWilliams and shuttle service, picnic areas, visitor rest areas, food service and gift shops. Your ALIVE magazine can be recycled in any recycling Melinda Prior For information, call 1-800-488-0444. program that takes maga - Ken Reininger zines. To locate the closest Cheryl Turner The Zoo is a program of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources. magazine recycling area in The North Carolina Zoological Society is the non-profit organization that supports the Diane Villa your city, call “Solid Waste North Carolina Zoological Park. Society offices are open Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 Management” “Recycling” Russ Williams p.m. For information, please call 336-879-7250 or logon to the Society’s Web page at under the City or County list - Gloria Moore, Proofreader nczoo.com . ings of your phone book. Printed by Piedmont Printing TABLE OF CONTENTS

2 New Doings at the Zoo Some good reasons to visit the Zoo ...... RodHackney,ContributingEditor 5 Hiking Trail Gets its First Leg Hiking from Lot to Lot ...... GinWall,CuratorofHorticulture 6 New Wetland Springs into Action More greening at the Zoo ...... MaryJoanPugh,GuestContributor

8 Safe Haven for ? Dr.DavidM.Jones RussellH . Williams Working to protect America’s largest salamander ...... Director ExecutiveDirector ...... JohnD.Groves,ContributingEditor N.C.Zoo N.C.ZooSociety 10 Wake Up with the Animals Society’s yearly rise-n-shine event 10 Awards Galore at the Zoo Zoo staff members recognized for their service 12 Zoo Conservation Around the World Protecting ...... RichBergl,Ph.D.,GuestContributor 15 Making the Giraffes a Home You can help renovate the giraffes’ housing 16 Kids Alive: Wetland Word Pictures Life in the water ...... Kara Dough, Zoo School Student BC Mother’s and Father’s Day Adoptions

REGULAR FEATURES 7 Zoo Happenings 11 Travel Programs 14 Thank Yous 15 Passing the Buck 15 Russling ’s 11

8 &14 BRAV O!

ON THE COVER:

Pitcher Plant Inset: by De Potter 10 by Diane Villa Moving Forward: New Doings at the Zoo

magine winding up a wooden staircase and stepping onto a platform suspended among tree branches 16 feet Iabove the ground. A peers over the edge of the platform; its liquid brown eyes stare into yours. You hold out a branch. It nudges forward and begins to eat right out of your hand. Lunch Buddies Sometime in late spring, the Zoo plans to open a feeding sta - tion where visitors can take a giraffe some lunch. The station is a first in North Carolina. It will lift visitors into the trees to greet the giraffes while offering a bird’s eye view of the habi - tat that they share with Zebras and Ostriches. Now under construction, the $200,000 feeding station is yet another gift from a couple whose donations have enriched the Zoo’s art and education programs. The couple’s anonymous donations have underwritten the bulk of the Zoo’s well- respected public art collection, setting life-sized bronze at the entrance and scattering a menagerie of life-sized sculptures—hippos, a , a , an aardvark and more—throughout the Park. Other gifts from the couple have supported both the Valerie H. Schindler Wildlife Rehabilitation and Wildlife Learning Centers. The Giraffe Feeding Station will open for a few hours each day during the warmer months of the year. When the sta - tion is open, a Giraffe keeper will man - age its operation, selling fresh browse to feed to the Giraffes and answering ques - tions about the animals’ care. “The feeding station will bring Giraffes face to face with visitors and will inspire emotional connections that cannot form in more traditional zoo settings,” observed Zoo Curator of Terry Webb. Mr. Webb launched the idea of building the feeding station here after working with a similar and very successful feeding platform at Florida’s Miami Metrozoo. 2 | ALIVE DIANE VILLA O T O H

P own into our herd several from now. K C O

T In another exhibit, the Zoo added four Fringe- S G I B

eared to the African Plains Exhibit that the : t x e n

share with White Rhinos. The Plains is d n a part of the newly renovated Watani Grasslands e g a p

Reserve. The ’ arrival marks the first time s i h t

s that the Zoo has exhibited this species. o t o h

P Finally, in North America, the Zoo is increasing the size of the Bison herd in the Great Plains Exhibit. Two Bison cows—both of them pregnant —arrived last winter. We expect their to drop sometime this spring. The ’ Needs The buzz around the Sonora Desert Exhibit is all about the bees—and a Honeybee Exhibit that will open there in the spring. The new exhibit grew out of a partnership that the N.C. Zoo formed with the Fresh Faces Zoo Society and the North Carolina State In addition to building the Feeding Station, Zoo staff will Beekeepers Association. also bring several new animals into its collections. Already, Julie, the Zoo’s oldest Giraffe (she is 32, making her one of the five-oldest Giraffes living in a ’ zoo) has acquired new exhibit mates. Two one-year-old males arrived last October from Colorado. Turbo came from the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo; Tafari from the Denver Zoo. This trio will become a quintet in early spring when two more yearlings—a male from the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and a female from Dickerson Park Zoo—will arrive in Asheboro. The Zoo will welcome this couple as a potential breeding pair—with the hope that the female will drop her

