nocturnal adventures: africa predator prowl...

Nocturnal Adventures: Africa Predator Prowl I & II of 64

Nocturnal Adventures: Africa Predator Prowl Overnight

TIME REQUIREMENT: Program runs ~7pm-9am

GROUP SIZE AND GRADES: Africa Predator Prowl I (APP I)

o Up to 120 people, 4th-6th grades

Africa Predator Prowl II (APP II) o Up to 120 people, 7th grade and up

PREPARATION:

Set out Who Killed My Goat supplies

Set out Find Your Food supplies

Retrieve demo animals and review APP-specific information to share on each

Set up AV equipment in rooms to play Thane’s Africa coexistence video at bedtime

MATERIALS:

APP keyset

Radio & black bag

Schedule of events

Flashlight with red filter

Owl call (use link on NA staff website)

ANIMAL OPTIONS: African snakes

Hedgehog/Tenrec

Turaco

Cockroach

Hornbill

Barn Owl

Radiated Tortoise

Spiny-Tailed Lizard

Scorpion

HIKE LOCATIONS: Africa (+ Behind-the-Scenes)

Wolf Woods

OBJECTIVES:

Africa Predator Prowl I (APP I) Participants will discover that predators

come in many shapes and sizes and play varying roles in their ecosystem

Participants will become familiar with basic food webs and how communities of animals, plants and non-living things exist.

Participants will understand how humans are sharing their land with wildlife including predators as well as the challenges and solutions that come with this coexistence

Africa Predator Prowl II (APP II) Students will take a look at how

ecosystems are naturally balanced, and how conservation of predator/prey relationships plays a part.

Students will determine a predator’s role, and how predators in Africa have been impacted by changes in their environment.

Students will explore various management strategies, modern challenges of wildlife management, and species success stories from coexistence of predators and people.

PROGRAM THEME: Predators are highly adapted for their role in the food web and coexisting with them benefits every species, including humans, by maintaining healthy and balanced ecosystems.

SUBTHEMES: 1. Animals in an ecosystem belong to a specific

trophic level within a food web 2. Many species of large predators are

endangered 3. Predators come in many shapes and sizes

At a glance Participants will learn about the role of predators in an African ecosystem and the challenges they face when coexisting with humans sharing the same landscape.


Background Information: Curriculum Overview: One of the most influential environmental writers in our lifetime, David Sobel, focuses on changing the counterproductive trap of teaching children about ecological problems and environmental abuse. He theorizes that children may be overwhelmed by these problems and may develop something he terms “ecophobia” based on the so-called “doom and gloom” and negativity that is included in teachings about environmental conservation. He suggests instead that conservation education should be based on student ages and, as such, include appropriate topics and activities that focus on getting children to bond with and love the earth and nature before asking them to save it. Because we live in the digital age, there is an increase in information availability, including that of loss, habitat destruction, climate change, etc. Rather than focus our programming on this loss and devastation and regret and guilt for the role we humans have played in it, it is essential that we express hope for what can be and has been done, and “celebrate what’s right around us” (National Geographic photographer Dewitt Jones). In order to do that we need to as instructors and be the guiding lights and role models to our students, we must show that we as people create hope for wildlife through our actions. By illustrating what is possible and that we, as humans, are part of the solution, we have an opportunity to engage and empower our visitors, students and educators with hope. Through this hope for species survival in the future, we show them how they can positively affect global conservation! Jane Goodall, says it best with her four reasons for hope: “Our human intellect, resilience of nature, the energy and commitment of informed young people who are empowered to act and the indomitable human spirit.” Let’s harness those reasons for hope with the way we present our programs and leave our audiences empowered and inspired.

Education Program Goals: Create a sense of WONDER in all

participants

Capitalize on moments of wonder- During up-close animal demos & in front of exhibit animals/behind the scenes opportunities.

