Archive for November 2010

Nov
30

Give the Gift of RHINO Conservation

Posted by in Africa,Conservation,Rhino,What You Can Do

Now, you can Text keyword RHINO to 20222 and donate $5 to African Rhino Conservation. Supporting Wildlife has never been easier! The Rhino is truly a species on the edge. Zoos, conservation organizations, and field researchers have worked together for many years to help fight for their survival. Your support will assist the Houston Zoo protect Rhinos in Africa.

A one-time donation of $5 will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance. You can Text RHINO up to six times in support of this program.Messaging & Data Rates May Apply.  Donations are collected for the benefit of the Houston Zoo by the Mobile Giving Foundation and subject to the terms found at www.hmgf.org/t or txt HELP.STOP to cancel

Text keyword RHINO to 20222 and protect a rhino today!

At the beginning of the 20th Century, the white rhino was perhaps the most endangered of the five rhino species, having been reduced to only a handful of animals, but its numbers have rebounded incredibly to a population of more than 11,000, thanks to successful conservation efforts both in captivity and in the wild, and the species is no longer considered threatened. The black rhino, by comparison, has been seriously reduced in numbers to only a few thousand individuals in Africa’s Miombo-Mopane Wilderness region and is listed as Critically Endangered by IUCN-The World Conservation Union.

Nov
29

Black Bear Field Work in the Big Thicket National Preserve By Sam Junker Carnivore Keeper

Posted by in Black bears,Carnivores,Conservation,Field Research,Texas

Treking through the Big Thicket National Preserve

I admit I did not know what to expect. I am not the first in my department to brave the Big Thicket with our conservation staff. Others before me have returned with stories of ticks, mosquitoes, chiggers, thorny vines, and one of the best experiences they have had in a long time. I packed everything I thought I would need (and probably more) in a backpack and made my way to the Zoo where I met up with the other three staff who would be going with me. All three had been there before, so I found myself relieved everybody knew where they were going!

I observed a good omen in the guise of a Bald Eagle flying over our car as we left the city.  The buildings grew sparse and the highway lanes decreased as we neared our destination.  As we turned onto a dirt road, I knew we were almost there.  Every time I thought, “This has to be the place,” we would round another bend until we finally stopped at the edge of a river.

Our goals were 4 array locations (see explanation below) where we would collect caught animal hairs for analysis and then completely take them down.  The first one was about 1/2 miles away.  I have hiked the Grand Canyon (top to bottom and back up) and thought, “No problem!” 1/2 miles through bramble, briar, and every other sharp cutting plant known to man turns out to be a lot farther than one might think.  By the first array, I was convinced I was bleeding from every inch of skin and I swear
there were at least 500 ticks crawling all over me (although honestly I did not see a single one).

Sam and other staff at array

We waited until after the second array was processed and taken down to eat lunch.  It was peaceful sitting on the riverbank watching the vultures land in a tree on the other side.  Rachel impressed me as she managed to eat her entire lunch without touching a single item with her hands!  We discovered that although I packed an insane number of things in my bag, I neglected to bring anything to wash our hands with.

The real adventure began with the last two arrays.  At the third one, we discovered some scat that was very unlike the specimens we had seen before.  We made sure to photograph it for later identification!  The last one proved the most difficult to find.  It was surrounded on three sides
by the most impenetrable part of the thicket we had seen yet.  Clouds were moving in as we discovered a very narrow entrance to the area.

Sam coiling array wire

Once the last array was processed and taken down, we gleefully packed our bags and began discussing dinner possibilities as we made our way back to the car.  With thoughts of chips and salsa floating through my head, I felt the first tiny rain drops.  The sky opened up and rain began pouring down as we found that we did not know where the narrow opening was.  We must have walked a mile in that rain back and forth before we decided to just head directly through the thickest brambles.

The good thing about the rain is that it cleans your wounds!  It took us the greater part of the afternoon, but we finally made it back to the car just before it got dark.  It’s amazing how the trek did not seem so far once we were sitting in a dry warm car… and I did not find a single tick!

