MYZOO for members of Woodland Park Zoo • SUmmER 2015 THE NEW HEART OF THE ZOO: BANYAN WILDS MEET THE TIGERS: LIEM, EKO & OLAN! “THANK A RANGER” KIDS COntEST MYZOO ON THE COVER SUMMER 2015 A Malayan tiger graces our cover in celebration of the grand opening of our newest exhibit, Banyan Wilds. The most ambitious project in SUmmER IS HERE over a decade, this new exhibit brings Malayan Dear Friends, tigers to Seattle for the first time; joining sloth And with it comes later hours (we’re open bears, Asian small-clawed otters and the great LETTER When I think about the plight of wildlife, I recall the great writer and world peace from 9:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. until October 1); argus in an immersive Asian tropical landscape. Dennis Dow, WPZ advocate Norman Cousins, who once said: “The individual is capable of both great a brand new exhibit featuring Malayan FROM THE compassion and great indifference. He has it within his means to nourish the former and tigers and sloth bears which will join your PRESIDENT outgrow the latter.” favorite Asian small-clawed otter family After years of research, design and construction, we’re proud to bring you the best, in Banyan Wilds; and a host of summer CONTENTS new way to nourish your compassion – and act on it -- to save one of the world’s most activities including daily giraffe feedings, MALAYAN TIGER .......................................4 Matt Hagen endangered animals. keeper talks across the zoo and special THE NEW HEART OF THE ZOO: Banyan WILDS. .6 Tigers are back! Banyan Wilds is the most ambitious, naturalistic exhibit we’ve created events like our rockin’ BECU ZooTunes since 1996, thanks to a whole lot of help from you – our members, donors, sponsors – presented by Carter Subaru concerts and UPCOMING EVENTS ...................................8 indeed, the entire community. You’ll be proud of this state-of-the-art wildlife experience wildly popular Bear Affair. Thank you for with amazing, up-close animal experiences, sweeping rock and water features, custom making Woodland Park Zoo a big part of At THE CROSSROADS: TIGER CONSERVation ................10 designed to species-specific needs. your summer adventures—we can’t wait Banyan Wilds is a place of hope for wildlife, and for people, too. It has transformed to see you! THE ROOTS OF BANYAN WILDS ........................14 the heart of our zoo into a ground zero for saving tigers. Our timing is key. Scientists MEET THE TIGERS: LIEM, EKO AND OLAN .....................18 estimate that we could lose this venerable feline from the planet in less than 20 years. Our conservation partnership with Panthera and Malaysian colleagues already has a talented, MEMBERSHIP MATTERS ................................19 dedicated team of boots on the ground, working with local communities to protect tigers from poachers and habitat loss and bring the Malayan tiger back from the brink. ANIMAL SPOTLIGHT: MANED WOLVES ......................22 It takes a big team to save this big cat. I invite you to Show Your Stripes of support by joining our tiger conservation action campaign. Enjoy colorful tiger art tours in Seattle LIFELONG LEARNING: TIPS FOR EVery age! ..................24 and the Eastside. Enter our #IHEARTTIGERS social media contest. Come to our CLASSES AND CAMPS .................................26 wildest, big-cat themed Jungle Party ever on July 10. And get the young ones involved in our Wild Science! Summer of Learning partnership with Seattle Public Library. MYZOO KIDS: THANK A RANGER Art CONTEST ................29 Thank you for supporting From all of us at the zoo, a roaring thank you. our historic More Wonder More Wild campaign! Special thanks to our Summer Sponsor: Deborah B. Jensen, Ph.D. President and CEO Ryan Hawk, WPZ WOODLAND PARK ZOO Deborah B. Jensen, Ph.D. DIRECTORS ZOO HOURS MyZoo Summer 2015. Volume 17. Issue 2. OUR MISSION: FIND US ON Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, WA 5500 PHINNEY AVENUE NORTH President and CEO Linda Allen Lisa Graumlich Kevin Schofield General Information: 206.548.2500 Membership Department Bruce Bohmke David S. Anderson Jason Hamlin Greg Schwartz SPRING/SUMMER and Address Changes: 206.548.2400, [email protected] SEATTLE, WASHINGTON 98103 WOODLAND PARK ZOO SAVES Editor in Chief: Laura Lockard, [email protected] Marianne Bichsel Rick Holzli Chief Operations Officer Elizabeth Sicktich May 1 – September 30 Managing Editor: Kirsten Pisto, [email protected] Kristi Branch Glenn Kawasaki Bryan Slinker Design Editor: Misty Fried, [email protected] MAIN ZOO LINE ANIMALS AND THEIR HABITATS 9:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Lead Designer: Kelly Hampson, [email protected] Lisa Caputo Rob Liddell 206.548.2500 Jill Walker Photo Editor: Ryan Hawk, [email protected] 2015 BOARD OF Dino De Vita Leigh McMillan Margaret Wetherald For Advertising Information: [email protected] or 206.548.2625 Laura Peterson THROUGH CONSERVATION