This partnership started many years ago when several beekeepers began volunteering at the Zoo on weekends during the spring, summer and fall. From the beginning, these volunteers brought in bees and honey and enchanted visitors with stories about pollination, queen bees, lines and bee hives. Later, the beekeepers convinced the Zoo— and raised the funds needed—to add a permanent Honeybee Exhibit and Bee Garden to the Park. The exhibit’s working hive will function in unison with a series of interactive, interpretive graphics that explore bees’ lives and hives. The graphics will also expose the links connecting Honeybees to healthy economies and healthy food choices. Spring 2009 | 3 New Views Another change that visitors will notice involves the Sim- Ex-Iwerks ride-the-movie theater that used to sit near the North American tram stop. That attraction has closed and a new, larger theater has opened in the center of the Zoo at the Junction Plaza. Originally installed in 2002, the first Sim-Ex-Iwerks theater entertained visitors with movies on wildlife, deep sea diving expeditions and even SpongeBob SquarePants. The new theater, which seats 40 people, opened to show a nature film that was recently co-produced by the Zoo. The original film uses a 4D format to document the day- to-day activities of several characters working for wildlife conservation. Entitled WildEarth 4DExperience , the film weaves together the life experiences of a tracker, an animal doctor, several armed poachers and rangers and a young boy. Included in the film are several minutes of original 3D footage that showcase wild animals roaming free in their native Africa. As the story unfolds, a young boy sets out for school and, These graphics will explain how Honeybees fill pantries on the way, he witnesses a poacher shooting a zebra. Later, by pollinating flowers that ripen into a third of the varieties the boy shudders when the poacher shows up at school. As of fruits, vegetables and nuts that fill our grocery shelves. the story progresses, several concerned citizens sound an These crops feed the national economy, too, raising $15 bil - alarm when they notice two unidentified men skulking lion annually for America, including $70 million for farms around the area and carrying rifles. The alarm calls in game across North Carolina. rangers who are determined to capture the strangers and The new Honeybee Exhibit will underscore these connec - stop them from harming wildlife. Finally, a group of tourists tions with a working hive that sends busy bees to harvest on safari ends a day of wildlife watching by following a pollen and nectar from a nearby Bee Garden. The garden veteran Masai guide as he tracks down a pride of will grow plants that rely on Honeybees to go to seed. feasting at a kill. Other graphics will help visitors discover how bees work. Filmed entirely at the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, a wild An oversized model of a Honeybee will reveal details of life preserve that rests on the slopes of Mt. , Wild bee . Another oversized model will beckon visitors EarthAfrica4DExperience , was co-produced by the St. into a giant honeycomb nestled inside an even larger skep— Louis Zoo, the North Carolina Zoo and Sim-Ex-Iwerks the traditional basket beekeepers use to house their hives. Entertainment. Eventually, even the sidewalk will carry bee stories. A The new theater improves standard 3D technology by hopscotch pattern will visitors’ feet wiggling in step with stimulating the audience to feel the impact of the action the waggle dances that bees buzz through to direct their they see on the screen. When winds blow in the film, hive-mates to rich flower patches. breezes stir inside the theater. When rain falls onscreen, Frequently, real beekeepers will volunteer at the exhibit to drops of water wet the audience members’ faces. When answer questions and talk about the bees. There will be small animals flee through the brush, audience members information, too, on Colony Collapse Disorder, an unex - feel a tickling sensation around their ankles. A quality, digi - plained epidemic that is decimating Honeybee populations tal surround-sound system adds another layer of complexity across the United States. Finally, the exhibit will provide to the experience. detailed models of bees, wasps, hornets and other pollina - tors as well as some of the flowers that they pollinate. The total of these additions—the new Sim-Ex-Iwerks, the The $217,000 Honeybee Exhibit received funding from new Giraffe Feeding Station and the Honeybee Exhibit— the N.C. State Beekeepers Association as well as from other add up to plenty of good reasons to visit the Zoo this spring. Zoo Society donors and the State of North Carolina. ROD HACKNEY, PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER, N.C. ZOO 4 | ALIVE Walk This Way Hiking Trail Gets its First Leg The Zoo has a new hiking trail. It connects the North American and the African parking lots. Aptly named the Connector Trail , it meanders approximately 0.6 miles from trail head to trail head. The trail was a long time coming. The Zoo’s Outdoor Horticulture Crew built the trail over the last four years. The construction took that long because of limits in time and money. Horticulture staff had to cobble the path together using left-over materials scavenged from other projects. And, the crew could devote only about two months each year to the project. Only during January to February, when fall’s hard work was over and the cold weather still held the spring’s frenzied plant - ing at bay, was staff free to don their earmuffs, heavy jackets

Zoo and gloves, jump into their work vehicles and head for the Parkway woods. Once there, they toiled away as intently as the ants that North forage along this walk in summer. North North America America America Plaza During the construction, the crew had to overcome some Parking Africa

O major challenges, including dealing with nine natural drainage ld C o x Ro ad swales along the path. Staff conquered these muddy dips by Co nn ec to r T constructing culverts and turning them over to Boy Scout Ryan Z r a o i o l P a r k Anderson to complete for his Scout project. w YOU a y C onnector T ARE rai The Zoo’s Construction Crew helped, too, by constructing a l HERE footbridge over the last and widest swale. This bridge protects the vegetation around the swale and has eased our fears about Africa Plaza future flooding along this section of the trail. Africa Parking The final piece of the project, way-finding signage, is in the very capable hands of the Zoo’s Graphics Department. The signs will be in place when the trail opens in early April. This hiking trail is not the first one to be constructed on Zoo property, but it is the first trail to open to the public. This trail was built to provide safe passage for visitors who want to walk from the Africa parking lots to the North America lots, and vice versa. This section of trail will eventually connect to other public trails that the Zoo has planned. These trails will skirt up Purgatory Mountain and will also connect with greenways that are planned to the south and the west of the Zoo’s main property. GIN WALL, CURATOR OF HORTICULTURE

