Ambassador Animal Scientific Advisory Group Volume 2 Issue 3 Newsletter Fall 2017 News from the Ambassador Animal SAG 2 Starting the Conversation: Trending Topics in Ambassador Animals 3 Ambassadors in Action: The “Path” to Stardom for a Pair of Pelicans 4 Ambassadors in Action Part Two: The Shark Cart 5 Research Corner: Transport Protocol Study for Ectothermic Species Used in Outreach Programming at Akron Zoo 8 Show and Tail: Working with a Mother-Reared Ambassador Serval 12 Species Spotlight: Serval 14 News from the Ambassador Animal SAG A Note from the Chair I’m very excited and humbled to serve as the new chair of the AASAG. I have been serving as the vice-chair of the SAG since its inception in 2013, and have been so impressed at the work that the team has accomplished in just a few short years. I look forward to working closely with the Steering Committee as we move forward with ensuring that the ambassador animals in our collections have the highest standards of care and welfare, and that our visitors have amazing experiences with them. Katie Manion Assistant Director of Education The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore [email protected] The AASAG Strategic Framework Initiative #1: Best Practices The work of the AASAG is Objective: Establish and disseminate best practices for the care and guided by a strategic framework welfare of ambassador animals. consisting of four primary initiatives. Each initiative includes Initiative #2: Sustainable Collections a number of key activities and Objective: Facilitate collaboration with AZA animal programs (SSPs, ongoing strategies, led and TAGs & Studbooks) to enhance sustainability of populations for both supported by members of the breeding and educational program use. Steering Committee. If you are interested in helping with any of Initiative #3: Support Research these initiatives, contact me at the Objective: Support research around ambassador animal related email address below, or consider topics, including welfare and the impact of ambassador animal joining the steering committee. messaging. Assist in communicating the results of this research Watch for posted vacancies on within the AZA community. the AZA website. Initiative #4: Ambassador Animal Course Objective: Provide support for the Principles of Program Animal Management Course by reviewing curriculum and assisting in program evaluation. AASAG Annual Meeting The Ambassador Animal SAG will be conducting a business meeting open to all from 2 to 4 PM on Saturday, September 9. The Steering Committee will meet in a closed session from 1 to 2 PM. We hope to see many of you in Indianapolis! 2 New Addition! Starting the Conversation: Trending Topics in Ambassador Animals The practice of handling, perspectives and the personal If you have any additional ideas presenting, and caring for successes and failures that have for topics of discussion, please Ambassador Animals is constantly shaped your point of view. e-mail them to Bonnie or Tanya evolving. What were once (contact below). You don’t need common practices 10 or 20 years The aim of this section is not to offer an opinion on an issue ago often no longer meet the to criticize the practices or to suggest it for the newsletter; standards of care and education philosophies of others, but rather it might just be a topic that you that we strive for today. This to start a conversation and would like more information on. progression seems to be moving perhaps facilitate understanding For the next issue of the AASAG at a much faster rate as of late, of an opposing point of view. newsletter, we will be focusing with an increase in communication For many, if not all, of these on the topic of imprinted versus between institutions, investment types of topics, there is no parent-reared owls participating in research, and growing expertise rigorous scientific research or in programs. We are looking for of Ambassador Animal handlers hard evidence that supports one submissions of short (500-800 in principles relating to animal perspective over another. There is word) pieces that cover all sides behavior, training, and effective often no “right” answer, successes of the issue. If you have a personal messaging. or failures are typically related to experience or perspective you an individual animal, and blanket would like to share regarding this As the Ambassador Animal “always” or “never” statements topic, please contact us at the community continues to grow may not be appropriate. The addresses below. Please note we and change, learning from one views and opinions expressed in are looking for pieces written from another and sharing successes this feature are not endorsed or your perspective, whether they have become crucial components representative of the AASAG or outline successes or challenges, of progress. The AASAG aims to AZA. We hope that by inviting and not commentary on practices be a forum for those working with you all to