animal chatter SpringFall 20132012 . @ the Zoo a note from the director Dear Members, The beginning of a new year is an exciting time, full of promise and plans. We have a lot to look forward to in 2013 @ the Bramble Park Zoo. We are fortunate to have the Upper Sioux River Watershed Project office at the Bramble Park Zoo. Another exciting project that was completed this year Officers and Board Members is the constructed wetland at the Zoo. With a design by the SDSU agriculture LAKE AREA ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY engineering students, the project will re-circulate surface water from the duck Donna Schoenbeck President ponds and filter it through a 500-foot-long constructed wetland. This bio- Dale Christensen Vice President Steve Hageman Secretary/Treasurer filter will allow suspended solids to fall out and the plants will use the excess Brian DeBoer Board Member nutrients in the water. With signage to highlight the process, this is a great Jeanne Flaherty Board Member demonstration site to showcase the importance of wetlands and encourage Dean Gackstetter Board Member Georgia Fishman Board Member the use of natural systems. Lorraine Rittmann Board Member Susan Munger Board Member The Studio 3 Landscape Architecture Class from SDSU, was proud to present Dave Todd Board Member the new Wild Faces Wild Places exhibit designed for the Bramble Park Zoo. The Will Morlock Board Member new exhibit will include 14 animals native to the northern plains, with several Mike Vener Board Member other animals suggested for future expansion. There will be cultural and PARK AND RECREATION DIRECTOR regional themes throughout the exhibit, including a Prairie and Homestead Terry Jorgenson Plaza, Badlands Adventure, Black Hills Plaza, Native American Plaza and Canine PARK AND RECREATION BOARD Plaza. The design was created over the course of a semester by ten third year Jean Doyen Heidi Stoick Landscape Architecture students. With teamwork, and collaboration with the Jim Stout Mike Danforth zoo, the master plan for Wild Faces Wild Places was produced. The hope is to Dennis Murphy Scott Johnston Kim Bellum make this plan a reality at the zoo in the next five years. BRAMBLE PARK ZOO STAFF Other exciting projects taking place this year are the construction of the AWC Dan Miller Zoo Director Family Foundation KidZoo and the Watertown Community Foundation Otter Jim Lloyd General Curator Town, with opening planned for 2014. Both of these exhibits will transform John Gilman Zookeeper LeAnn Stavig Zookeeper open areas at our facility, and I’m looking forward to seeing them take Bill Gallagher Zookeeper shape. This year we will also continue with further enhancements to the zoo, Michelle Miller Zookeeper including replacing all waterlines and expanding the visitor services area. Joe Jipp Maintenance Kim Konrad Office/Visitor An ongoing goal for Bramble Park Zoo is to maintain sustainable, healthy and Services Manager thriving animal and plant collections, and our staff has plans in the works to Jaime Stricker Educator Barb Struwe Roots & Shoots further these efforts with innovative programs in 2013. We are well known Coordinator for our animals, but few people are aware that the Zoo has an extensive prairie plant collection, and we will continue this year to raise the profile zoo hours of our extraordinary plant species and horticultural expertise. Bird of prey Winter Hours rehabilitation is also an important conservation project for the Bramble Park 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Daily Summer Hours Zoo, and you may have seen coverage of success stories in the Public Opinion Memorial Day-Labor Day recently. 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Daily 2013 promises to be a fantastic year for the Bramble Park Zoo. I hope your admission fees 2 and under – Free new year is off to a great start, and look forward to sharing more about our 3-12 years old – $5.00 + tax progress with you during the months ahead. 13 and over – $7.00 + tax Children 12 and under must be See you at the Zoo! accompanied by an adult. Dan Miller, Zoo Director 2 Roots & Shoots Day @ the Zoo Mark your calendar for Saturday, March 23rd! This is the FREE admission day at Bramble Park Zoo celebrating Roots & Shoots through the generosity of the Watertown Community Foundation’s Youth Council. You will visit stations that explore what Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots is all about and have the opportunity to meet R&S members ranging in age from 1st grade through college. Stop by and see how much the new tigers, wolves and snow leopard have grown…it will be a fun day! The event lasts from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Take a walk on the wild side! Comments So far this year, snow has been the story @ the zoo! Housekeeping - Zookeepers