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RIVERBANKsRIVERBANKs september-october 2005 Contents Volume XXIV, Number 5 Riverbanks is published six times a year for The Observation Deck 1 members of Riverbanks Society by Riverbanks Zoological Park and Botanical Spotting Stripes 2 Garden, Columbia, SC Wild Things Safari 2005 4 Plan Your Visit 6 Riverbanks Park Commission J. Carroll Shealy, Chairman In The Know 8 Ella Bouknight Delight In The Garden 12 Claudine Gee Cantey Heath, Sr. Education Adventures 14 Lloyd Liles James E. Smith A Dream Came True 18 Tracey Waring Robert P. Wilkins Hopelessly Immersed In White 20 Lawrence W. Johnson, Fall Bulb Sale 22 Chairman Emeritus Riverbanks Society Board of Directors H. Perry Shuping, President Jeremy G. Wilson, Vice-President Sharon Jenkins, Secretary Jan Stamps, Treasurer Joseph R. Blanchard Mike Brenan David J. Charpia Donna Croom Robert G. Davidson William H. Davidson II Thomas N. Fortson Mary Howard Mark D. Locke, MD, FAAP Richard N. McIntyre Dorothy G. Owen C.C. Rone, Jr. 18 Philip Steude, MD James S. Welch 20 Roslyn Young Don F. Barton, Director Emeritus Riverbanks Senior Staff Satch Krantz Executive Director Kim M. Benson Director of Human Resources Riverbanks Magazine George R. Davis Dixie Kaye Allan Director of Finance Executive Editor/Art Director Ed Diebold Monique Jacobs Director of Animal Collections Editor Kevin Eubanks Ashley Walker Director of Guest Services 2 Graphic Artist Chris Gentile Director of Conservation Education Larry Cameron Eric Helms Photographer Director of Risk Management & Facilities Melodie Scott-Leach Director of Horticulture Subscriptions to Riverbanks are $24 per year. Members of Riverbanks Tommy Stringfellow Society are entitled to one free subscription along with free admission and Director of Marketing guest passes, discounts at Zoo & Garden gift shops, invitations to special Keith Benson, DVM events and much more. To subscribe to Riverbanks or to join the Society, Senior Veterinarian call 803.779.8717 x1111 or x1239. Andy Cabe Riverbanks Zoological Park and Botanical Garden is accredited by the Curator of Horticulture American Zoo and Aquarium Association and the American Association John Davis of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta. Curator of Mammals Scott Pfaff Curator of Herpetology Bob Seibels Curator of Birds Front cover: Kyra the Tiger Cub Photograph by Larry Cameron The Observation Deck n the last issue of Riverbanks, fast-moving emotional rollercoaster. To be perfectly honest, my column featured the rather there were many more days when a recovery seemed I gloomy subject of death in the hopeless than there were days to be hopeful. Our biggest Zoo. I thought you might like concern was that she refused to eat. In response, Lottie to know that not every animal was force-fed a “slurry” of eucalyptus leaves, koala feces emergency or illness has a sad (to reinoculate her gut) and a nutritional supplement. ending and that Riverbanks' animal Shortly after the surgery, I thought it would be a good idea care staff quite often goes to to get an independent appraisal of our koala program. After incredible lengths to help an animal all, the Queensland government had entrusted us with in need. Such was the case of Lottie, animals that they consider national treasures; but we had one of our female koalas. lost a baby, and now appeared to be on the verge of losing Lottie was the mother of Karoo, the first baby (joey) koala one of the two adult females. A call to the Premier's office born at Riverbanks. As you know by now, Karoo was found resulted in the arrival (just three days later) of two dead in her exhibit on the morning of May 23, 2005. We representatives of the Queensland Environmental Protection were all shocked, since Karoo had shown no symptoms of Agency: Adam Northam, Wildlife Team Leader at the David illness or injury (typical of non-domestic animals). For Fleay Wildlife Park and koala biologist, and Dr. Allan several days, the entire Riverbanks family grieved over the McKinnon, Manager of Moggill Koala Hospital and a loss of Karoo, until the focus of our concern suddenly leading authority on koala medicine. Both Adam and Allan shifted to Lottie. had a vested interest, as they originally accompanied Lottie Animal keepers are the first line of defense in our and Killarney on their trip from Queensland to Columbia. preventative medicine program, and in this case the keen After a week of intensive program review, they reached the observational skills of our keepers saved Lottie's life. A few conclusion that we presumed––Riverbanks has an excellent days after Karoo's death, the keepers noticed a swelling in koala program which has suffered some really bad luck. Lottie's pouch. A quick examination by