Archive for the ‘Field Research’ Category

Jun
07

The Houston Zoo is Seeking Ways to Save Animals in Madagascar

Posted by in Africa,community-based conservation,Conservation,Endangered Species,Field Research,Staff assisting wildlife protection in the wild,Travel

The Houston Zoo’s conservation purpose is to further the Houston Zoo’s mission of “fostering appreciation, knowledge, and care for the natural world” by connecting the public to our efforts to save species in the wild.  Through our wildlife conservation projects and partnerships, which work to conserve the wild counterparts of our ambassador animals at the Zoo, we will inspire all people to respect value and conserve wildlife and wild places.

We have many animals from the weird and wonderful island of Madagascar in Africa.  If you have visited the Zoo in the past few months you may have had the pleasure of watching our baby sifaka and ring-tailed lemurs grow and mature.  And, guests always enjoy the antics of our fascinating fossa and are dazzled by our beautiful Madagascar love birds.  You may have also heard that the Houston Zoo was the first zoo in history to have Madagascar big-headed turtle babies two years ago.     The Houston Zoo has a deep appreciation and admiration for Madagascar and we want to do everything we can to save the species that live there.

Jonah Ratsimbazafy at the Houston Zoo

Last year, The Houston Zoo invited lemur biologist/conservationist, Jonah Ratsimbazafy to be a part of our Wildlife Speaker Series.  Jonah was born and raised in Madagascar and has dedicated his life to wildlife conservation.  Our Zoo community got to see his commitment to saving all Madagascar wildlife from extinction.  This June, Houston Zoo conservation  staff will be visiting Jonah in Madagascar to seek ways we can most effectively assist his conservation efforts.  We will do our best to bring you along on this expedition by attempting to keep you informed and updated as frequently as Africa’s internet connection allows.

Did you know that every time you purchase a ticket to come to the Zoo you help animals in the wild?  A portion of your admission ticket goes to efforts to save animals from extinction.  The Houston Zoo deeply cares for the animals we house on Zoo grounds and seeks to support and participate in the best conservation efforts to save them in the wild. We currently support over 20 conservation projects in over 10 different countries.  Our Zoo’s conservation department serves the Zoo by selecting, monitoring and evaluating each program to guarantee the effectiveness and long-term success. To learn more about and help us with our conservation efforts, please visit our website. To keep up-to-date on wildlife conservation in the field, make sure to follow our Houston Zoo blogs and Facebook pages!

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Jun
07

Protecting the Zoo’s Chimpanzee Counterparts in the Wild!

Posted by in Africa,Chimpanzee,community-based conservation,Endangered Species,Field Research,Staff assisting wildlife protection in the wild

The Houston Zoo’s conservation purpose is to further the Houston Zoo’s mission of “fostering appreciation, knowledge, and care for the natural world” by connecting the public to our efforts to save species in the wild.  Through our wildlife conservation projects and partnerships, which work to conserve the wild counterparts of our ambassador animals at the zoo, we will inspire all people to respect value and conserve wildlife and wild places.

Willie-the youngest chimpanzee at the Houston Zoo is an ambassador for chimpanzees in the wild which are facing a number of threats to their overall population.

Many of you who have visited the Houston Zoo may have stopped and watched our playful chimpanzee troop in the African Forest exhibit. With 10 chimpanzees, it is no surprise that you could park yourself in the air-conditioned viewing building and observe these fascinating animals for hours! Chimpanzees are social, intelligent, and incredibly charismatic animals. The chimpanzees at the Houston Zoo are cared for by a talented group of staff-their every need is looked after and taken care of by professionals. The Zoo’s chimps are ambassadors for their wild counterparts, which are struggling with a number of issues. The Houston Zoo has a deep appreciation and admiration for chimpanzees and we want to do everything we can to protect these charismatic animals in the wild.

The Houston Zoo supports chimpanzee conservation throughout Africa, including the country of Senegal where very little is known about the chimpanzee population. To better conserve these animals in the wild it is important for us to support ongoing research about chimpanzees and also community efforts to improve the livelihoods of the people who live alongside these animals. Houston Zoo staff will travel to Senegal during the month of June to assist in the development of community programs, mainly education and awareness programs, to improve the day-to-day lives of communities living next to chimpanzees and inspire all generations to conserve the amazing wildlife in their backyard.

