2016 Wildcare Institute Annual Report

WildCare Institute 2016 Annual Report WildCare At A Glance Center for American Burying Beetle Conservation Center for Conservation in Madagascar • Saving this important insect helps the ecosystem because this insect removes • Supporting the international consortium, Madagascar Fauna and Flora Group, dead and decaying animals naturally based at the Saint Louis Zoo—a founding member in 1988 • Reintroducing Zoo-born beetles to the wild—a first for an endangered • Conserving biodiversity through research, education and capacity building species in Missouri • Studying the health and genetics of endangered lemurs and endemic • Researching beetle genetics and breeding helps species recovery carnivore communities Center for Avian Conservation in the Pacific Islands Center for Native Pollinator Conservation • Working to save Pacific Island bird species since 1994 • Planting dozens of miles of pollinator habitats along roadsides with support from • Building assurance populations to prevent island birds from disappearing multiple Missouri state agencies • Transferring “seed” bird populations to neighboring snake-free sanctuary islands • Founding Missourians for Monarchs to develop a state-wide conservation plan for for successful breeding monarch butterflies and native pollinators • Continuing to establish populations in human care to support wild populations • Increasing monarch butterfly habitat by encouraging planting of multiple community pollinator gardens Center for Avian Health in the Galápagos Islands • Spearheading honey bee/pollinator coalitions, establishing the IUCN SSC • Protecting rare island birds for more than a decade Bumblebee Specialist Group • Training Ecuadorian scientists and rangers to recognize and test for diseases • Working with Native American Tribes to restore pollinator habitat and bring back traditional foods • Assisting dozens of students to earn graduate degrees • Empowering a multi-institutional team to examine more than 60 wild Galápagos Center for Conservation in Punta San Juan, Peru penguins and collect samples to assess the infectious disease risks • Helping create a network of protected areas along the Peruvian coast Center for Conservation of Carnivores in Africa • Taking annual Humboldt penguin censuses to monitor population size • Gathering baseline data on carnivore health, numbers and ecology • Conducting health assessments, collecting biological data on penguins • Reducing conflicts between wildlife and livestock through community education • Supporting sustainable guano harvests to protect breeding areas • Relocating endangered animals to game reserves and increasing genetic diversity in cheetah populations Saharan Wildlife Recovery Center • Reducing carnivore attacks on livestock and carnivore killings by locals • Saving the biggest bird on the planet—the North African red-necked ostrich—through the Ostrich Recovery Program in Niger Center for Conservation in Forest Park • Playing a strong role in the 2016 reintroduction of the formerly extinct-in-the-wild scimitar-horned oryx to Chad • Addressing the need for greater exposure to nature for urban youth • Continuing to support the development of Termit & Tin Toumma National Nature Reserve • Focusing on preserving and studying native wildlife in Niger—the largest protected area in all of Africa • Visiting classrooms, offering field trips to Forest Park • Encouraging study of effects of climate change on bio-diversity Center for Conservation in Western Asia • Establishing Armenia’s first conservation breeding center focusing on 11 endangered Ron Goellner Center for Hellbender Conservation species of amphibians and reptiles native to Armenia • Breeding Ozark hellbenders—the first in the world for this salamander • Using radio telemetry to study viper spatial ecology and habitat preferences • Serving as home to thousands of hellbenders • Forging a multi-national coalition to address population declines of vulnerable species • Releasing more than 3,500 head-started hellbenders into the wild • Championing expansion of reserves and establishment of a sanctuary and national park • Monitoring the movement, health and survival rate of released animals Institute for Conservation Medicine Center for Conservation in the Horn of Africa • Addressing the challenge of growing interconnections between human • Supporting programs in Kenya and Ethiopia and animal health • Working to save the Grevy’s zebra, mountain nyala, hirola, African elephant, • Studying box turtle health and movement in the St. Louis area and giant tortoises within black rhino and Ethiopian wolf and outside Galápagos National Park • Building capacity among villagers living near wildlife • Developing outreach and education programs to save turtles and tortoises • Re-establishing animals’ historic