pronounced mah-GEE-zoh, meaning the message in Swahili pronounced mah-GEE-zoh, meaning the message in Swahili

VOLUME 55, NUMBER 3 FALL 2016 FALL 2016 Volume 55, no. 3 by Kyle Burks I have a pretty amazing job. At the Sacramento THE SACRAMENTO ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY IS A 501(C)(3) NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION. Zoo, our day is centered on how we can take the best care of every single animal and how we can SACRAMENTO ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES continually work to make the Zoo a better place. Jeff Raimundo – President Elizabeth Stallard – Vice President And, we do this while also doing everything we Starr Walton Hurley – 2nd Vice President Adham Sbeih – Secretary can, every single day, to make the entire world a Kevin Barri – Treasurer James Naify – Past President better place for all animals. Kyle Burks, PhD - Executive Director/CEO

Fran Boland Michael Broughton There are people who don’t believe that zoos should exist. Nancy E. Cole Jeffrey K. Dorso I respect that they are entitled to their opinion, even though Irwin Karp Lynn Matsuda I’ve dedicated my career to just the opposite. Here at the Jennifer A. Neal John W. Otto Sacramento Zoo, caring for and about animals is core to Jason Russell, CPA Susan Schoenig everything we do. From our highly trained and professional Mike Testa Dr. Janice Doucet Thompson staff, the animals receive preventative health care, carefully Jill M. Trainer, PhD Jody Ulich Alan Yee, MD planned diets, constant attention to their habitats and behavioral enrichment to keep them active and displaying ZOO ADMISSION HOURS

February - October: 9 am - 4 pm* natural behaviors. The care we devote to animals also extends November - January: 10 am - 4 pm* *Grounds close at 5 pm far beyond our own zoo grounds. Last year alone, we raised Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day more than $150,000 for conservation programs around the HOW TO REACH US world and are working hard to make sure we contribute more 916.808.5888 saczoo.org and more to animal conservation every year. [email protected] Hotline: 916.808.5885 Development: 916.808.8815 I can say without any reservation that the passionate and Education: 916.808.5889 Meetings and Events: 916.808.8561 dedicated people that work at the Sacramento Zoo put the Membership/Zoo Parents: 916.808.5888 Volunteers: 916.808.7444 welfare of the animals as our top priority, right alongside Maagizo is published by the Sacramento Zoological Society. All rights reserved. their safety and your safety. I’m proud that we don’t just EDITOR: Tonja Candelaria COPY EDITOR: Amanda Cable come to work every day, but instead have dedicated our PHOTOS: Zoo Staff lives to animals. I know that before anyone asks if we should The Sacramento Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. www.aza.org improve some aspect of the Zoo, we’ve already asked ourselves how we can do it and are on the path to making the improvements as soon as we can. I hope you are proud of Sacramento Zoo. I hope that if you ever have any questions about our work either here at the Sacramento Zoo or worldwide, you’ll find a member of our dedicated team and spend some time speaking with them directly. We’re happy to share our passion for the Zoo with you.

Printed on 55% recycled content counting turtles at boggs lake by Brooke Coe

The staff at the Sacramento Zoo are dedicated to animal conservation, and we each play different roles to reach this goal. Our job descriptions may vary a great deal from one another, but ultimately we all want the same thing: to preserve and enrich the lives of the animals at the Zoo, and to assist with the conservation of animals in the wild. Recently, Sacramento Zoo staff was able to play a more hands-on role in the conservation of wild Western Pond Turtles. This species is listed as Endangered in Washington and Oregon, and a Species of Special Concern in California. Western Pond Turtles are the only freshwater turtle species native to California.

In 2008, Sonoma State University began a “head start” initiative with the Oakland Zoo and San Francisco Zoo. Through this initiative, Western Pond Turtle eggs are collected from a unique natural habitat in Lake County, California and transported to Sonoma State University. Once the eggs are hatched the young turtles remain in human care at the Oakland or San Francisco Zoo for one to two years, where they flourish and grow. The turtles are released to their native habitat once they reach a size at which they are better able to survive and compete for resources. Hopefully, down the road, they will reproduce and bolster the Western Pond Turtle population!