Spring 2009 | 5 New Wetland Springs into Action Before spring turns into summer, earning certification in Environmental would rush off the parking lots during a constructed wetland will begin pro - Management. With that money in a storm. This storage capacity is essen - tecting the Zoo’s internal waterways hand, the Zoo asked for, and received, tial because the initial rush of runoff from pollutants. The new wetland will matching money from the Society. carries the highest concentration of filter out chemicals that collect as rain - Taken together, the grants positioned pollutants. water follows gravity’s pull from the the Zoo to plan the wetland and its The design also called for a berm to North American parking lots into companion observation decks. As the separate this new wetland from the streams coursing through the Zoo. planning progressed, staff decided to existing North American lake. An out - Two Society-funded observation design the decks so that they could be let device in the berm will let Zoo staff decks will adjoin this working wetland. rented out for catered events. control the flow of water between the wetland and the lake. Meanwhile, the Zoo’s Horticulture staff hit the books, researching aquatic plant species to confirm that the varieties chosen for the wetland are adapted to filter out pollutants that typically collect on parking lots: petro - leum, rubber and heavy metals. Also, the Zoo’s Aquatic Technicians have been testing the waterways that the new wetland will eventually pro - tect. Staff has tested water samples along the route that the runoff will fol - low as it flows from the parking lots through the wetland and all of its axil - lary components—culverts, the berm, the North American lake and its outlet, Panther Creek. Once the wetland is They will invite visitors to enjoy the Calling in Experts built, the baseline data will be used to aquatic landscaping and will display As planning progressed, staff from the gauge the impact that the wetland has graphics that explain how all wetlands Environmental Stewardship Initiative on improving water quality. benefit humanity—as filters and as worked with the N.C. Department of repositories of wildlife and nutrients. Transportation to plan the wetland. Funding the Wetland This partnership expedited the process, With the Feasibility Study in hand, the Planning to Plan granting priority processing to the Zoo wrote another grant request for The idea for the working wetland grew environmental permits that the Zoo funds to build the wetland. Using the out of conversations that Zoo staff had to acquire before it could begin N.C. Department of Transportation’s members undertook while working on construction. $250,000 investment in the Feasibility an ISO 14001 Environmental The Department of Transportation Study and funds from the Zoo and the Management System Certification. As prepared a Feasibility Study for the Zoo Society as a match for the request, the staff discussed ways to advance the wetland, detailing the features it would the Zoo won a grant, with a later Zoo’s green agenda, someone floated need to cope with the predicted runoff amendment, that amounted to the idea of installing a working wet - from the parking lots. The proposed $623,000 from the 2006 Clean Water land to buffer the Zoo’s water systems configuration called for a wetland with Management Trust Fund. from the pollution that drains in from two sections—one shallow, the other Once the wetland is operating, stu - the North America parking lots. larger and 8-inches deep. dents from the Zoo School will Running with that idea, staff applied The shallow end would be heavily become involved with the project, too. for, and won, two $5,000 grants to use planted with vegetation adapted to fil - They will help Zoo staff continue to in planning the wetland. The first ter out pollutants. The adjacent, deeper monitor the quality of the water that $5,000 arrived as An Environmental section would serve as a cistern, ensur - flows through the Zoo via waterways Stewardship Initiative Grant. The Zoo ing that the wetland had the capacity to connected to the wetland. became eligible for this funding by store the first inch of rainwater that MARY JOAN PUGH, ZOO OF STAFF 6 | ALIVE ZOO happenings

Upcoming Zoo & Zoo Socie ty Ev ents

SOCIETY EVENTS & PROGRAMS are for Zoo 23 Turtle Tracking – Join us to learn to use Society members and their guests. Pre-registration is radio telemetry to track wild animals. required. We begin taking registrations six weeks A fun romp after a wild turtle. Fees: before each event. To register call 336.879.7250 $5/member, $7/non-member. during regular business hours. JUNE MARCH 13 Children’s Photo Safari – Professional pho - 20 Friday Frog Walk – 7 p.m. - Join us tographer Vinny Colucci introduces 5-12 year olds to pho - for a nighttime walk in the Park and a tography. A parent must accompany each child. Fees: $10 meeting with the Curator of for a parent and child; $5 for an additional person. Amphibians and John Groves to learn to recognize the songs of local frogs. Fees: $5/mem - ZOO EVENTS & PROGRAMS are available to every - ber, $7/non-member. one and, unless otherwise noted, are free with the price of admission. For additional information call APRIL 1.800.488.0444. 4 Wake Up With the Animals * – Our annual early- morning opening and breakfast thank you for Society members. (See page 10.) GeoCaching * – Join Online Learning Coordinator Mark MacAllister to learn to use Global Positioning Systems and the Inter- net to explore the world. Fees: $5/member, $7/non-member. (We have GPS devices to loan for the class.) APRIL 18 Adult Photo Safari – Spend the day with professional photographer Vinny Colucci learning ways to capture Special events are scheduled for every Saturday in April. memorable photographs of wildlife. Fees: $40/member, Bring the family to the Zoo and spend the day celebrating $50/non-member. Lunch is included. and learning about nature. 25 & 26 Zoo Snooze – A members-only sleepover for par - 4 Feast of the Beast —on animal diets ents and their children, ages 8-12. Begins Saturday at 11 Eggstravaganza —on eggs and more eggs 6:30 p.m. and ends Sunday at 9 a.m. Dinner, snacks and breakfast are included. Fees: $130 for one parent 18 & 19 Earth Day —on loving the planet and child, $30 for each additional child. 25 Creature Comforts —on caring for animals MAY MAY 16-17 Spring Zoo Snooze – Special events every weekend A members-only sleep - 9 Celebrate International Migratory Bird Day . over for parents and their children, ages 8- 10 Bring Mom to the Zoo for Mother’s Day . 12. Dinner, snacks and 16 & 17 Learn about Native Snakes . breakfast are included. Fees: $100 for one 24 Explore the lives of parent and a child, $30 Bees and . for each additional child.

Sign up for the Zoo Society’s monthly Z-mail or visit www.nczoo.com and click on Events to get the most up to date information on special events. *Reservations are required. For Society Member programs, call 336-879-7250 to make a reservation. We begin taking member reservations six weeks before an event.

