Maryland Zoo Sunday

Magnificent Caesar, our beautiful bull Reticulated Giraffe.

 A chilly morning at the zoo, I was assigned to the Giraffe House to spend it with Caesar, Kesi and Kipepeo.

Cold Cat Saturday @ Maryland Zoo: Me and Davis

With temps hovering around freezing, even the bright sunlight couldn't take the edge off.  Volunteered from 10 to noon.  The first hour was almost exclusively me and our Cheetah, Davis.  Not bad company when you stop and think about it.  

Snowy Sunday at the Maryland Zoo (12 Jan 2025)

 

Christmas Eve at the Maryland Zoo

 Spent Christmas Eve volunteering at the Maryland Zoo.  What a wonderful day.  So many lovely encounters with guests and amazing view of animals.

Zahi, our new male Lesser Kudu and Lemon.

Our Zebra "sisters": Phoenix, Addie, and Stella.

Our Rhino "brothers": J.P. and Jelani

Clyde-the-Wise, one of our Saddle-billed Storks.  They have a 12 year average lifespan in the wild.  Ol' Clyde is 36!

AZA Convention in Baltimore

 Attended the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Annual Convention this past week on Wednesday as a volunteer for the Maryland Zoo.  This is the first in person gathering since Covid.  It is the first time that it has been held in Baltimore and both the Maryland Zoo and the National Aquarium are co-hosting the event.  I am also a member of the AZA--have been for a couple of years now.  

It was a great experience.  Some pics.

THE CONVENTION CENTER

The concourse where I helped guide guests and answered questions during a lull.  Over 2,000 members attended the 5 day event.

THE EXHIBITOR'S HALL

I didn't count, but I would estimate 80 companies came to offer up their wares and services.

Ever been to a winter zoo lights event?

This company provides sculptures made of ocean plastic waste to highlight conservation messaging.

And there is swag!  I didn't think to partake until a fellow volunteer made the case--it was the last day of the Exhibit Hall and none of the presenters wanted to drag their tchochtke's back to Omaha, or wherever they came from.  Turns out, they were too eager to fill our bags--bags one of the booths gave us.  

THE SILENT AUCTION

About 100 items and packages of items provided by member zoos and aquariums was up for bidding in a silent auction.

Not surprisingly, this snout print by the superstar of the Cincinnati Zoo (Fiona) was of great interest to bidders.

I bid on this package from the Sonora Desert Zoo & Gardens in Tucson; however, I did not win...

PRESENTATIONS

The highlight for attendees are a series of presentations.  Volunteers were invited to pop in when things got quiet.  Not surprisingly, I visited one titled "What's New In Habitat Design".  I saw three presentations.  The first from the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey, California highlighted their new "Into The Deep" expansion featuring animals from the deepest parts of the ocean.  The second was from the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Desert Palms, California and featured a multi-species Eastern Black Rhinoceros Habitat, and the third was about the 10 year renovation of the New York Aquarium after it was devastated by Hurricane Sandy back in 2012.

MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM

THE LIVING DESERT ZOO & GARDENS

THE NEW YORK AQUARIUM

Right after the water receded (it was 9 feet deep here)

Today after extensive renovations

The State Bears in the World

 One of the perks of Volunteering at the Maryland Zoo is you get invited to Keeper Lectures.  Friday, I attended one presented by Dr. Tom Smith, professor of Wildlife Sciences and Researcher at the Brigham Young University.  He's dedicated his career as a biologist studying Bears.  In particular, Black, Brown (Grizzly), Polar and Sloth.

His work with Sloth Bears supports the mission of an organization called Wildlife SOS-India.  Sloth Bears are these big "fluffy" animals who aren't even strictly speaking carnivores.  They fill their days using their long sticky tongues feeding on ants and termites, yet they are the most dangerous of all bears when it comes to human mortality.  The issue as discovered by Dr. Smith research is the proximity to India's growing population where innocent encounters between these bears and humans often end in attacks.  The crux of his work involves supporting solutions by providing information that the people who are directly effected can use to make policy that is good for both bear and man.

The bulk of the presentation was spent on his work with Polar Bears.  Dr. Smith works with Polar Bear International, and is a member of the Working Group for Polar Bear Conflict Resolution.  He gladly dispelled a rang of myths about Polar Bear behavior.  And he went into great detail outlining the processes he developed in order to monitor Polar Bear birthing.  A lot of this involved pioneering field work and innovative use of technology.

Other topics included an overview of bear behavior by species, and how to be safe around bears in the wilderness.  In a word, Bear Spray.  His study of the efficacy of Bear Bells was interesting--same you dime.  They do little to distract let alone deter bear human interactions.

Maryland Zoo: Children's Farm

First Sunday in weeks without snow...so it rained!  But unlike snow, the Maryland Zoo doesn't close when it rains.  Volunteered today for a single shift at the Donkey Barn.  With the rain and the temps in the upper 40'sF, it was a very quite place.  And still, it was so good to spend time with some of my favorite animals.