This year, I was given a chance to participate in this important project, along with five other Zoo staff members. On three separate occasions, pairs of staff from the Sacramento Zoo joined with Professor Nick Geist and Emily Murakami from Sonoma State University to trek through the tall grass and rocky terrain, in search of pond turtles and their nests. The goal was to find pond turtles, observe their nesting behavior, cover successful nests to protect them from predation, and collect physical data from the females. Working as a team, Zoo staff and Sonoma State University students fanned out to search the entire nesting area three times each afternoon, leaving members behind to observe turtles as they were found. During the course of our time there, we were able to find five turtles and protect two successful nesting sites. Later in the season, these eggs will be transported to Sonoma State University to hatch, then on to Oakland Zoo or San Francisco Zoo for rearing and then released back into the wild.

It was an extremely rewarding experience, and one that I am grateful to have been a part of. The Western Pond Turtle is an important species in our native California habitats, and programs such as these are making great strides in the conservation, and scientific knowledge, of the species.

PHOTOS (top to bottom): Wild Western *Historically the Sacramento Zoo manages a similar husbandry protocol for Western Pond Turtles. The eggs Pond Turtles waiting to be measured, Graduate Student Emily Murakami or hatchlings have been collected from the Zoo lake and raised in the Reptile House until they are large collecting data, Zoo staff Matt and enough to be placed safely back on the lake. This species is also receiving help from the Association of Amanda measuring a Western Pond Turtle, Applying a radio transmitter, Zoos and Aquariums SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) campaign. A depredated nest and egg shell TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11 / 1 – 2:30 pm Kampala Conference Room

THIS FREE INFORMATIVE SEMINAR will navigate through a jungle of estate planning topics presented by local attorney Mark S. Drobny, California State Bar Certified Legal Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law. Mr. Drobny is widely regarded as one of the top experts on estate planning, providing information on a variety of topics in an entertaining manner that will help you design a plan that fits your needs. TOPICS WILL INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO: • Living Trusts vs. Wills • Probate – How Can it be Avoided? • Who Needs Durable Powers of Attorney for Financial Management and Advance Health Care Directives? • Charitable Gift Annuities Seating is limited. RSVP to Amanda Cable at [email protected] or 916.808.8815 by October 5 to guarantee your seat.

Trick or treating Stage shows Face painting Keeper chats & Ghoulish games Animal enrichments Ride the Spook y Zoo Train or the Creepy Carousel for an additional fee

11 am – 5 pm 10 am Member hour with ticket and membership card Early Bird Tickets $10 (through October 23) General Tickets $12 Sacramento Zoo members save $3! The entire Zoo will be open during this ticketed event. Membership passes, discount passes or any other coupons are not valid for Boo at the Zoo admission. BIRTHS AT THE ZOO

Western Pond Turtles Feb 27 Red River Hogs April 3 Masai Giraffe April 10 Mongoose Lemur April 21 Burrowing Owls April 21 & 23 Fulvous Whistling Ducks May 21 Kenyan Crested Guineafowl May and June Wolf’s Guenon June 5 Thick-billed Parrots August LEAVING THE NEST BY LESLIE FIELD, SUPERVISOR OF MAMMALS As our children, nieces, or nephews grow up there are certain events in their lives that make us choke up and grab a tissue - that cute kindergarten ceremony, going to first grade or maybe prom night. Or better yet, high school or college graduation where they really are on their way to having an independent life.

Humans are quite different than non-humans in how impactful “leaving the nest” is. You might ask yourself what do animal mothers or fathers feel about their “children” growing up? What might it mean to have them leave their family group and go out on their own?

The first thing to understand is that each type of animal – bird, reptile, amphibian, insect, or mammal – has their own natural timeline of raising young and giving them what they need to be successful adults. If you are a Western Pond Turtle, Tarantula, or even a Dart Frog, you will never know your parents; eggs are laid and incubated in the environment and Mother Nature does the rest. These creatures are much more hard-wired and instinctual, as opposed to creatures that need to be taught how to survive on their own.

A bird egg is incubated in its nest for around 30 days as the parents take turns keeping the clutch warm. After hatching, the chicks spend a few weeks to a few months being fed, learning to fly and then out on their own they go.

Mammals, in general, are raised by their mothers. There are certainly exceptions to this rule, such as the case with lions or some primates. For dads of many mammalian species their job ends with the propagation event. Young mammals must learn how to forage for food, avoid predators and navigate in their own environment. In many cases this training may take less than a year.

Many leave the rearing of young to the females. Lemurs, for example, are seasonal breeders and therefore can have young every year. So the offspring from last season need to be independent and well on its way to adulthood prior to the new one(s) arriving. Adolescents might stick around for additional time on the periphery of the family unit, learning mothering behavior and honing survival skills, but are primarily independent.