and here in South Dakota is actually very maintenance staff have been similar to their natural range. areas. Many of the birds, such as the working hard to care for the animals cockatoo, macaws, and conures need despite all of the snow and cold Primates – Due to the snow, wind constant attention and stimulation, temperatures. Walkways have to and cold air, the primates must so they are given enrichment items be cleaned daily, doors and locks remain inside until spring arrives. to keep them active and attentive thawed, and ice chipped away. We have had some changes in the every day. primate areas over the winter. A This adds to their daily routine and Discovery Center and Terry Redlin workload. Even when there are snow black and white colobus monkey was born; we named it Jo after an Environmental Center – Yes, these days and late starts for the rest of areas are also open in the winter the community, the animal care staff employee here at the zoo. Also, the smaller golden lion tamarins and months! If you are looking to get out must get in to work to care for the of the house (and let the kids get animals! Goeldi’s monkeys will be leaving when the weather permits. They will some fresh air and exercise) stop by Hoofstock – The camels, bison, move to other zoos to make room the zoo for a few minutes or more reindeer, and long-horn steer for two new species…coming soon! and visit the mammals, fish, insects, have been enjoying the colder amphibians and reptiles indoors. temperatures and the snow. You can Birds – Since many of our birds are We do charge regular admission for often see them running, galloping, from tropical areas, or would migrate this portion of the zoo, but if you trotting, sprinting, and dashing in the spring and fall, they have to have a membership it can be very around. Many visitors are surprised be placed in “winter housing”. Zoo affordable to make multiple short to see these animals out in the staff spends a lot of time cleaning, trips until the days become longer middle of winter, but the climate disinfecting and feeding in these and the temperatures rise. 3 animal sponsors @ the zoo Zoo Parent(s) “Wild Child” t John & Sarah Lunzman. .Snow Leopard Roosevelt 5th Grade . .Snow Leopard Fite & Pierce Law Office. .Black Bear Natascha McGinley. .White Bengal Tiger Cubs Mary Kvam . White Bengal Tiger Cubs Jodi & Karen Hansen. .White Bengal Tiger Cubs i Chad & Sara Foust Family. .White Bengal Tiger Cubs Jodi & Karen Hansen. Black & White Ruffed Lemur Jayna Davis. White Bengal Tiger Cubs Addi Jester. .White Bengal Tiger Cubs Sydney Rosenberg. .White Bengal Tiger Cubs Harlan & Judy Konrad. .Bactrian Camel g Marian West. .White Bengal Tiger Cubs Brayden Kleinsasser. White Bengal Tiger Cubs Roosevelt 4th Grade . Black-footed Penguin Roosevelt 4th Grade . .European Ferret Roosevelt Kindergarten AM. Chinchilla Roosevelt Kindergarten PM. Black-footed Penguin e Nathan Shoup. .White Bengal Tiger Cubs Seth Shoup. White Bengal Tiger Cubs Jefferson 4th Grade. .Black-footed Penguin Jefferson 4th Grade. .Black-footed Penguin Jefferson 4th Grade. .Black-footed Penguin Mellette 5th Grade. Yellow-naped Amazon Parrot r Mellette 5th Grade. Yellow-naped Amazon Parrot LeRoy & Lorraine Beaudry. White Bengal Tiger Cubs Addie Mittelstedt. White Bengal Tiger Cubs Rumble Tumbles Daycare . .Umbrella Cockatoo Rumble Tumbles Daycare . Red Kangaroo s Ardella Hahn. .White Bengal Tiger Cubs wolves 4 animal update ACQUISITIONS 1.0 African pygmy goat 3.2.1 = 3 males, 2 females, and 1 unknown sex. 0.2 Ring-tailed lemurs To save space when communicating 1.0 Snow leopard with other zoos, we use this system to indicate the number and DISPOSITIONS sex of each group of animals. 1.0 Sicilian donkey 11.7 Peafowl 1.1 African crowned cranes (loan returned to Minot) 0.2 Trumpeter swans 2.3 Red kangaroos 0.0.3 Red-footed tortoises DEATHS 1.0 Turkey (unknown) 0.0.1 African millipede 1.0 Black-footed penguin (Aspergillosis) 1.0 Silver beaked tanager (killed by cage mate) 0.1 Sicilian donkey (complications due to old age) 1.0 Freshwater stingray 0.0.1 Red-footed tortoise (cloaca prolapse) 1.0 Black-footed penguin (untreatable inner eye infection) BIRTHS & HATCHES 1.0 Colobus monkey REHAB BIRDS STATUS Snowy owl Euthanized: head trauma/hit by car Bald eagle Euthanized: possible lead poisoning Golden eagle Pending: severe concussion/hit by car White pelican Non-releasable: Sent to Omaha Zoo Red-tailed hawk Euthanized: compound fracture-humorous Long-eared owl Euthanized: compound fracture-humorous Snowy owl Euthanized: compound facture-radius & ulna Red-tailed hawk Pending: fracture to radius 5 education programs Pre-registration is required. Ages are calculated as of June 1, 2013, no exceptions. ALL PROGRAMS ARE HELD AT Online registration for all Zoo Programs and Roots & Shoots Programs begins BRAMBLE PARK ZOO.