CLOSED CHRISTMAS DAY GENERAL EMAIL DIRECTORS OFFICERS Janet Dugan Kathy Williams Comments or questions? Write 5500 Phinney Ave. N., Seattle, Kenneth Eakes Larry Phillips Susie Wyckoff WA 98103-5865 or email [email protected] [email protected] Laurie Stewart, Chair Matt Rosauer LEADERSHIP AND ENGAGING FALL/WINTER Woodland Park Zoo is a City of Seattle facility managed and David Goldberg Deborah Jensen, ex officio operated by the nonprofit Woodland Park Zoological Society. Jeff Leppo, Vice Chair Irwin Goverman Patti Savoy Christopher Williams, ex officio October 1 – April 30 MyZoo (ISSN 2153-45659) is published quarterly for $6.00 MEMBERSHIP EMAIL EXPERIENCES, INSPIRING PEOPLE per year for Woodland Park Zoo (WPZ) members from Cammi Libby, Treasurer 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. membership dues by WPZ at 5500 Phinney Ave. N., Seattle, [email protected] Rob Short, Secretary WA 98103-5865. Periodicals postage paid at Seattle WA. TO LEARN, CARE AND ACT. POSTMASTER send address change to: Nancy Pellegrino, MyZoo, WPZ 5500 Phinney Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98103-5865 www.zoo.org All photos are property of Woodland Park Zoo unless Immediate Past Chair otherwise noted. 2 Woodland Park Zoo is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization 3 MALAYAMYZOO N SUMMER 2015 Dennis Dow, WPZ TIGERWith the opening of our WHAT CAN we DO? THE GREATEST THREAT: HUMANS newest exhibit, Banyan Wilds, We can work with 27 other Association of Zoos and Aquariums zoos within the Poaching – the greatest threat to tigers is the demand for Deforestation – while about 45% of the Malay Peninsula forest Malayan tiger Species Survival Plan to assure genetic diversity in a captive population illegal products bought and sold in the black market. Used in cover remains and provides suitable tiger habitat, there is increasing we’ve welcomed three young of 59 animals and growing. We can build strong partnerships with organizations like folk medicine in China and other East Asian countries, tiger agricultural growth near the forests and thoroughfares that connect Malayan tigers to Woodland Panthera, the Malayan government as well as local police and conservation rangers body parts remain an alluring and lucrative market for poachers. tiger territory in the region. Ultimately, the clear-cut practice of (see pages 10-11). We can support sustainable agriculture in tiger territory through the Bolstered by organized crime, poachers are increasingly zealous. big farming—most notably palm oil plantations—poses the largest Park Zoo. It’s difficult to put products in our homes. We can promise to never purchase illegal animal products. We Although most countries have cracked down on the illegal trade, threat to tiger habitat. Fragmentation of habitat leads to a lack of into words how precious these can appreciate the tiger for the majestic and awe-inspiring beast that it is. We can teach the demand for paws, skin, fur, whiskers, bones, tails, claws and genetic diversity, breeding difficulty and loss of prey resources. our children to love and respect them. As a community, we can fall in love with tigers. blood could very well be the end of tigers in the wild—unless The impact of slash and burn agriculture not only destroys habitat individual creatures are, not we work together to stop the poaching and curb the demand for for tigers and prey species, it also assails local human health with Almost as important as the tangible boots on the ground are our reverence for and these illegal animal products. respiratory symptoms caused by smog and pollution. only in our care, but precious in awareness of these highly endangered cats that are—by the way—completely within the their very existence. When we realm of saving if we act together, and act quickly. As an umbrella species and ambas- sador for countless animals and plants that share their habitat, these fierce creatures are began this immense project just quite capable of coming back from the brink of extinction. Given a chance, the Malayan ALL TIGERS ARE ENDANGERED a few years ago—the exhibit tiger will rebound—ferocious, kingly, majestic, and precious indeed. At the turn of the 20th century there were around 100,000 tigers in the wild. Today, we estimate there are only 3,200 individual tigers remaining design, the Tigers Forever: in the wild. 40% of tiger habitat has disappeared in the last 15 years. Kenyir-Taman Negara, Malaysia KEY FACTS Of the nine subspecies, three Project and our Show Your became extinct in the 20th century. SPECIES: Panthera tigris jacksoni China Stripes advocacy campaign— Bali (P.t. balica) SIZE: One of the smallest subspecies; Caspian (P.t. virgata) WATER CATS we were under the impression Malayan tigers are powerful 7-8 feet long; avg. female weighs 220 lb., Javan (P.t. sondaica) swimmers and often spend that only 500 Malayan tigers avg. male weighs 260 lb. the heat of the day resting in cool streams or pools.