Did you know the black bear is returning to east Texas? Gone for well over 60 years, they are making a comeback in neighboring states and are looking for new territories as populations increase. The Houston Zoo is involved in this hair snare research project to detect black bear presence and
also with education initiatives in support of the black bear recovery. Learn more.

How an array works:
We are now using a modern twist on mark recapture.
We “capture” bears without every actually laying hands on them.
We string barbed wire tight in a square along 4 corner trees about 15 ft apart with a bait hung in the center A bear is attracted to the scent And if we’ve done it right the only way he can get to the bait… Is going under the wire, leaving some hair snagged in the barbs The bear claims his reward…
And leaves the enclosure, offering us another chance of getting a hair sample left behind No bears so far!

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Nov
24

The Making of the African Forest

Posted by in Africa,Featured,What You Can Do

For all you Houstonians out there, tune into KHOU Channel 11 on Saturday night (November 27th) at 7pm for the premier of “The African Forest: Your Journey Begins at the Houston Zoo”.

On Friday, December 10, the Houston Zoo officially opens The African Forest, taking the wraps off the most ambitious project in the Zoo’s 88 year history.

But on Saturday, November 27 at 7 p.m. KHOU-TV Channel 11 will give Houston a sneak preview of The African Forest when it premiers ‘The African Forest: Your Journey Begins at the Houston Zoo,’  a one-hour special presented by Great Day Houston host Deborah Duncan.

‘The African Forest: Your Journey Begins at the Houston Zoo’ gives KHOU-TV Channel 11 viewers a rare behind the scenes look into the creation of the Zoo’s new 6.5 acre addition including:

  •  One-on-one interview with famed primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall as she tours The African Forest and meets a family of 10 chimpanzees
  • The delivery of 3 white rhinos to their new home after a 54 hour flight from South Africa
  • Moving day for the Zoo’s giraffe family to their new home in The African Forest
  • The ‘Rock Lords’ who created the animal habitats
  • Interviews with the Houston Zoo curators and keepers who care for the amazing animals of The African Forest

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Nov
23

Travel to Tanzania and The Chimpanzees of Gombe

Posted by in Africa,Endangered Species,Travel

Tanzania: Chimpanzees of Gombe abd the Wildlife of Selous Nature Reserve. July 2-9, 2011 with the Houston Zoo and Terra Incognita Ecotours

This trip has it all!  In just ten days we will spend time in Gombe National Park watching the exact same Chimpanzees that Jane Goodall has studied for over 50 years. We will see Africa as David Livingstone first experienced Africa, with a few days in the incredible and remote Selous – home to African Wild Dogs, Leopards, Lions and so much more.  We end with a few days of relaxation on the private Chapwani Island, just a short distance offshore of Stone Town on the magical spice island of Zanzibar.

This trip is certain to exceed your expectations!  After gathering in Dar es Salaam we immediately depart for the little-known, but incredible Selous, a short one-hour domestic flight from Dar es Salaam but a world apart.  This park, the oldest and largest in all of Africa, is larger than the country of Belgium – indeed there are still areas in the Park where a westerner has never set foot!  This is Africa as David Livingstone first found Africa, raw and wild.  The Selous is home to the elusive African Wild Dog, the only park in eastern Africa where sightings are virtually guaranteed!  Plus our remote wilderness camp has Elephants wandering through the grounds, Lions roaring at night and Leopard sightings are common! 

After a few days in the Selous we move to Gombe National Park where Jane Goodall has studied the Chimp population for an unbroken period of 50 years, by far the longest continuous study of any primate population on Earth. 

 

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Nov
22

African Forest: Conservation

Posted by in Africa,Animal Origins & Fun Facts,community-based conservation,Conservation,Endangered Species,Field Research,Gorilla

We hope you have visited our new African Forest website as we count down the days to the grand opening of this spectacular exhibit. The Houston Zoo Wildlife Conservation Program also has a few new pages on this microsite highlighting some of the issues facing wildlife conservation in the region as well as a number of programs we support.

The Future of Ape Conservation highlights projects from Chimpanzees in Senegal to Mountain Gorillas and even the Jane Goodall Institute.