Children in Senegal have fun while learning about wildlife! Photo courtesy of Faleme Chimpanzee Conservation.

Although communication will be sporadic due to working in rural areas with little to no access to internet and electricity, we will be checking back with our Houston community as often as we can to provide updates on the progress of this program in Senegal. Thanks to you-our Houston Zoo-goers, we can provide  these vital conservation benefits to wildlife and communities here in Texas and around the world.

Did you know that every time you purchase a ticket to come to the zoo you help animals in the wild?  A portion of your admission ticket goes to efforts to save animals from extinction.  The Houston Zoo deeply cares for the animals we house on Zoo grounds and seeks to support and participate in the best conservation efforts to save them in the wild.     We currently support over 20 conservation projects in over 10 different countries.  Our Zoo’s conservation department serves the zoo by selecting, monitoring and evaluating each program to guarantee the effectiveness and long-term success. To learn more about and help us with our conservation efforts, please visit our website. To keep up-to-date on wildlife conservation in the field, make sure to follow our Houston Zoo blogs and Facebook pages!

West African chimpanzees visit caves to cool off. This photo was taken with a camera trap setup by the Faleme Chimpanzee Conservation program.

Jun
03

Backstage Passes to Yellowstone Wildlife on the Houston Zoo Yellowstone Trip

Posted by in Birds,Carnivores,Conservation,Field Research,Travel

Did you know you can come with the Houston Zoo into the wild?  Last week the Houston Zoo Spring Yellowstone travelers had the adventure of a lifetime in Yellowstone!  The Houston Zoo partners with Wildlife Expeditions Teton Science School to provide the best possible wildlife focused experience in Yellowstone.

Wildlife Expeditions biologists escort us to wildlife veiwing opportunities that feel so special it is like we are priviledged backstage pass holders for the rock star wildlife of Yellowstone.

All of the beautiful photos in this post were taken by Keith Kilson, a traveler who captured these beautiful shots on last week’s Houston Zoo Yellowstone trip.  And, here are a few highlights from another Houston Zoo traveler about last week’s trip:

  • Seeing the two large grizzly bears helping themselves to the carcass of an animal with the wolf standing in between them, waiting for his turn to eat!
  • Climbing up the van’s hatch roof to watch Grizzly Bear “Scarface” cross the road in front of our vans completely indifferent to our presence, yet majestic in his movements
  • Seeing the bears (grizzly and black) with the cubs
  • Seeing the mother bison wandering around in search for her calf (probably killed by a wolf or a bear)
  • Seeing Grand Teton (the highest peak of the Tetons) with the Snake River running in front of it (on our final trip back to Jackson Hole)
  • Listening to Wolf Biologist, Rick McIntyre talk about the wolves of Yellowstone

If you love wildlife and have an adventurous heart join the Houston Zoo for our next Yellowstone adventure September 7-11.  Click here for more information on traveling with the Zoo and how to reserve your spot.

Tags: , , ,
May
30

The Houston Zoo’s Attwater’s Prairie Chickens are getting ready to go back to the wild!

Posted by in Attwater's Prairie Chicken,Conservation,Endangered Species,Field Research,Sending animals back to the wild,Series,Texas

We still have Attwater’s prairie chicken eggs in incubators here at the Zoo, but the oldest chicks are now 45 days old.   Because these birds are being reintroduced into the wild our staff is focused on encouraging as much natural behavior as possible to prepare them for prairie life.

  

The oldest chicks are now getting more vegetation in their diet, so that they recognize their wild diet.    And, their outdoor enclosures are filled with branches and bushes to encourage their instinct to hide and protect themselves from predators that threaten their survival in the wild.    

We will start reintroducing Attwater’s prairie chickens in June and July.  In the meantime, we will keep everyone posted on their development here at the Zoo, so stay tuned!

If you are interested in helping us save this species from extinction click here.

Tags: , , , ,
May
27

Houston Toad Release Success!

Posted by in amphibians,Conservation,Endangered Species,Featured,Field Research,Sending animals back to the wild,Texas

Houston toad egg strands

Last week, we transferred 6 total egg strands (~20,000 eggs) to our collaborators at Texas State. We had the opportunity to assist a TSU graduate student in placing the eggs inside protective wire cages in an area outside Bastrop State Park. We were able to check on the eggs transferred the previous week and found very large Houston toad tadpoles, indicating that our first round of released eggs had survived. 