Convey KNOWLEDGE to all participants

This should be done by using participatory teaching methods (e.g. asking questions/seeking answers). Giving the group time to think and respond. This may create small moments of quiet which may feel a little uncomfortable at first but will, in the end, help them grow as observers and independent, critical thinkers. That is what we want!!

Empower/Enable our participants to ACT or become ACTIVE in conservation

This overnight will highlight coexistence between people and wildlife. Furthermore, it should show our audience that they can positively affect global conservation through their actions.

Bring our audience “Close Enough to Care”

Create close, personal encounters and experience with wildlife that foster connections between people and nature.

Africa Predator Prowl Overview: Africa Predator Prowl I This overnight is designed for 4th-6th graders ages 9-12. When students think of predators, they most often picture the larger ones such as lions, tigers, wolves, and bears! This program is designed to introduce them to the world of predators—both large and small that live on the continent of Africa. Students will discover the amazing roles of these animals, the strategies and adaptations that predators use to be successful, and how people and animals can learn to live together. Throughout the evening, students will be taking a look at what


an animal’s role is in the food web and how it helps to sustain the balance of nature in a shared landscape with humans. Objectives: Students will discover that predators come

in many shapes and sizes and play varying roles in their ecosystem

Students will become familiar with basic food webs and how communities of animals, plants and non-living things exist.

Students will understand how humans are sharing their land with wildlife including predators as well as the challenges and solutions that come with this coexistence

State Standards Addressed:

4th Grade State Standards o Ohio: (LS) Topic = “Earth’s living history” o Kentucky: (NGSS – 4-LS1-2) Topic =

“Structure, Function, and Information Processing”

o Indiana: (LS) Topic = Adaptations and Fitness

5th Grade State Standards o Ohio: (LS) Topic = “Interconnectedness

within an Ecosystem” o Kentucky: (NGSS – 5-LS2-1) Topic =

“Matter and Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems

o Indiana: (LS) Topic = Movement of matter and trophic levels

6th Grade State Standards o Ohio: (LS) Topic = “Cellular to

Multicellular” o Kentucky: (NGSS – MS-ESS3-4) Topic = “Human

Impacts” (NGSS – MS-LS2-2) Topic =

“Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems”

o Indiana: (6-LS-3) Topic = Relationships between organisms

Africa Predator Prowl II This overnight is designed for 7th graders (age 12) and older. In this program, we will examine the many niches held by animals in a healthy

ecosystem, and determine why predators are a vital link. Students will also explore historic human interaction with predators and why many of these interactions are complicated and have resulted in negative consequences for the predatory species. As we develop a better understanding of the relationships between species in an ecosystem we better understand the role that each component, predators included, play in the maintenance of a healthy ecosystem. This overnight will also explore traditional approaches to conservation (e.g. national parks, nature preserves) which have focused on separating people and wildlife as well as more integrated approaches that have focused on coexistence within shared ecosystems. The idea of conservation combining humans and wildlife in the same places has shown promise in integrated landscapes throughout Africa. We will look at several successful models there. Objectives:

Students will take a look at how ecosystems are naturally balanced, and how conservation of predator/prey relationships plays a part.

Students will determine a predator’s role, and how predators in Africa have been impacted by changes in their environment.

Students will explore various management strategies, modern challenges of wildlife management, and species success stories from coexistence of predators and people.

State Standards Addressed:

7th Grade State Standards o Ohio: (LS) Topic = “Cycles of matter and

flow of energy” (ES) Topic = “Cycles and patterns of

Earth and the moon” (climate change)

o Kentucky: (NGSS – MS-ESS3-4) Topic = “Human

Impacts”


(NGSS – MS-LS2-2) Topic = “Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems”

o Indiana: No direct tie-in

8th Grade State Standards o Ohio: (LS) Topic = “Species and

Reproduction” o Kentucky: (NGSS – MS-ESS3-4) Topic = “Human

Impacts” (NGSS – MS-LS2-2) Topic =


o Indiana: (8-LS-5) Topic = Factors affecting natural selection

9th-12th Grade State Standards o Ohio: (Biology) Topic =

“Evolution”