Spring 2009 | 7

[That’s why we’re counting...]

orth America’s Eastern Continental Divide snakes down the high ridges of the . NIn North Carolina, it shadows the Blue Ridge, cutting across the state’s western nub. To the left of this slice, all streams bound toward the Gulf of Mexico. Along their way, these waterways feed the scenic habitats that shelter North Carolina’s entire population of a secretive, but vastly impor - tant salamander, the Eastern (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) . Historically, biologists have assumed that the western face Defining Hellbenders of the state’s Eastern Divide offers prime Hellbender habitat. A giant-size salamander, the Eastern Hellbender resides in This notion gained support from the clear, fast-flowing water cool mountain streams from northern Georgia to southern that streams through the area and from the frequent anec - New York. Its Ozark (Cryptobranchus alleganien - dotes of people pulling Hellbenders from these streams. But, sis bishopi) lives in the mountains of northern Arkansas and until recently, no one had systematically surveyed the size or southern Missouri. the extent of Hellbender populations. Recent unconfirmed Best known for its size, an adult Hellbender can grow 29 concerns about the species have caused the state to classify inches—the longest of all North American salamanders. The it as a species of concern. species also claims a fossil record of several million years, making it one of the longest surviving salamander species. Why Count Hellbenders? Until recently, no one has undertaken a systematic survey to determine where North Carolina’s Hellbenders live, in what numbers and under what conditions. That situation began to change about two years ago, when the St. Louis Zoo hosted a Hellbender conference, jointly sponsored with the Captive Breeding Specialist Group of the World Conservation Society. At that meeting, 33 experts converged to discuss the species. Over and over, these biologists recited grim statis - tics about Hellbenders. The species was declining every - where, especially in the Ozarks. The group concluded that the species probably needed help everywhere, but the absence of field data from North Carolina meant that no one knew, for sure, how Hellbenders were faring inside the state. This missing data stirred North Carolina’s biological com - photos by Lori Williams munity to action. Early in 2007, biologists from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission met with Zoo biologists and To watch a video of this guy in his home habitat, go to other interested parties to lay out plans to survey the state’s www.nczoo.com and click on “ Snot Otter .” Hellbender population and educate citizens about the need to protect this species. 8 | ALIVE Unlike adults, juveniles usually do not hide under large rocks in streambeds. Instead, they tend to settle under sand or s cobbles. In those settings, a cruising scuba diver or snorkler ma ller ! would have a better chance of capturing the young than a than actual size group of rock lifters would. Making the Count By May, 2007, a working group of biologists was systemati - What We Know So Far cally combing western mountain streams and creeks for Our early findings suggest that Hellbenders are declining in Hellbenders. This work has not been easy. many waterways and that environmental disruptions may be Most of the time, our survey teams use four people to harming, or in some cases, ending, the Hellbenders’ capacity find and count the Hellbenders in a streambed. Two of these to reproduce. Pollution and changes to the water’s chemistry people usually work alone or in pairs to pry up large and temperature seem to be the main causes for the prob - boulders—up to half a ton—and keep them aloft while lems we are seeing. one or more swimmers feel the streambed underneath, When we compare our findings with the work of earlier searching for Hellbenders. researchers, we see significant changes to many western If a Hellbender is snagged, it goes to shore where we waterways. For example, we visited a stream that the great record its weight, length, sex and any injuries. From these, botanist and naturalist William Bartram studied in the 1700s. we estimate its age and general health. We found a deep layer of silt covering a riverbed that he had We also record information on where we find each speci - described as “blanketed with pebbles and cobbles.” man. We make notes on water quality. We note the size of Sediment, a by-product of damming or development, can any boulders that sheltered it. If we find a Hellbender in the harm Hellbenders and other members of aquatic communi - open, we measure how far it rests from the nearest rock. ties. Our surveys found rising sediments in an alarming num - When we finish our measurements, we return each ber of streams where Hellbenders have historically lived. Hellbender to the spot where we found it. We confirmed other harmful changes, too, including altered Despite recording all of these details, we cannot visit a water chemistry, flourishing non-native plant and animal pop - stream once and assume that we understand the status of ulations and rising uses of the waterways for recreation. A its Hellbenders. If we do not find any in a stream, it may rise in water temperatures, possibly related to the current, be because none live there. Or, it may be that Hellbenders long-term drought in western North Carolina, is another con - are there but, because they are so hard to find, they cern. These and other assaults on the state's magnificent escaped our detection. waterways underscore the need to watch our environments Even if we find several Hellbenders, we still may not have carefully so that we can protect them for future generations. sufficient data to know if the population is viable. Individual The surveys we have begun—and hope to continue—will Hellbenders can live to be thirty, so streams with non- help us monitor the health of the state’s Hellbender popula - reproducing adults—in dying populations—may yield adult tions and river systems. The data will help North Carolina Hellbenders for many years. secure the information it needs to understand and manage To know that a population is healthy, we must find eggs the water that sustains its landscapes, its citizens and its and juveniles, which is even harder than finding adults. wildlife. JOHN D. GROVES, CURATOR OF AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES Spring 2009 | 9 BRAV O! Awards Galore Roll into the Zoo n the last issue of Alive , we announced that The IAmerican Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) had honored the Zoo and Zoo Society’s Tracking Program with AZA’s InternationalConservation Award—Significant . Shortly after accepting that award, the N.C. Zoo learned that Chief Veterinarian Dr. Loomis had received the prestigious EmilDolensekAward from the American It’s time again for the Society to invite its members to an early- Association of Zoo Veterinarians. This award recognizes morning, thank-you party at the Zoo. On Saturday, April 4 , we will open the Zoo an hour early to honor our members at Wake Up professionals who make exceptional contributions to the With the Animals. conservation, care and understanding of zoo and free- The party begins at 8 a.m. at the North America entrance. ranging animals. McDonald’s will continue its tradition of sponsoring a light break - Closer to home, the Zoo’s Interpretive Specialist Bob fast, and we will provide live entertainment. Best of all, members Langston pulled in some laurels, too, winning recogni - can tour the Park for an hour before the Zoo opens to the general tion for his efforts with BigSweep , the statewide river public.* cleanup program. Mr. Langston was recognized for his Wake Up is free to Society members, who may purchase tickets outstanding community involvement. to bring non-member guests. An adult ticket is $8, a child’s ticket To win the honor, Mr. Langston inspired a 25 percent is $4. Tickets for Seniors are $6 each. To attend, just register by increase in the number of volunteers participating in March 13. Randolph County’s BigSweep and coordinated the If your group is made up entirely of Society members, you can resulting 1,622 volunteers during the year. This achieve - register by mail, by phone or by e-mailing [email protected]. If you want to bring non-member guests, please mail your check or ment broke the all-time volunteer record for BigSweep credit card payment with your registration, or call us during regular participation in Randolph County. business hours to pay with a credit card. Please mail registration The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural forms to The N.C. Zoo Society; 4403 Zoo Parkway; Asheboro, NC Resources presented the N.C. Zoo’s Horticulture 27205. Our office phone number is 336-879-7250. Section with a 2008/DENR Sustainability Award. The *Depending upon weather, some animals may not be available for viewing during the event. award recognized the staff for saving an estimated 3.3 •••••••• Wake Up! Registration •••••••• million gallons of water in 2008. The savings arose from an automatic irrigation control system that care - Member name ______fully doled out just enough water to keep the plants in Address ______eight exhibits happy. The system compared the amount City, State, Zip ______of water the plants needed with the amount of water E-mail address ______nature had provided (e.g., the amount of rainfall that Number of members attending _____ dropped in, minus the amount of water that left by Number of non-member guests attending ____ evaporation). The irrigation system provided the plants with just enough water to make up the difference. In the Adults (tickets $8 each) ____ x $8 = ______end, the plants stayed healthy, and the Zoo shaved Children (12 and under, $4 each ) ____ x $4 = ______$27,852 dollars off its water bill. Not bad for a zoo in Seniors (62 and over, $6 each) ____ x $6 = ______the middle of a severe drought. Total number of people attending ____ Total Cost ______Finally, ZooFileZ , a series of two-minute news Please make checks payable to: N.C. Zoo Society videos produced by the N.C. Zoo, won an AvaGold Or to a credit card (please check one): Award for outstanding programming. The ZooFileZ airs weekly from April through October on 12 television sta - អ Visa អ MasterCard អ American Express អ Discover tions that serve cities across North Carolina. Marketing Account No. ______Specialist Rod Hackney writes and moderates the Zoo Expiration Date______Security Code ______FileZ . Signature ______The Zoo Society extends its congratulations to all of Please print clearly and mail to: N.C. Zoo Society, 4403 Zoo Parkway, these outstanding Zoo employees. Asheboro, NC 27205 or call us toll free at (888) 244-3736. 10 | ALIVE TRAVEL SAFARI Chart a course for adventure in 2009