There were also three toadlets that would be the appropriate age to be the offspring of the first set of adult toads that were released from our facility (and subsequently laid eggs) at the same pond back in March.  

In summary this spring we have released:

139 adult Bastrop county toads

631 adult Leon county toads

~36,000 Bastrop county toad eggs

For more on this fabulous program and how you can help the Houston toad click here .

 Check back for more about how the Houston Zoo is helping to save animals in the wild!

Tags: , , , , ,
May
08

Attwater’s prairie chickens are increasing in numbers at the Houston Zoo

Posted by in Attwater's Prairie Chicken,Conservation,Endangered Species,Field Research,Sending animals back to the wild,Series,Texas

Houston Zoo incubators full of Attwater’s prairie chicken eggs

The incubators at the Houston Zoo are full of Attwater’s prairie chicken eggs collected and carefully transported from our facility at the Johnson Space Center. 

The chick nursery is full of peeping Attwater’s chicks!  The first group of the oldest chicks are already old enough to move to their outside accommodations.  They are growing up before our eyes!

 In a few months time all of these chicks will be out in the wild again!

Stay tuned for more on how the Houston Zoo is saving animals in the wild!

Tags: , , , ,
May
08

Hundreds of Houston Zoo Houston toads go back to the wild

Posted by in amphibians,community-based conservation,Conservation,Endangered Species,Field Research,Sending animals back to the wild,Series,Texas

Toads on their way to the wild!

We have great news to share with you from the Houston toad program! Last month we successfully transferred 634 adult toads to our collaborators at Texas State University. Texas State kept the toads in a large, outdoor holding area for a few days to re-acclimate to natural conditions, then over the course of a week, they were released at a pond at Bastrop State Park.

Hooray! We are in the wild! We will save our species!

We are at the tail-end of Houston toad breeding season, so hopefully these individuals will have an opportunity to “do their thing” at the pond!

Stay tuned for more updates on our efforts to save local species from extinction!

Tags: , , , , , ,
May
02

5 sea turtles in the Houston Zoo vet clinic for treatment this week!

Posted by in community-based conservation,Conservation,Endangered Species,Field Research,Sea Turtles,Sending animals back to the wild,Series,Texas,Travel

Tuesday morning 1 Green and 4 Kemp’s ridley sea turtles were brought into the Houston Zoo’s vet clinic this week.  The 4 Kemp’s ridley sea turtles were found stranded on the Texas coast and brought in to have physical examinations by our clinic staff. 

This was the second visit for the one Green sea turtle.  He was found in a fresh water pond last year and has been rehabilitating at NOAA’s  Sea Turtle barn in Galveston.  All the turtles were returned to the Sea Turtle Barn in Galveston after their check ups and will be released into the wild when they have fully recovered.

If you would like to help us save sea turtles click here.

Tags: , , ,
Apr
30

Turtle Tuesday: Conservation Hero Edition

Posted by in Conservation,Endangered Species,Field Research,Sea Turtles,Texas,Texas Tortugas

The Houston Zoo just returned from another Monday assisting federal sea turtle biologists from NOAA Galveston with their weekly beach patrols. Unfortunately, this has been a tough time for local sea turtle conservationists. Numerous deceased turtles have been washing ashore for the past several weeks, and more keep coming in. The numbers of turtles washing in are not typical. They have included mostly Kemp’s ridley sea turtles and loggerheads.

Kemp’s ridley sea turtle. Photo courtesy of National Park Service.

 

Loggerhead sea turtle. Photo courtesy of the Georgia Aquarium.

In addition to this, there has yet to be a nesting Kemp’s ridley turtle on our upper Texas coast.  Nesting sea turtles usually arrive in our area by mid-April. With the month of May right on our tails, we’re all wondering-where are our nesting sea turtles?

Even though there aren’t any nesting sea turtles (yet…),  sea turtle biologists are keeping busy…VERY busy, and not with the easiest of tasks.

Meet Lyndsey Howell.

Lyndsey Howell-NOAA sea turtle biologist holding a Kemp’s ridley sea turtle. Photo courtesy of Crystal Beach Local News.