migratory corridors and creating wildlife- • Developing the One Health Initiative in the St. Louis Region friendly areas • Assessing the health of dromedary camels used for milk in northern Kenya Polar Bears Box Turtles Hellbenders Pollinators Mountain Vipers Missouri Native Species American Burying Beetles Birds Saharan Wildlife Ecuadorian Amphibians Orangutans Galápagos Birds, Tortoises Grevy’s Zebra Asian Elephants Humboldt Penguins Lemurs Andean Bears Partula Snails Camels, Pollinators WildCare Institute Centers African Carnivores Locations of organizations the Chimpanzees, Gorillas and Okapis WildCare Institute supports A Message from the Saint Louis Zoo President and the WildCare Institute Executive Director The Saint Louis Zoo has worked in the Pacific WildCare Institute Director Assumes Ocean’s Mariana Archipelago since 1994 to Entering the WildCare Institute’s 13th year, we believe—more than ever—that intense save bird species there. These species needed Executive Director Role collaboration with multiple partners is the best way to create a help because eight of the 11 native bird species Eric Miller, DVM, DACZM, retired from the sustainable future for wildlife and for people around the world. there were killed by a World War II-era cargo ship Saint Louis Zoo in February, leaving his In 2016, the Saint Louis Zoo’s WildCare Institute empowered stowaway: the brown tree snake. position as Senior Vice President – Director of A Message from the Saint Louis Zoo Louis Saint the from A Message children to become guardians of rangelands, helped build Together with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Zoological Operations. In retirement, he has Armenia’s first conservation breeding center for endangered several zoos have worked to breed the species that assumed the role of Executive Director of the amphibians and reptiles, played a major role in the release were at risk and to move birds to islands where the WildCare Institute. Since 2004, he has served of scimitar-horned oryx into Chad, augmented the population brown tree snake had not arrived. as director of the Institute, which is the Zoo’s of Ozark hellbenders in Missouri rivers, planted pollinator field conservation organization with 13 centers gardens across the region and conducted migration studies You can read about our work in the Pacific and around the world and in Missouri. The Executive on giant tortoises and biomedical surveys of birds on the in all of our Centers in this report covering 2016 Director role is a newly created position. Galápagos Islands. Closer to home, the year marked a milestone conservation projects. We also list those who have A veteran of 36 years with the Saint Louis Zoo, for American burying beetle conservation: After five years of contributed in 2016 and all partners who were Dr. Miller will also continue to represent the Zoo reintroducing the beetles in Southwest Missouri, an eight-fold involved in center projects during the year. around the nation and world at various seminars, increase of wild-born beetles—850 in total—was found. Jeffrey P. Bonner, Ph.D. For a complete list of all partners, please visit stlzoo.org/wildcare. conferences and speaking engagements. During Over the years, we have won several national conservation his career, Dr. Miller has served as the President awards, and 2016 was no different. In September, the In closing, we would like to stress that we firmly of the American College of Zoological Medicine Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) presented the WildCare believe that we can all influence the future of (ACZM), and the American Association of Zoo Institute center dedicated to saving the Ozark hellbender its planetary life by acting for the good of all animals Veterinarians (AAZV). In 2003, AAZV awarded Significant Achievement Award for North American Conservation and the people who live near wildlife. The very him the Dolensek Award for his “exceptional for “exceptional efforts toward regional habitat preservation, future of animals in our care at the Zoo and contributions.” He has served on the Board of species restoration and support of biodiversity in the wild.” in the world can only be guaranteed through the AZA and written and/or co-written more than dedicated research and conservation and through The WildCare Institute also recently received Conservation 60 scientific articles and textbook chapters. collaboration with a range of institutions. That Federation of Missouri’s (CFM) Wildlife Conservationist of the Both overseas and in the United States, Dr. Miller future also depends on the support of people who Year Award. CFM selected the Institute for its work in conserving has taught courses or been an invited speaker on care. Thank you for your interest in the WildCare

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