Southern Africa Adventure July 3 - 17 *$6,595 (land only) ’s Tuli Circle and Kruger , the grand lady of Africa’s wildlands, mark the high points of this 14- day safari across southern Africa. Table Mountain, Cape Point, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and the Cheetah Outreach Center are included on the itinerary, too. As an added attraction, several segments of the Zoo’s news pro - gram, The Zoo FileZ , will be filmed along the way. An optional visit to is available.

Whales & Wilderness in August 8 - 16 *starting at $4,649 Slip down Alaska’s Inside Passage with Executive Director Russ Williams as he leads his fifth trip north to Alaska. The trip’s vessel is the166-foot Spirit of Discovery, an ideal ship for this trip because it can enter narrow passages where large cruise ships dare not go. An extension is available to spend four days exploring Denali National Park as well as Anchorage and Fairbanks.

America’s National Parks July 22 - August 6 $3,967 A 16-day tour by motor coach to some of America’s most acclaimed national parks.This tour visits Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Arches, Monument Valley, Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon and Zion national parks.Two cities make it onto the itinerary, too, Las Vegas and Salt Lake City. The price covers lodging for 15 nights, 26 meals, airfare and taxes. (The airfare cost may fluctuate until payment has been made in full.)

For more information, e-mail [email protected] or call 336-879-7253. ALL PRICES BASED ON DOUBLE-OCCUPANCY. | * PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE AIRFARE.

Reopens April 6 2009

Spring 2009 | 11 Zoo Conservation Around the Worl d ៑៑៑

hen Zoo staff members work for The transition shifted the original the zoo experience Wconservation, they do it where it focus of —to display animals— for visitors, improving exhibits and counts—in wild habitats and in the away from the field of entertainment their educational impact. Each service of wild animals. All of the and into the realms of education and improvement generated ever-more Zoo’s field conservation projects pro - research. knowledgeable zoo professionals, who tect that continue These new missions spurred demanded ever-higher standards for to live in streams, woodl ands, grass - advances in biology, psychology, phi - animal welfare, wildlife conservation lands and other wild habitats. losophy and other areas and pushed and visitor education. zoo professionals to broaden their Over the years, these standards Out in the Right Fields understanding of wildlife. As a conse - evolved into a system of professional This fieldwork helps the Zoo fulfill its quence, staff began to realize the prac - ethics that holds wildlife conservation obligations to contemporary society tical, the moral and the economic value as a central tenant of responsible zoos. and to wildlife. The notion that these of protecting individual animals and The zoo community expects its mem - obligations exist has emerged as zoos the habitats that these species occupy bers to contribute to research and to have matured from medieval in the wild. programs that conserve and protect menageries into modern institutions. These changing priorities enriched free-ranging wild animals.