Lyndsey is a federal biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Galveston. Lyndsey has been working with sea turtles for 8 years, and working at NOAA for 5 years. The word dedicated does not even begin to describe her work ethic when it comes to sea turtles. Lyndsey is responsible for holding the phone that you call if you see a dead, injured, or stranded turtle on our upper Texas coast beaches (1-866-TURTLE-5), as well as caring for wild and captive sea turtles at the Galveston sea turtle barn. She is also responsible for answering that phone-no matter what time or day it is, and responding to the turtle as soon as possible. Whether it is 2:00am on a Saturday or 11:00pm on a Tuesday-7 days a week, 24 hours a day, Lyndsey is there to help a sea turtle in need. A turtle could be called in from Surfside and the next one along the Texas/Louisiana border-in the same day! No matter the distance, the turtle will be picked up and taken care of. She will even take time out of an already long day, roll the windows down in her vehicle and answer questions about sea turtles from beach goers, say hello to ferry workers and tollbooth employees, all while maintaining a smile.

Lyndsey rescuing another car stuck in the sand during a beach survey-just another day on the job!

From April through July, sea turtles keep biologists in Texas very busy. This means long, long hours (our day yesterday lasted 14 hours), and not a lot of days off. The passion and drive that wildlife biologists/conservationists/researchers (call them what you may) have is unlike any other field. They work endless hours, often times without praise or breaks, and usually for very little pay. They do this job because they love it, and they know it is important.

Time in the field often requires a lot of caffeine. Image from Ecogreenbags.

Unfortunate events, like the loss of many sea turtles over the past few weeks can make it difficult to work in wildlife conservation. However, having the pleasure of knowing people like Lyndsey and other biologists and conservationists around the world reinforce the idea that environmental issues can be overcome.

If you would like to help with local sea turtle conservation efforts, please visit the Houston Zoo’s sea turtle page, or come to the zoo to see our rehabbed sea turtle in the Kipp Aquarium!

Tags: ,
Apr
30

The Houston Zoo is Sending Animals Back to the Wild!

Posted by in amphibians,Attwater's Prairie Chicken,Birds,community-based conservation,Conservation,Endangered Species,Field Research,Sea Turtles,Sending animals back to the wild,Series,Texas

The Houston Zoo cares deeply for Texas wildlife.   We are committed to ensuring the recovery and protection of local species and habitats.  We take great pride in our efforts to rehabilitate/assist wild animals and reintroduce zoo-born animals to the wild.   This blog series will keep you up-to-date on our 3 local recovery projects:

The Attwater’s prairie chicken is the rarest native Texas bird. It is estimated that less than 100 of these birds are left in the wild.   The Houston Zoo manages the captive breeding programs for the Attwater’s prairie chicken.  We have breeding facilities both behind the scenes at the Zoo and at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.  When the birds hatch and grow large enough, they are slowly introduced and then released into the wild, where they will support the already existing populations.

There are 5 species of sea turtles inhabiting the Gulf of Mexico, all of which are considered to be either threatened or endangered. They include the Kemp’s ridley, Green, Leatherback, Atlantic hawksbill, and Loggerhead sea turtles. Some of the threats these sea turtles face in the Gulf are drowning in shrimp nets, getting caught in hook and line, vehicle traffic, development of beaches, ocean and light pollution.  The Houston Zoo has treated over 100 sea turtles since 2010 in our vet clinic. The turtles are then brought to the sea turtle barn in Galveston to prepare for reintroduction. You may also catch a glimpse of a recovering sea turtle at the Zoo in the Kipp Aquarium.

The Houston Toad disappeared from Houston in the 1960s following extensive drought and urban expansion.  Today, less than 100 of this Texas amphibian resides in Bastrop, Austin, and Colorado Counties.

Th Houston toad program began in 2007 when the only known egg strands laid by Houston toads that year were delivered to the Zoo for “head starting” – a way to start the toad’s life in captivity and release them when they reach a certain maturity. Since then, we have been building a population at the Zoo to be sure that the toads will not go extinct, as well as releasing toads into the wild to build the population there. So far, we have released more than 20,000 toads! We also monitor and survey existing populations of toads in the wild.

 Stay tuned this spring as we update you on these local efforts to put species back into their homes in the Texas wild!

 

Older Posts »