share stories and merely observed at other Ambassador Animals across AZA, personal experiences related to institutions. connecting professionals to share a specific topic, we can open stories, ask questions, and have minds to alternative practices We look forward to facilitating conversations that can lead to and viewpoints that may not discussions about these issues new standards of care, areas for have been previously considered, that are important to our field, research, or even spark debate. move toward a greater mutual and hope you will find this section There are many topics specific understanding, and advance our valuable to your programs. to Ambassador Animals that standards of care and welfare as can be considered controversial an industry. Bonnie Baird and different philosophies and Graduate Research Associate strongly held opinions exist So, if the idea of this new section Ph.D. Candidate between institutions and even appeals to you, we would love Case Western Reserve University sometimes at the individual level. your help! We would like to focus Cleveland Metroparks Zoo on a single topic in each issue, and [email protected] The AASAG would like to facilitate we already have some in mind: the exploration of these topics in a Tanya Paul safe, non-judgmental, open forum • The use of jesses on non-raptors Animal Curator that presents differing viewpoints • Unpaid staff (volunteers) Live Oregon Zoo and encourages healthy debate. handling and caring for [email protected] In that vein, we would like to ambassador animals introduce a new section to the • Acquiring animals from AZA newsletter that allows for different facilities or private breeders opinions on a particular topic to • Public contact with ambassador be presented. We envision that animals, which species are used the discussions started here could and why be continued on the AZA Network with members sharing additional 3 Ambassadors in Action The “Path” to Stardom for a Pair of Pelicans (Originally presented at IMATA 2016 conference) The Process In October 2013, the Oregon Coast Aquarium adopted two non-releasable California Brown Pelicans (Pelicanus occidentalis) from a local rehabilitation facility, with the lofty goal of training them to be ambassador animals. Our plan was to build them a behind the scenes enclosure and train them to come out onto grounds to meet the public. Being wild birds, we were starting from scratch, first desensitizing the birds to our presence, working up to hand feeding, and then to station and target training. From there we began basic management and fun behaviors. As the relationships grew between the birds and their trainers the focus was turned toward the program’s primary goal: public presentations! The first hurdle was actually getting them to the presentation area, and our first solution was the “Peli-Cab”. This required getting the birds comfortable with walking into a clear-sided cart and riding in it for several minutes down a somewhat bumpy road. The biggest challenge with this was if the bird got stressed at any point in the trip, we would have to get back home before letting them out of the cart, and it often resulted in taking several training steps backward to build up the birds’ confidence again. The literal breakthrough happened when the aquarium was able to create a pathway directly from the pelican enclosure to the presentation area! Within a week of the “pelican path” completion the birds were able to follow us down the short distance, right onto a small presentation stage! From there the birds quickly became comfortable with the new space, being heavily reinforced by their trainers for choosing to be on stage and still offering the choice to leave for home whenever they needed to. By the time summer crowds were in full swing, the pelicans were too, and made daily scheduled appearances, aweing guests, as ambassadors for their amazing species! 4 The Message The Response To get consistent and effective Due to the enthusiastic response messaging out to the public, from the public, in October the education and aviculture 2015 the aquarium built a larger departments created an presentation stage that allowed Interpretation Plan (IP) for the room for signage and additional Pelican Presentations. This was space for the birds and trainers. delivered by an aviculturist or For the summer of 2016, we educator while an aviculturist added a 2nd presentation to worked with the birds on the daily schedule increasing stage. The IP is designed to opportunity for guests to “meet” get the guests to Know, Feel, the pelicans. and Do. “Knowing” includes: The response from the public understanding our high quality of was very positive, with 100 – animal care, benefits to training 200 guests regularly attending animals, basic natural history, a each of the daily presentations. pelican natural histories, and current threat to wild pelicans, Observable reactions included interpreting the training sessions.