Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Institute and the Institute for 2014 Conservation Medicine Report for the Year A Message from the Saint Louis Zoo President and the Institute Director: Again, in this annual report, we list Thank you for looking over this The Saint Louis Zoo’s WildCare Institute spent its those who contributed in 2014 and report and for your interest in our Polar Bears 12th year focused on responding to threats, all the partners who were involved in research and conservation work Box Turtles 2014 projects. For a complete list of and in the future of saving wildlife in Missouri Native Species researching diseases, assessing animal health, all donors and partners, please visit wild places. www.stlzoo.org/wildcare. Hellbenders Pollinators educating and supporting communities, sustaining American Burying Beetles Mountain Vipers habitats, breeding endangered animals, reintroducing Horned Guans animals into the wild and augmenting wild populations. Birds With all 12 centers and our Institute for Conservation Amphibians Orangutans Medicine, we have focused on conservation work on a Grevy’s Zebras Galápagos Birds, Tortoises Asian Elephants Humboldt Penguins local scale in areas where we can make a difference and monitor results. WildCare Institute Centers Lemurs Locations of organizations the WildCare Institute supports Camels Partula Snail This report offers an update on the Although each Conservation Center Institute’s activities focusing on has focused on a species, our Cheetahs 2014 achievements. It also provides efforts have had an ecosystem-wide Chimpanzees, Gorillas and Okapis some background on each center impact, with our work resulting in Saharan Wildlife director and on key individuals the conservation of many other who have helped make each species. For example, the creation of Jeffrey P. Bonner, Ph.D. Eric Miller, DVM, Dipl, ACAM center successful. two new nationally protected areas in Armenia, based on our mountain From this report, you will see that Sincerely, both the WildCare Institute and the viper research, has also protected Institute for Conservation Medicine such species as Persian leopards. About the Saint Louis Zoo’s WildCare Institute rely heavily on the expertise of However, no matter how hard we Launched in 2004, the WildCare Institute is committed to wildlife Saint Louis Zoo staff. We also work and our partners work, the future management and recovery, conservation science and support of the closely with a range of partners to of the many species, both in our human populations that coexist with wildlife in 12 conservation hotspots address the needs of local people— care and in the world, can only be around the globe, including four in Missouri. educating local villagers, offering guaranteed through the generosity of opportunities for employment and individual donors, corporations and Jeffrey P. Bonner, Ph.D. Eric Miller, DVM, Dipl, ACAM, providing health services. foundations. We thank all our donors Dana Brown President & CEO Director, WildCare Institute for their strong support. Saint Louis Zoo Senior Vice President, Director of Zoological Operations Saint Louis Zoo Contents Bob Merz Center for Conservation of the American Burying Beetle .............................6 Patricia Parker, Ph.D. Center for Avian Health in the Galápagos Islands ........................................9 Steve Bircher Center for Conservation of Carnivores in Africa ............................................12 Alice Seyfried Center for Conservation in Forest Park ........................................................15 Jeff Ettling, Ph.D. Ron Goellner Center for Hellbender Conservation ........................................18 Center for Conservation in Western Asia ......................................................21 Martha Fischer, Ph.D. Student Center for Conservation in the Horn of Africa ..............................................23 Michael Macek Center for Conservation in Punta San Juan, Peru .........................................26 Center for Conservation of the Horned Guan in Mexico ................................29 Sharon L. Deem, DVM, Ph.D., DACZM Institute for Conservation Medicine ............................................................30 Eric Miller, DVM, Dipl, ACAM Center for Conservation in Madagascar .......................................................34 Ed Spevak, Ph.D. Candidate Center for Native Pollinator Conservation ....................................................37 Bill Houston 4 Saharan Wildlife Recovery Center ................................................................40 History/Mission: states—Arkansas, Kansas, success. Center staff believes that & Wildlife Service, the Missouri An insect that embalms carrion Nebraska and Oklahoma—share with adequate research on what Department of Conservation and Center for Conservation with naturally secreted fluid, portions of their borders with has caused this animal to become The Nature Conservancy, the American burying beetle is a Missouri. The beetle was last seen lost, the species may hopefully the Zoo has reintroduced captive of the American Burying Beetle necessary part of our ecosystem– in Missouri in the mid-1970s, thrive in Missouri once again. beetles to Southwest Missouri removing dead and decaying and until the Center reintroduced The Center has been working since 2012. newly minted graduate with a Bob was drawn to the unit and handmade traps hoping animals naturally. These insects beetles into the wild, staff had for more than a decade toward Genetic work organized by the communications degree from Insectarium because of its to save his favorite species. are responsible for recycling monitored for existing American that goal, successfully breeding Center for Conservation of decomposing components burying beetles but with no St. Louis University, he found he dedication to visitor interaction. “When most people think of thousands of American burying the American Burying Beetle could not survive as a part-time He admits he has a more back into the environment. The beetles on the Zoo campus. has provided a firm base for endangered species, they American burying beetle is also newspaperman. He applied for intellectual bond with insects imagine exotic animals in some The Zoo is participating in the both reintroductions and a job as Primate Keeper thinking than he has with other animals. a proverbial “canary in the coal Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ breeding programs. In addition, far-off continent,” said Bob. “They mine,” providing warning to he’d stay for a few years. However, Bob has an “inordinate don’t think of beetles that once (AZA) American Burying Beetle educational opportunities us that something harmful is (ABB) Species Survival Plan expand awareness of the That was 25 years ago. Since fondness” for beetles—saying lived in their own backyards. The happening in our environment. then, he’s served as the editor that there are more species of fact is, we are often not even (SSP) and maintaining the North importance of this insect and of a quarterly prosimian taxon beetles than any other group aware that the natural world is This beetle has been in decline American Regional Studbook for the need to save it. Bob Merz advisory group newsletter and of animals on the planet— disappearing around us. That’s for many years. Once found in this species. The Center’s research on the Director, Center for Conservation created a training program for conservatively 300,000 to why I am so determined to solve 35 states, by 1989 the only Surveying for the endangered beetle genetics, breeding efforts of the American Burying Beetle Primate House docents. 450,000. “Compare that to the mystery of the disappearance known population was in Rhode beetles has comprised the and reintroductions to parts of Island. Since its listing as an Saint Louis Zoo Zoological Manager, He has been a long-term 9,000 species of birds or 30,000 of the American burying beetle— majority of the Center staff’s the beetle’s former range are the Invertebrates supporter and is director of the species of fish.” and to save it.” endangered species, field surveys efforts for the past several years. beginnings of the recovery of this have discovered populations in WildCare Center dedicated to The beetle he loves best is the In addition, working with U.S. Fish beautiful insect. saving an endangered bright, six other states. Four of these Called “Dutch” from the American burying beetle because red-orange beetle. German word, “Deutsch,” he argues it is pretty and has St. Louis’ Dutchtown was a close- Throughout his long career, Bob’s a fascinating life cycle, which knit neighborhood of red brick skills as a communicator have begins with the death of a bird, townhouses, where hundreds of served him well—particularly in fish, snake or small mammal. Select 2014 Achievements: German-Americans settled in the 1999, when he became a Keeper Beetle parents move the carcass 19th century. in the newly built Monsanto to a suitable burial spot by lying Zoo staff involved in a spring found offspring from beetles we jointly owned and managed managed by the Zoo’s WildCare Insectarium and in 2000 when he on their backs and using their 2014 survey found two of introduced and that the offspring by the Missouri Department of Institute Center for Conservation It was not a likely breeding was named Zoological Manager 12 little legs as a tiny conveyor the endangered beetles that made it through the winter–this Conservation and The Nature of the American Burying Beetle; ground for a