It’s been 50 years since Jane Goodall stepped on the beach at Gombe, Tanzania to begin her study of wild chimpanzees. With that first step, the chimpanzee would become profoundly more than just a beast in a children’s book or a character in a Tarzan movie. Chimpanzees exhibited individual personalities and a wide range of emotions. They showed both empathy and aggression towards each other, a complex social structure, and cognitive thought. They were found to be both foragers and hunters – utilizing primitive “tools”.

In the past 50 years, we began to follow the lives of Mountain Gorillas, Lowland Gorillas and Bonobos across Equatorial Africa. How great apes live, think and interact has been part of our evolving consciousness about wildlife for the last fifty years. Realizing how similar they are to humans inspires us to want to protect them. Fifty years should have been enough time to safeguard an iconic species of the African forests and ensure their survival; unfortunately, it has not. What we have learned is that simply labeling a species as “Endangered” is not enough to protect it.
 
Since 2004, the Houston Zoo Wildlife Conservation Program has supported Great Ape Conservation in Africa. From field research initiatives to community education and health programs, the Houston Zoo is proud of our commitment to the wildlife, and communities, of Africa. To learn more about our conservation efforts or help support these programs, please visit the African Forest website and join us in protecting the Great Apes.

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Nov
19

Conservation Holiday Gifts

Posted by in Africa,Clothing,community-based conservation,Conservation,Cotton-top Tamarin,Endangered Species,Galapagos,What You Can Do

Consider this your start of holiday shopping and there is no need to get in line at 4 am for our doorbuster specials. Our doors open at 9am by the way. If you have ever visited the zoo’s gift shop, there is a small corner behind the register which we call our conservation marketplace. By marketing these unique lines of quality crafts in our gift shop the Houston zoo enables local artisans to make a living outside wildlife parks, strengthen their communities and help preserve fragile endangered specie’s habitats. 

Much of the product here is made by local communities in Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Colombia, Mongolia and other countries. For example Iganyana Art Center was created by Painted Dog Conservation (PDC) in Zimbabwe. Fewer then 3000 African wild dogs remain in Africa due to various human pressures.   Poaching with snares (wire traps) continues to be one of the leading threats to the survival of this species. The wire collected by the anti-poaching units is sent to PDC’s Iganyana arts center, where local artisans from rural villages use it to create beautiful intricate art.  Production of this artwork provides skills and financial security for the artists. 

Virunga Artisan Products “The Art of People & Gorillas Living in Harmony ” is staffed by locals from the communities surrounding Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda/DR Congo and the Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. 
The women of the Nkuringo Basket Weavers Association live on the southwest edge of Bwindi National Park in an area seldom visited by tourists.  The people of Nkuringo traditionally have made their living from subsistence agriculture. Earnings from basket sales have made a tremendous difference in the lives of the women of Nkuringo and their families, including the ability to send their children to school and access to health care.

So you see, it is not about making a sale for sale’s sake with these products but it is another way the zoo conservation department works with programs to develop economic incentives for local people living with some of the world’s most threatened species.

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Nov
18

African Forest: Bushmeat

Posted by in Africa,Animal Origins & Fun Facts,community-based conservation,Conservation,Elephant,Endangered Species,Featured,Field Research,Galapagos,Gorilla

What is Bushmeat?

In Africa, forest is often referred to as ‘the bush’, thus wildlife and the meat derived from it is referred to as ‘bushmeat’.

The term bushmeat is now commonly used for illegally harvested and marketed wildlife in Africa, Asia and Latin America. “Bushmeat” applies to all wildlife species, including threatened and endangered species, used for meat including: elephant; gorilla; chimpanzee and other primates; forest antelope (duikers); crocodile; porcupine; bush pig; cane rat; pangolin; monitor lizard; guinea fowl and many others.
Unsustainable commercial take, many times illegally, is one of the primary causes in the decline of wildlife species in Africa. Though habitat loss is often cited as the primary threat to wildlife, commercial hunting for the meat of wild animals has become the most significant immediate threat to the future of wildlife in Africa and around the world; it has already resulted in widespread local extinctions in Asia and West Africa.
This threat to wildlife is a crisis because it is rapidly expanding to countries and species which were previously not at risk, largely due to an increase in commercial logging, with an infrastructure of roads and trucks that links forests and hunters to cities and consumers.
Rural communities have always hunted as a protein source for their diets. Sustainably managed, wildlife populations could survive under these circumstances. Today, wildlife is taken in large quantities not solely for personal consumption but for profit and commercial resale. Wildlife populations simply cannot rebound fast enough to maintain viable populations in these areas and are quickly becoming extirpated from many regions of Africa.
For more information and what you can do to slow the trade – link here to our African Forest microsite