In Wilderness with Elephants In the west African country of officials now know exactly which , the Zoo’s Chief veteri - plots of land should receive gov - narian Dr. Mike Loomis has spent ernmental protection in the future. 11 years working for elephant con - Recently, Dr. Loomis expanded servation. Dr. Loomis’ work takes this conservation program to him to national parks around include elephants living on Mt. Cameroon where he places satel - Cameroon, an active volcano and lite-tracking collars on elephants in the highest mountain in West and forests. These col - Africa. Mt. Cameroon rises more lars allow Dr. Loomis and his col - than 13,000 feet above sea level. leagues to monitor the elephants’ On its ascent, it encounters movements, sometimes tracking changing temperatures, varying an individual and its herd for 18 humidity levels and shifting winds. months or more. These climactic shifts stratify the By transmitting latitude and lon - mountain, laying down a mosaic of gitude measurements on each habitats that make Mt. Cameroon tagged elephant, the collars tell one of the most biologically researchers where elephants diverse landscapes in western travel and where they spend their Africa. time. These data alert conserva - Dr. Loomis is the first person to tionists to the lands that must be place a tracking collar on an ele - preserved to ensure the long-term phant living on Mt. Cameroon. survival of the study herds. Cameroonian officials plan to use For example, this project has data from the collar’s transmis - S I

identified several previously- sions to determine where the local M O O

unknown but vital elephant migra - elephant herd travels so that the L

E K tion routes that lie outside of the land it uses can be incorporate I M

. R

national park system. Government into a proposed national park. D

12 | ALIVE In Forests for Gorillas even fewer people have captured a Also in , as the Zoo’s picture of one on film. The photo - Curator of Conservation and graph included in this article is one Research, I have been working to of only five known pictures of a save the from wild Cross River Gorilla. . This Gorilla subspecies My Cross River Gorilla Project is Africa’s most endangered ape. has me working with conservation - Our best estimates suggest that ists and government officials in the world’s population of Cross both and Cameroon. We River Gorillas has fallen below are developing computer mapping 300. This remnant group ranges systems to define the boundaries through remote mountain forests of the range still occupied by along the Nigeria-Cameroon bor - Cross River Gorillas. We are also der. Illegal and deforesta - training and equipping park tion appear to be the key forces rangers and other researchers to driving Cross River Gorillas toward use satellite imagery and Global extinction. Positioning technology to combat The animals are so rare that few poaching and illegal logging Cross River Gorilla people have ever seen one, and throughout this area.