THE ALPACAS

The Maryland Zoo is home to a trio of Alpacas.  Here from Left to Right are Annabelle Lee, Aleluya, and Tagalong.  Anabelle Lee is the youngest (8 yo) and the most curious.  She will always approach to get a closer look, and maybe a smell; but she will not let you touch her!  No way, Jose!  Aleluya is the oldest (14 yo), the largest, and the least interactive.  Alpaca rarely live beyond 10 years in the wild.  In captivity, they do exponentially better with an average variability lifespan of 15 to 25 years.  In 2020, we lost the 4th member of our little herd, Gypsy.  At the time of her passing, she had reached the age of 22 years.  The third member, Tagalong, is the most diminutive, and always seems to be coiffed with a mop that obstructs her view!  She is a true Tag-along, too.  At 11 yo, she follows the others like the proverbial little sister.

Of the four South American members of the family Camelidae (Llama, Alpaca, Vicuna and Guanaco), the Alpaca are my favorites.  They are by far the most domesticatable.  They have dreamy, sweet eyes, amazing coats of fur, legs with joints that defy logic and toes with hoof-claws that look like something straight out of a sci-fi bestiary.  

KUNE KUNE PIGS

Welcome to the world of endangered domestic animals.  Kune Kune pigs. which trace their origins back to New Zealand, were once down to a mere 9 animals!  There extinction was blamed on a lack of interest.  Other breeds arrived, and farmers simply didn't realize that this unique breed had dwindled away.  From those nine animals in the mid 1970's, efforts have led to a world wide population in 2021 number in the mid-thousands.  While there are many wonderful traits to Kune Kune pigs, size and bulk are not among them.  It's a makin' bacon game when it comes to pig breeding.

Our boys are Orville (reddish coat) and Wilbur (white and black mottling).  When I first learned their names, Wil (White) Bur (Black) was my mnemonic trick!  These guys are brothers.  They were born in 2018, and came to the zoo not that long after they were weened.  Their live expectancy is 15 years, and they're mostly full grown.  

PEAFOWL

Both our cock and hen were doing their best to stay out of the rain!  Who could blame them?

TRUMPETER SWANS

We have an amazing pair of Trumpeter Swans.  Scuttle and Buttercup were born at the Houston Zoo in 2004.  In 2014, they came to us at the Maryland Zoo.  In 2016, they hatched there first clutch of cygnets.  Every year since then they have faithfully hatched and raised between 1 and 3 cygnets.  From their birth/s in early spring, to their maturation in mid-autumn, watching the young grow and become adult is a thrill.  Every autumn, the Maryland Zoo joins a coalition of other AZA zoos and transports out young swans to Iowa and the care of the Department of Natural Resources.  The Iowa DNR oversees the rest of the maturation until the following spring when they are released into the wild.  This project has reintroduced over 100 swan back into feral populations in the past 25 years.

MEDITERRANEAN DONKEYS

The name Mediterranean comes from their origins on the Italian islands of Sardinia and Sicily.  The DNA goes even further back in time to animals domesticated in North Africa.  Today, the original breed is rare on these iconic islands, but the hybridized variant is doing well in the United States.  Once a beast of burden, now they are mostly a novelty pet.  

Our pair are males.  Lloyd is mottled, and Harry is brown.  Well cared for, they can live to be 35+ and even as old as 50.  These boys are both 15.

Harry is the more gregarious.  But it is clear that they enjoy one another's company.

As today was a very quite day, I noticed when they both into the inner stall of their barn.  I called to them, but they didn't respond.  Then I held up my red camera to snap a picture and they both became very interested.  Sorry, guys; it's a camera, not an apple!

Maryland Zoo: The Chimpanzee Forest

 Spent the first part of my volunteer shift on New Year's Day at the Maryland Zoo managing crowd control at the Chimpanzee Forest.  Starting off the new year at the Maryland Zoo was a perfect way to christen 2021.  The Chimpanzee Forest is the largest structure/complex in the Zoo's African Journey that is open to the public.  (I am certain that our African Elephant "Barn" is larger.)  Inside are three large habitats with natural light and a range of faux trees, vines, ropes and even a large hammock in the largest of the three--one of the habitats for our Chimpanzee troop.  Chimps also have behind the scenes habitats and a massive exterior habitat.  

Our troop currently sports 15 members.  4 adult males, 8 adult females, and 3 infant females.  Between the options, they also reinvent themselves into sub-groups.  Today, the inside habitat hosted 10 of 15.  Males: Kesoji and Louie; Females: Bunny, Raven, Asali, Carol, Joyce and Jane; and two of our three infants: Lola and Violet.

Above and Below: Raven with her offspring, Violet.  Violet just turned 1 on December 29th.  Violet is often seen playing with Lola--the other newborn.  

Lola was born to Bunny on July 5, 2019.  At a year and half, she's proven to be an irrepressible force in the troop.  Fearless, she sees it, then goes for it.  Period.  He courage is equaled her social savvy.  She seems destined to attaining an alpha status.