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum of parental rearing, great apes such as orangutans have youngsters that are very slow to mature. It can take more than eight years to teach their youngsters what they need to know to survive. Youngsters also learn valuable parenting skills by seeing their mother raise a sibling. Our three-year-old Wolf’s Guenon female, Zuri, is watching closely to what goes on between her mother and her new sibling and how her father reacts to situations. You can observe the infant taking in the family dynamics as well!

In the zoo setting, we look to the natural behavior and social makeup of a species to decide when to move the youngster out of the exhibit or family unit. For animals that are social, we try to keep the family unit together for as long as they are tolerated well by one another. But eventually, all young animals must “leave the nest” to begin their own family units.

Now walk the Zoo. Perhaps “leaving the nest” has a slightly different meaning than what we humans experience.. checking in with the african lion pride

DEMARCUS

SAPHIRA INARA

The African Lion cubs, born October 24, 2014, are certainly not cubs anymore. The two girls currently weigh 190 pounds each while the male weighs 230 pounds. Size isn’t the only sign that the cubs are growing up. As they have grown, so have the dynamics of the entire pride.

One of the most notable changes is between Demarcus and his sire, Kamau. The two male lions recently reached the natural progression where it was time for them to separate and for Demarcus to begin a bachelor lifestyle. Unlike some human offspring, his path to independence was not a drawn- out process; one week he was a cub and the next he began changing into the role of an adult male lion.

The sudden shift may sound harsh, but it is parallel to how this species and many others operate in the wild. In the wild, offspring, especially males, are often driven off once they are deemed old enough to be seen as potential competition to the sire of the pride.

Fortunately, staff have been prepared for the shift in dynamics between the dam, sire, sisters and brother and have been able to transition smoothly. large and small, we examine them all!

By: Jenessa Gjeltema, DVM

Just like most pet dogs or cats go to the veterinarian regularly, all of the animals at the Sacramento Zoo receive routine veterinary examinations to make sure they are healthy. From the aardvarks to the zebras, all of the animals receive veterinary checkups when they need them – even the Zoo’s tarantula spiders! Many tarantulas live over 20 years and can develop a variety of medical problems including infections, fractures, problems molting, or even parasite infestations. For this reason, regular checkups are very important.

Tarantulas are fascinating little creatures with eight legs and an exoskeleton instead of bones, which is almost like a thin shell on the outside of the body. They also have fangs called chelicerae that they use for feeding or defensive biting. Additionally, they also have prickly little bristles called urticating hairs that they can flick onto predators, which cause skin or eye irritation.

For a general exam, the spider is often put under anesthesia and gloves are worn in order to conduct a thorough examination safely. This allows the veterinarian to get a close look at all of the animal’s external body parts, obtain a heart rate, and also collect a blood sample (called hemolymph). He or she can also take radiographs or perform an ultrasound of the tarantula to gain additional details about its health. All of this information can help the veterinarian determine whether the tarantula is healthy or if it requires treatment for a medical problem. We provide all of the animals at the Sacramento Zoo the very best medical care. Even though they are very small and have unique health needs, our tarantulas are no exception to this rule!

ANIMAL PROFILE | KING VULTURE

At the Sacramento Zoo, you may notice a new resident in the King Vulture exhibit. In addition to the male King Vulture, Juan Domingo, a much smaller and younger female has recently moved in to the exhibit. Reina (meaning “queen” in Spanish) arrived at the Sacramento Zoo on May 3 from the Dallas Zoo. Born on June 4, 2015 Reina still has her all-black plumage. As she matures she will begin to develop the white plumage and colorful neck and beak that are unique to the King Vulture. King Vultures are among the bird world’s largest scavengers and have powerful, hooked beaks that are excellently adapted for tearing open tough carcasses.

Oftentimes when one thinks of a vulture, it is with a negative association. Vultures circling over a dead or dying animal and eating garbage or decomposed carcasses. In fact, vultures play a critical role in their local environment and help make our world a cleaner, healthier and generally more habitable place. Vultures rid the landscape of deteriorating carcasses that spread disease and bacteria.

Vultures are opportunistic eaters, finding recently deceased animals rather than hunting. A common misconception about vultures is that they prefer to eat rotten food; while they do have a unique stomach acid that allows them to eat carrion (deceased animal flesh), many show a preference to eat fresher meat.