In Schools for Wildlife Directors and the N.C. Zoo The Zoo also coordinates a conser - Council (a group appointed by vation education project in the the Governor to oversee the eastern African country of . Zoo) have volunteered to work This project works with local on a joint Conservation school teachers to help them incor - Committee that will search for porate conservation messages into ways to expand the Zoo’s Field the academic curriculum. Conservation Programs. During In support of this project, the 2009, this Committee will Zoo recently hired a full-time edu - develop funding opportunities cator to coordinate the program. for Zoo conservation by reach - The new employee, Ms. Jamilyn ing out to individuals and cor - Cole, has over 10 years experience porations that have an interest in teacher education. She will live in and a passion for protecting and work in the area around Kibale Schweinitz’s sunflower VIC M cCORD wildlife and wild habitats. National Park, helping local teachers 1400-acre site. The plant communities find ways to bring environmental les - on these sites will be conserved in Looking for New Programs : Zoo staff sons into the classroom. The goal of ways that benefit native wild-life as has begun exploring the possibility of this project is to inspire the next gener - well as various Zoo audiences. partnering with South Carolina’s ation of conservationists in Uganda. While protecting these sites, Zoo to begin a conserva - staff will use the land and its inhabi - tion initiative in Suriname, South In and Around the Zoo tants to teach. Zoo educators will use America. Rainforests still blanket 80 Several of the Zoo’s new conservation the spaces as outdoor classrooms, lead - percent of Suriname, making it one of programs are centered on the site but ing groups into the sites to explore the most biologically diverse countries have implications that will reach far their nature. Other Zoo audiences will in the world. Shortly, staff from both beyond the Zoo’s boundaries. be invited to venture into these places, zoos will travel to Suriname to evalu - too, to conduct research or to simply ate possible conservation opportunities Protecting the Land: Curator of enjoy them. there. By working together, we hope to Horticulture Gin Wall received several increase the impact that our zoos can grants last year that allowed the Zoo to Formulating Plans: In an unprece - have in conserving plants and animals purchase, for protection, some pristine dented partnership, selected members inside Suriname’s still pristine forests. tracts of land near the Zoo’s existing of the Zoo Society’s Board of continues ៑៑៑ Spring 2009 | 13 Zoo Conservation Around the Worl d ៑៑៑ go out to thTe verhy geanernousk don orsYo who pr uovi sde.d g.if.ts of $1,000 or more to the Society In Streams for Sala manders September 1 through December 31, 2008. Curator of Amphibians and Reptiles John Ralph & Silver Abernethy Mr. Herbert S. Kerr Groves leads the N.C. Zoo’s conservation American Zoo & Aquarium Association Lisa Kirby & Margaret Moore programs for the smaller, less charismatic Allison & Brian Armieri F.M. Kirby Foundation, Inc. members of the animal kingdom. Among John W. Becton & Nancy B. Tannenbaum Mr. Dan Kroll other things, he collaborates with biologists Mr. & Mrs. E. S. Bessette, Jr. Ms. Chris A. Leazer from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Ms. Catherine Bollinger & Mr. Thomas Paul & Caroline Lindsay Commission on a statewide project to Scheitlin Ms. Susan Lindsay The Borden Fund, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. W. E. Love, Jr. understand, and ultimately, protect Ed & Claudia Bost Sandra & Kevin Lucas Hellbenders—the salamander discussed in Mr. Robert G. Braswell Scott & Michelle Macaleer the Field Notes section of this Alive . Mr. Joseph M. Bryan, Jr. Magnolia House of Health Affectionately known as “snot otters,” Dean & Kathy Bob & Bonnie Meeker these large salamanders respond to stress by Mr. & Mrs. Albert L. Butler III Mrs. James H. Millis secreting a thick layer of mucus that makes Ron & Cathy Butler Molly Millis-Hedgecock Mr. & Mrs. Clayton L. Cammack, Jr. Tom & Sally Moore their bodies feel as slippery as—you get the Carolina Bank Mopec, Inc. picture. Hellbenders dwell in mountain Ciba Ms. Emma Neal Morrison streams and, like many amphibians, seem to Brenda & Monty Combs Wendy & John Morrison be in decline. Antidotal reports suggest that The Donald & Elizabeth Cooke Mrs. Marjorie Moser Hellbenders may have vanished from many Foundation John & Alicia Nunnally of the water systems that harbored their Jerry & Val Cooper Mrs. Janice Pearsall John Crosland III ancestors over the centuries Mr. & Mrs. Richard Petty Dell Foundation Mr. Kevin Phillips & Ms. Debbie Patrick Mr. Groves’ fieldwork takes him into James P. & Joyce H. Dickerson Platinum Corral, LLC western North Carolina’s mountains, where Ms. Hilda Cameron Dill Alan, Nancy & Alice Proia he and other biologists are documenting the Dr. David Dorman & Dr. Jan Dye Elizabeth & Robert Pungello streams that still support Hellbenders. These Fanwood Foundation/West Randolph Electric Membership researchers are also trying to determine The Rogers Charitable Trust Corporation Forsyth County Beekeepers Association Randolph Friends of The Zoo which environmental factors—pollution, Dr. Brand Fortner & Ms. Susan Andresen Randolph Telephone Membership climate change, etc.—might be William H. and Muriel J. Fox Endowment Corporation contributing to the declines in Fund Jim & Sally Rayburn Hellbender populations. The Russell & Geordana Gantman Mr. & Mrs. Scott E. Reed findings will help conser - Mr. & Mrs. Richard J. Garkalns David & Tamara Robb Mrs. Voit Gilmore vationists plan pro - Mr. Dalton D. Ruffin Glen Raven, Inc. Russell Terry Investments, LLC grams to shield William H. & Vonna K. Graves John & Ginger Sall Hellbenders The Growing Place at First Baptist SAS from harm. Church Dr. Anton Schindler Mrs. Guthrie Prof. William J. Sladen Wayne & Lisa Hansen State Employees Combined Campaign Whitney & William Heard It Was a Very Good Year Mary P. Stephenson Bill & Rosemary Hinkle Syngenta Crop Protection, Inc. Last year was a good year for the Zoo’s wildlife Linda & J. A. Hodges Tekelec conservation program. Staff protected endan - Holiday Inn Express & Suites Porter & Betty Thompson gered species around the world and in our own Ms. Lois Holt Trophy Shop Gifts & Engraving backyard. We plan to build on these successes Rick & Betsy Huber Leonard & Joyce B. Tufts and further expand our work as this year pro - Mrs. Frances L. Huffman United Way of Greater Greensboro Kemp & Pam Huss gresses. USTA North Carolina Larry & Frieda Jessup Uwharrie Capital Corp As researchers and Zoo employees, we Mr. & Mrs. Earl Johnson, Jr. VF Corp. pledged to promote education and conservation Dr. & Mrs. David M. Jones Ms. Gail Wall programs that offer protection and safety to the Mrs. Laren S. Jones Dr. & Mrs. Stephen Wallenhaupt world’s wild creatures. We will do it for them— Deborah & C. K. Josey Mr. Jonathan E. Wilfong & Ms. B. W. and to ensure that we fulfill our obligations to Dr. & Mrs. Thomas F. Keller Baker Mr. Thomas S. Kenan III the modern zoo community. Ms. Malia Young Suzanne Kennedy-Stoskopf & Michael Tom & Fran Young RICH BERGL, PH.D., CURATOR OF Stoskopf RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION 14 | ALIVE Passing the Buck The Regulars I wish I could personally thank every Zoo Society donor. Since time does not allow that, I select a few donors You every day and send them a personal note of thanks. Of the five I chose on the day of this writing, four Can were long-time regulars—individuals or couples that have supported Zoo needs for more than 20 years. The least active of the four donors has made 38 gifts— Help most ranging between $15 and $100. The latest gift was slightly larger and was restricted to Project:PolarBears . the The most active donor in the group made his first gift 27-years ago. By pairing his donations with corporate Zoo’s matching gifts, he has made 85 gifts ranging between $25 and $150. His last gift was slightly larger and des - tined to support Project:PolarBears . (He also advised Giraffes us to expect a planned gift one day.) iraffes have grabbed center stage at the Zoo. Two I know that there are other regulars out there whom I young males, Tafari and Turbo, arrived in the fall and a have never personally thanked. I have not had time to Gyoung male and female will arrive soon. Zoo staff write to them all; there are just too many. Some of these hopes that this second pair will jump start a Giraffe breed- wonderful people have supported the Zoo since the early ing program. 1970s, when it was just a dream. The problem is, our Giraffes live in one of the oldest I wish I could thank them all. barns at the Zoo. Their exhibit opened in 1979, and like any thirty-year place, it cries out for some upgrades. RUSS WILLIAMS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Among other things, zookeepers need your help to buy a scale for the barn. (You know how important it is for expec - RUSS ling ’s tant mothers to watch their weight!) And, the keepers also have a wish list for several small items that will enrich the lives of the young giraffes. If you can afford to donate a $1,000 or more for the giraffe Giving Real Estate upgrades, we will thank you with a special behind-the- According to TheJournalofPlannedGiving , real scenes tour of their barn. The day will include some face estate is tailor-made for charitable giving. Real time with Tafari and Turbo. estate makes an efficient gift because it generally To become part of the effort to upgrade the Zoo’s Giraffe arises from a low, adjusted costs that is held for a Exhibit, please complete this form and mail it to: N.C. Zoo long time while earning high capital appreciation. Society; 4403 Zoo Parkway; Asheboro, NC 27205 . In a recent national poll, 13 percent of the non- If you prefer, you can donate by phone ( 336-879-7250 ) or profits responding confirmed that real estate gifts by visiting on the Web at www.nczoo.com . accounted for 10 percent of their annual contribu - tions when measured in dollar values. អ YES! I want to help upgrade the Giraffes’ housing. The Zoo Society has been blessed with several Please find enclosed, my gift of: such gifts. While managing these gifts requires អ $1,000 អ $500 អ $250 or other $______more time than simple bequests do, we have staff and advisors to take care of things. Name ______From the donors’ side of this equation, home own - Address ______ers can even give their house to charity now, enjoy City, State, Zip ______the tax benefits for that gift now, and continue to Phone ______live out their lives in that house. Please make check payable to N.C. Zoo Society, or charge to: RUSS WILLIAMS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR អ Visa អ MasterCard អ AmEx អ Discover Account Number ______Security Code ______Expiration Date ______Signatur e______2041 Spring 2009 | 15 PAGE Kids’ 5 Word Pictures of Wetlands