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Nov
16

Galapagos News

Posted by in Endangered Species,Field Research,Galapagos

Joe and a Galapagos Tortoise

Dr. Joe Flanagan is one of our star vets here at the zoo.  When he is not at the zoo he continues to save species in the Galapagos.  The Galapagos tortoise is very near and dear to his heart and he joins in the efforts to ensure this species survival.

Check out the latest issue of “Galapagos News” they spotlight his most recent exciting effort with the Pinta tortoise project.  He co-wrote the story inside.   Click the link below, then pick the fall/winter 2010 issue.

http://www.galapagos.org/2008/index.php?id=88

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Nov
15

Everything is Better with a Gorilla!

Posted by in Animal Origins & Fun Facts,Endangered Species,Gorilla,What You Can Do

Really it is. Especially the holidays. And if you cannot have a real Gorilla to spend the holidays with – might as well purchase this wonderful little book and apparently a small portion of sales goes to support gorilla conservation. See, everything is better with a gorilla!

Let me just point out that I learned whether you need a hand organizing an Olympic-caliber bobsled team or fancy a leisurely stroll, a Gorilla is the ideal companion for whatever it is you’re game to do. And the guidance they give is the absolute tops. Gorillas know the dish on the hippest eateries around and provide financial advice that’s unbelievably sound (as they hold true to a “don’t spend what you don’t have” policy).

And, this book is the only one ever to have a real Gorillastrator working on the art. Whether you like it or not, it’s the holidays people and you better  start thinking about what gifts to give…I have an idea – how about this book?

The Houston Zoo supports Great Ape conservation projects including Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Program, Jane Goodall Institute, Art of Conservation, Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Project, Mbeli Bai Gorilla Program and the West African Chimpanzees of Senegal.

We will also be welcoming Dr. Jill Pruetz, Co-Founder Neighbor Apes, Associate Professor of Anthropology and National Geographic Emerging Explorer on Feb. 17, 2011 as part of our speaker series. For tickets go to:http://www.houstonzoo.org/lectureseries/

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Nov
11

A Komodo Dragon Adventure, by Judith Bryja

Posted by in Conservation,Field Research,Komodo Dragon,Travel

I recently had the exciting opportunity to participate in fieldwork with my favorite animal-the Komodo dragon!   Komodo dragons are the largest living lizards in the world and endangered in the wild.  To get to where these awesome critters live I had to fly to Bali, Indonesia, then fly to the island of Flores, and then take a boat to the other islands.  The fieldwork that I took part in was on the islands of Gili Motang and the dragons’ namesake island of Komodo.  The fieldwork involves capturing dragons in traps baited with goat meat.  The dragons are marked with a microchip for identification, blood is taken for genetic analysis, and lots of measurements are taken.  When the animals are recaptured at a later date they can be identified.   Over time this will illustrate population trends and growth rate.  Another thing that is done is counting fecal pellets of the dragons’ prey animals.  Yes, this means counting poop!  Transects are created and the pellets are counted in one meter sections along a rope.  The density of the prey animals (mostly deer) can be calculated using this information.  This can tell us if there is enough food available for the dragons.  Poaching of prey animals is one reason that dragons are endangered. 

Komodo Dragon field research

"Smaug", Komodo dragon at the Houston Zoo

The Houston Zoo houses a spectacular Komodo dragon named Smaug.  If you have never seem him, add it to your to do list.  Dragons are the top predator where they live.  They are unique and amazing animals and we want to make sure they always have enough habitat and food to survive.  This is only one of many  conservation projects that your zoo is involved in.  I am incredibly fortunate to have now seen them and worked with them in the wild. 

By Judith Bryja, Herpetology supervisor, Houston Zoo

 

 

 

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