Vultures, due to their unique position on the food chain, are a key indicator of the environment around them; they are dependent upon the health of the animals they eat and thus can provide a unique insight into the health of a population. Today, vultures face a myriad of dangers as a result of human activities including collisions with electrical structures, decrease in food availability and poisoning.

The Sacramento Zoo takes part in conservation efforts and supports the Vulture Conservation Programme (VulPro) to rehabilitate injured vultures in South Africa, as well as providing educational and awareness programs about the plight of this very important species. VulPro is one of the three conservation programs the Sacramento Zoo is funding through Quarters for Conservation. For more information about VulPro and the Quarters for Conservation Program, visit saczoo.org/q4c.

PHOTOS: (top) Reina, female King Vulture, (bottom) Juan Domingo, male King Vulture eagle scout helps sacramento’s bats

Boy Scout, Josh Simmons, chose to construct and install bat houses at the Sacramento Zoo for his Eagle Scout Project. He hopes that by building the bat houses, local bats will have more options for adequate areas to roost and reproduce.

Josh completed the construction of six individual bat houses and four colony houses that will be installed in carefully selected locations around the Sacramento Zoo.

Bats have a reputation of being spooky or even dangerous, but they are actually some of the most beneficial animals to people. All of Northern California’s bats are insectivores. They feed on night-flying insects, including pesky mosquitoes. A single little Brown Bat can eat 3,000 mosquito-sized insects a night, and a colony of 150 Big Brown bats can eat enough beetles to save farmers almost a billion dollars annually in crop damages and pesticide costs. Without bats, we would be more dependent on toxic chemicals to control unwanted insects.

Many scientific advancements are owed to bats as well: navigational aids for the blind, blood-clot medication, artificial insemination techniques, low-temperature surgery on people, and military sonar have all been inspired by our night-flying friends.

Thank you Josh for all of your hard work and generous donation to help this important species! Non-Profit Org. 3930 West Land Park Drive U.S. Paid Postage Sacramento, CA 95822-1123 PAID saczoo.org Sacramento, CA Permit No. 651

Mondays, September 12, 19 & October 17: 9:30 am to Noon Sunday, October 9: 9 am to 4:30 pm SENIOR TEA & TOURS CAMERA AND LENS DEMO DAY AND TEST DRIVE Have a pleasant cup of tea and a guided tour of the Sacramento Zoo, Join Mike’s Camera at the Sacramento Zoo and test drive the latest camera, designed especially for seniors age 55 and over. Your group will be met telephoto, lenses and other photo gear from leading manufacturers and by Docents (volunteer educators) and will tour part of the Zoo. Sign up pick up tips and tricks from the Mike’s Camera crew who will be onsite. at saczoo.org or call 916.808.5889. Saturday & Sunday, October 29 & 30: 11 am to 5 pm Saturday, September 17: 9 am to 3 pm Members Only 10 to 11 am DEAF AWARENESS DAY ALL NEW BOO AT THE ZOO This day at the Zoo for the deaf and hard of hearing community, Bring the family and experience the all new daytime Boo at the Zoo. sponsored by NorCal Services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing, will include Play some ghoulish games, create creepy crafts and trick-or-treat around ASL interpreters on site. There are limited facilities for service animals. the whole Zoo while enjoying all of the animals. This is a ticketed event. Please call 916.808.5888 in advance if you plan to bring a service animal. Zoo closed for general admission and membership passes both days.

September 22, 25 & 27 - times vary SACRAMENTO ZOO’S WINTER HOURS RETURN 3-DAY PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP & SAFARI The Sacramento Zoo’s winter operating hours begin November 1 and run through January 31, 2017. Daily Zoo admission is 10 am to 4 pm with Hone your photography skills with Mike’s Camera staff during this three- Zoo grounds closing at 5 pm. day experience including an evening class session, a morning visit to the Zoo and an evening follow-up critique. 50% of your tuition benefits the Friday, November 11: 10 am to 4 pm Sacramento Zoo. MILITARY FAMILY DAY Saturday, October 1: 5 to 10 pm In appreciation of our troops, all military personnel, veterans, and their WILD AFFAIR families receive a 50% discount with valid military identification. Gala, dinner and auction fundraiser for the nonprofit Sacramento Zoo. Thursday, November 24 Zoo closes early at 1:30 pm. ZOO CLOSED – HAPPY THANKSGIVING!