he rippling of water, the Many non-migratory species live in wet - Trustling of animals and lands, too. Our national bird, the Bald Eagle, the swishing of trees. These soars and swoops over wetlands as it hunts sounds speak to the character for fish. Once endangered, Bald Eagle popula - of wetlands. tions are now on the rise. More and more of Scattered across the globe, them can be seen over lakes and shores. wetlands shape environments 8 Insects swarm in wetlands, too. Mosquitoes everywhere that the water meets the buzz in search of mates and to avoid predation. land. Within their boundaries, wetlands harbor Treefrogs vanish into their camou - services and products that benefit people, wild 12 flage, waiting to ambush mosquitoes animals and plants, even individuals that never and other nocturnal insects. set foot in a wetland. Their power is so far Turtles of all sorts plod or float reaching that almost half of the federally through wetlands. Sometimes, they endangered or threatened species rely directly gather on banks or branches to or indirectly on wetlands for survival. And, so soak up the Sun. At other times, do many other plants and animals. they glide through the water in search of food. Inside wetlands, fish, insects and other ani - In southern wetlands, alligators hang from mals pack the Web of Life with prey and calo - the surface of slow moving waters. They wait, ries waiting for capture. Wetland trees and motionless, until it is time to strike. shrubs close their branches to form shelters, Music drifts through wetlands, too. Fish raise their limbs to hold up nesting sites and break the water’s surface. Birds sing. Water laps extend their twigs as perches. From these rhythmically against the shore. Nature’s orches - perches, wetland birds sing and sleep. tra plays symphonies with its own version of Migratory waterfowl rely on woodwinds, percussions and wetlands for every leg of their 11 strings. journeys. Along the way and at Each member of the wetland the winter’s end, these birds community connects to all the need wetlands to rest, drink and others. And all of them link to eat. On their summer journeys, organisms in adjacent biological waterfowl turn to wetlands to communities—be they forests, nest and to rear their young. grasslands or deserts. Back on the fly, migrating Life cannot live without birds lift and carry away tiny water, so wetlands sit at the hub bits of their wetlands. Feathers of every terrestrial food web and feet accidentally hijack and every terrestrial ecosystem. seeds, fry, insects and all man - No matter how foreign wet - ner of eggs, only to drop them in lands may seem to human homes the next pond along the journey. and pastures, wetlands make life The transfers reseed and restock possible for people and all the countless wetlands, enriching other creatures that live on land. their biodiversity. KARA DOUGH, ZOO SCHOOL JOURNALISM STUDENT 16 | ALIVE Wetland Wildlife Word Search Can you find the names of these animals that live in wetlands? 2 ZTACBOBPCXKOT CANADAGOOSEGV MZACELGAEDLAB TYLFNOGARDSEA RBLUEHERONUWS SAIXPLGABTCCS GUGTJNZARUTLK PCAUVXRYRRZUJ EJTMOSQUITOQC WMOPTCPZTLEUZ GORFEERTNEERG

1

4 3

6 1. Alligator 5 . Mosquito 9. [Yellow-bellied] Turtle 2. Cougar 6. [Rudy] Duck 10. [Large Mouth] Bass 3. Bald Eagle 7. Canada Goose 11. [Great] Blue Heron 4. 8. Green Tree Frog 12. [Blue Darner] Dragonfly

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Spring 2009 | 17 Adopt an Animal for •Alligator Snapping Turtle* •Ball Python Mother’s and for Father’s Days •Chilean Flamingo •* Show Mom and Dad how much you care by honoring them with a Zoo adoption on their •African Elephant* special Holidays. •Green Tree Frog Choose the animal you want to adopt from a list Giraffe of 15 popular zoo animals. Adoptions arrive with • a personalized adoption certificate, and a fact •Grizzly * sheet on the adopted animal and its photo - graph. Mother’s Day adoptions also come with •Lion a Society grocery tote, and. the Father’s Day adoptions arrive with a Society sports bag. We •Meerkat will also include a personalize message from * you in the adoption package. • •Puffin Mother’s and Father’s Day adoptions are $45. The price includes standard shipping. •Red Wolf* Funds from these adoptions support the •River Otter Zoo’s animal enrichment program, buying healthy treats and toys for the Zoo’s animals •Southern White Rhinoceros* and training for their keepers. *Threatened or Endangered Species To learn more, log on to the Zoo Society’s Web site at www.nczoo.com .

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