our veterinarians We maintained our koala vigil for nearly six weeks, as revealed that Lottie was suffering from an acute case of Lottie refused to eat her daily diet of eucalyptus. Even mastitis, an inflammation of her mammary tissue. This was though our Australian colleagues told us to be patient, the most certainly brought about by the sudden death of Karoo. wait was painful. Finally, Lottie began to eat. At first, she Lottie was still producing milk, but since she was no longer only mouthed a few leaves, but over a three-day period her nursing her baby, her mammary glands became swollen appetite returned to almost normal. It's as if a light bulb and inflamed. came on in that tiny brain of hers. This fact led to a chain of events that consumed the entire Once she started eating, the pace of her recovery animal care staff for the next two months. The treatment for quickened considerably. She was moved out of a small mastitis is very simple; a course of antibiotics will generally cage (to lessen the possibility of her falling) to a large stall. return things to normal in a few days. Unfortunately, koalas We knew she was better when, after about a week of are anything but “simple.” Like most leaf-eating mammals, eating, the keepers found her at the door of the stall waiting koalas have very sensitive systems. Imagine what your for her afternoon feeding. On Wednesday, August 4, she digestive tract would be like if you only ate the leaves was moved back into the Koala Knockabout exhibit with of eucalyptus! her koala mates. About a week after we began to treat her mastitis, Lottie Trust me when I say that the above account only touches took a sudden turn for the worse. Due to the skill of our on the highlights of Lottie's illness and care. This was one veterinarians, the problem was quickly diagnosed: Lottie of the most complex medical cases in our history, involving had a torsion (twist) in her small intestine. We still don't veterinarians from California and Australia. Many people know what caused the torsion, but we suspect that her slept in their offices, providing round-the-clock care for Lottie. digestive tract reacted to the antibiotics used to treat the I try never to single out an individual employee; after all, mastitis. Following a number of telephone calls to the the success of Riverbanks Zoo & Garden is directly veterinarians at the San Diego Zoo (the only U.S. zoo with attributable to a team effort. But in this case I thought you extensive koala experience), we were quite certain that our might like to associate a few names with this Herculean diagnosis was correct. We next placed a call to Dr. Frank effort. Drs. Keith Benson and Tiffany Moore managed Carrick, the head of the koala study program at the Lottie's care and performed her life-saving surgery. University of Queensland in Australia (we got him out of Veterinary technicians Aimee Meyer and Jeanna Molchan bed at 5:00 am Queensland time). After conferring with San provided daily care, as did hospital keeper Reese Bradshaw Diego and Queensland, we decided that the only chance and koala keepers extraordinaire Chris Himes, Justin Johns we had of saving Lottie's life was to perform surgery. and Andrea Zonce, who worked and worried more than Minutes later Riverbanks' Drs. Benson and Moore began anyone at Riverbanks. operating. The torsion was quickly located and repaired. While Lottie's case is an extreme example, it is typical of Then all we could do was wait. the care and concern that is applied to each and every The next two or three weeks were mostly a blur, as Lottie animal at Riverbanks. They deserve nothing less. was often provided with 24-hour care. I can't say enough about the dedication of the Zoo's keeper and veterinary staffs, as they worked feverishly to provide Lottie with everything she needed, all the time riding an incredibly 1 spottingspotting stripesstripes By – Andrea Zonce, Mammal Keeper It's hard to believe that two years have passed since Around the end of April/beginning of May, Riverbanks' Amur (Siberian) tigers Kisa and Foli were born. You tiger barn was stirring with anxious keepers and one might remember seeing the delightful cubs romp and play expectant mother, namely Koshka. The gestation period between naps at the window of the Bird Conservation for tigers varies from 93 to 110 days, and it took exactly Center when they were being hand raised by keepers. 105 days to produce Koshka's last litter. This time, the As soon as they grew too big for various makeshift 105th day (Sunday, May 9) came and went, but no cubs. enclosures, they were transferred to the big tiger exhibit. We were pretty sure that Koshka was pregnant due to Now the two are almost full grown, and the joy of her ever-expanding belly, so we eagerly waited.