Aza Board & Staff
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CONNECT October 2014 FEATURES 8 ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS CONFRONT THE EXTINCTION CRISIS MIKE BENTO 16 THE CHACOAN PECCARY An Endangered Living Fossil DR. DENNIS MERITT AND JEFF HOLLAND 21 COLLABORATIVE JAGUAR IMPORT LIZ HILE IN EVERY ISSUE 3 A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD 6 CONSERVATION & RESEARCH 24 MEMBER NEWS 41 GREEN TALES 34 A MESSAGE FROM THE THE PRESIDENT & CEO 35 BIRTHS & HATCHINGS 32 CONSERVATION SPOTLIGHT 42 EXHIBITS 44 ANNOUNCEMENTS 47 MEMBER UPDATES 49 INDEX OF ADVERTISERS 50 CALENDAR ON THE COVER The Indo-Pacific spotted lagoon jellyfish (Mastigias papua) requires high light levels due to the needs of the symbiotic algae it harbors in its tissues. This specimen was photo- graphed by Staff Photographer, Cathy Burkey, at the Dallas Zoo’s Children’s Aquarium in Fair Park, and resides in a 250 gallon cylindrical tank in the offshore gallery of the Aquarium. SPOTTED LAGOON JELLYFISH © CATHY BURKEY Get us on LifeStar.™ Please! 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Thermoplastic Valves | Actuation & Controls | Strainers | Filters | Bulkhead Fittings & Tank Accessories | Pumps 2 CONNECT October 2014 MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD reetings AZA members and stakeholders, GIt was great to see and visit with many of you in Orlando, Fla., at the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Annual Conference. It was an honor to stand before you and accept the gavel to be the next Chair of the Board of the AZA. chair As an association, we are lucky to have great members who are willing to serve as our hosts. SeaWorld hosted a great ice breaker that I believe many of you enjoyed. The traditional Zoo Day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom was not only a chance to get some fresh air after several days of productive meet- ings, but also an opportunity to see one of the best guest service teams in action. I was also encouraged by the many positive comments I heard about our conference partner, the International Marine Animal of Trainer’s Association (IMATA). I know the addition of their programming was well received by many AZA members. Even though this Conference shattered previous attendance records – over 3,000 people attended this year – we know we can always improve. You should have received a Conference evaluation survey by now. Please take the time to fill it out. It provides the the AZA staff with valuable feedback they will use to make future conferences even better. Over the next year, you will be hearing a great deal about AZA SAFE: Saving Animals From Extinction. The AZA Board of Directors is already hard at work implementing this program, and we will need your help and support for it to be a success. More on this program will be shared in the coming weeks and months. board As an association, we are hard at work on a new Candidate for Membership program that I know will attract new members to our ranks. It is a change to being more proactive in recruiting institutions for the benefit of animals. It is also important to keep in mind that as we look forward and think about living up to our potential in order to change the story of wildlife, it is also important to reflect on our collective accomplishments. For over 100 years, zoos and aquariums have been hard at work at saving the most vulnerable species. Very soon, you’ll be hearing about more than 30 different spe- cies that we have brought back from near extinction. I am also encouraged that so many of our volunteers serving on AZA Committees are actively engaged in telling the stories of the species we have helped save. As a former Committee Chair, I know and appreciate the work you put in, and, I appreciate the hard work you will be contributing over the next year. Thank you again to SeaWorld Orlando, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and The Seas with Nemo and Friends for hosting our Annual Conference. And thank you for your commitment to AZA. This is an association I am proud to lead and I hope you are proud to be a part of. DENNIS E. PATE Executive Director and CEO Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium Editorial policy: CONNECT is published by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization dedicated to the advancement of zoological parks and aquariums for conservation, education, scientific studies and recreation. Issued to members as a free service; not available as a subscription. Mailed during the first week of the month. Articles submitted for CONNECT do not necessarily reflect the opinions and policies of AZA. Mission: CONNECT is a forum for promoting AZA’s mission by highlighting zoo and aquarium trends, industry initiatives, conservation efforts and member achievements. Copyright policy: All items appearing in CONNECT are copyright of AZA. Permission to reprint items must be obtained by contacting AZA’s Publications Department at [email protected]. Advertising policy: Advertising is available. AZA reserves the right to refuse advertising not consistent with its mission. Ad contracts are issued on an annual basis, and ads are accepted on a one, three, six, nine or 12-time basis. Deadline for insertion orders is the first of the month preceding publication. Deadline for artwork is the 10th of the month preceding publication. Rates and mechanical require- ments are available upon request. October 2014 CONNECT 3 AZA BOARD & STAFF AZA STAFF AZA BOARD OF DIRECTORS CONNECT STAFF 2014 - 2015 Tim Lewthwaite, Editor OFFICERS Lisa Cadigan, Designer, Cadigan Creative CONNECT EDITORIAL BOARD CHAIR Melinda Arnold, Dickerson Park Zoo Dennis E. Pate Thom Benson, Tennessee Aquarium Executive Director and CEO, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium Julie Larsen-Maher, Wildlife Conservation Society Ph: (402) 738-2014, E-mail: [email protected] Tim Lewthwaite, AZA Publications & Brand Manager CHAIR ELECT Kristin L. Vehrs, AZA Executive Director Steve Burns AZA STAFF Director, Zoo Boise Jim Maddy, President & CEO Ph: (208) 384-4125 x203, E-mail: [email protected] Kristin L. Vehrs, Executive Director VICE CHAIR Jill Nicoll, Chief Operating Officer Paul Boyle, PhD, Senior Vice President of Dennis W. Kelly Conservation & Education Director, Smithsonian National Zoological Park Rob Vernon, Senior Vice President of External Affairs Ph: (202) 633-4442, E-mail: [email protected] Debborah Luke, PhD, Senior Vice President of PAST CHAIR board & staff Conservation & Science Jackie Ogden, PhD Denny Lewis, Vice President Accreditation Programs Vice President, Animals, Science and Environment Jennifer Keaton, Vice President, Congressional Affairs Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Steve Olson, Vice President Federal Relations Ph: (407) 938-2831, E-mail: [email protected] Phil Wagner, Senior Vice President of Finance Arslan Ahmad, Program Assistant, Conservation & Science DIRECTORS Candice Dorsey, PhD, Director, Animal Programs Jim Breheny Jeff Dow, Director of Sales & Marketing Executive Vice President and General Director, Zoos and Aquarium Jennifer DiNenna, Manager, Accreditation Jonathan Little Cohen Director of the Bronx Zoo Sandra Elvin, PhD, Director, Conservation Research & Policy Wildlife Conservation Society Development Ph: (718) 220-7286, E-mail: [email protected] Jennifer Fields, Communications Coordinator Lynn B. Clements Allegra Formento, Marketing Assistant Director, Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center Rachel Gauza, Citizen Science Program Specialist Ph: (757) 385-0241, E-mail: [email protected] Emily Gordon, Digital Media Coordinator Jim Hekkers Rebecca Greenberg, Program Assistant, Conservation & Science Managing Director, Monterey Bay Aquarium Ph: (831) 647-6825, E-mail: [email protected] Shelly Grow, Director, Conservation Programs Melissa Howerton, Vice President, Conferences & Membership Gregg Hudson Tim Lewthwaite, Publications & Brand Manager Executive Director and Chief Executive Offi cer, Dallas Zoo Management, Inc. Ph: (469) 554-7510, E-mail: [email protected] Nette Pletcher, Director of Conservation Education Barbara Pueschel, Board & Committees Liaison Steve Marshall Nancy Ramos, Receptionist Zoo Director, El Paso Zoo Amy Rutherford, Professional Development Program Manager Ph: (915) 521-1855, E-mail: [email protected] Ana Maria Sanchez, Controller Amos Morris Barbara Skewes, Manager, Member Information Services Zoo Director, Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Garden Sarah Sullivan, Manager, Digital Media Ph: (812) 435-6143 x401, E-mail: [email protected] Gina Velosky, Manager, Business Development & Marketing Douglas G. Myers Cheryl Wallen, Meeting Planner President and CEO, San Diego Zoo Global Ph: (619) 557-3999, E-mail: [email protected] Craig Pugh Association of Zoos & Aquariums CEO, Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo 8403 Colesville Road, Suite 710 Ph: (813) 935-8552 x251, E-mail: [email protected] Silver Spring, MD 20910 301-562-0777 (phone); 301-562-0888 (fax); Peggy Sloan www.aza.org Director, North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher Ph: (910) 458-8259 x230, E-mail: [email protected] 4 CONSERVATION & RESEARCH TOXICITY OF WATER and other bodies of water that might be The results include specific informa- IN ZOO MOATS accessible to zoo animals. tion on species, villages, and individual Exhibit moats and other large, stand- DOSTER, E., CHISLOCK, M. F., ROBERTS, fishers. In general, there were positive ing bodies of water often display algal J.F., KOTTWITZ, J.J., AND WILSON, A.E. impacts at the household and commu- blooms throughout the late spring and (2014).