“Diversity and interdependence of life”

(Environmental Science) Topic =

“Earth systems: Interconnected spheres of earth”

“Earth’s Resources”

“Global environmental problems and issues”

o Kentucky: (NGSS – HS-LS2-6,7,8) Topic =


o Indiana: (B-33) Topics = Interdependence (Env.1-3) Topics = Environmental

System (Env.5.5) Topic = Biodiversity (Env.7.1) Topic = Pollution

Overnight Topic Overview: Evolution has adapted predators to seek prey which provide them with the highest returns (in terms of calories and nutrients) for the least expenditure of time and energy. Some predator species employ unique hunting strategies, designed to capture specific prey. Others are

opportunistic, taking any prey encountered during the course of daily activities.

Predator Types & Prey: What is a predator? A predator is an animal that relies on capturing and eating other animals for food. When people think of predators, they often visualize lions, African wild dogs and cheetahs killing an antelope. In reality, literally millions of acts of predation occur every day, such as a white faced owl nabbing an insect. Although the very term predator brings to mind images of lions on the savannahs of Africa or the great shark stalking the coastal waters, predation is defined more generally as the consumption of all or part of one living organism by another. Although all heterotrophic organisms derive their energy from the consumption of organic matter, predators are distinguished from scavengers and decomposers in that they feed on living organisms. This is good to point out when discussing the food web. The predators featured in our Africa exhibit are mammalian and from the Order Carnivora. This is an order of flesh eating mammals that arose about 40 million years ago. The Carnivora divided early into 2 separate lines: Felids and their allies & Canids and their allies. Carnivores evolved as predators of odd and even-toed ungulates and rodents. Interactions of these predators and their prey helped shape the animals we see today. By predators always taking the individuals easiest to catch, predators promote survival of the fittest; as their prey becomes harder to catch, predators that improve performance are “winners;” their offspring pressure prey species to improve, and so on, coevolution. If you want to nerd out- this is often referred to as the “Red Queen Hypothesis” as life must continually evolve to avoid extinction, especially in terms of predator/prey. Technically, this is an evolutionary hypothesis which proposes that organisms must constantly adapt, evolve, and proliferate not merely to gain reproductive

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypothesis


advantage, but also to survive while pitted against ever-evolving opposing organisms in an ever-changing environment. The term “Red Queen” comes from a statement that the Red Queen made to Alice in Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass in her explanation of the nature of Wonderland: “Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place.” Weather and climate can also affect the physical condition and vulnerability of prey. These conditions can impact population density, reproductive potentials, and susceptibility to disease. Probably the most important statistic used to determine the impact that a predator has on a prey species is the percent of the prey population taken by a specific predator. By knowing this information, managers can implement appropriate strategies to maintain predator and prey species populations in balance with the local habitat conditions. Of the 235 carnivores worldwide, Africa is home to 66 species, mostly small 50% under 20 inches (smaller than an average winter wreath you would hang on your front door or most of these carnivores could fit into a basketball hoop). They range in size from the dwarf mongoose 9oz to African Lion 400lbs. These predators have excellent senses- all are acute but variably developed, depending on their ecological niche. Our modern day carnivores descended from nocturnal ancestors therefore having excellent night vision, including a light-reflective layer (tapetum lucidum) behind the retina and a retina composed of mostly light-sensitive cells (rods). Most predators have frontal placement of their eyes which increases visual acuity by enabling the animal to see in 3D. There are different types of predators aside from their morphological differences (i.e. size). They can be categorized as generalists and specialists. Predators limited to one type of habitat or feeding only on certain kinds of prey are specialists. For example, African painted dogs

(aka wild dogs) are pack hunters and specialize on catching, killing and consuming medium sized antelope species. The cheetah is designed to outrun the fastest antelopes on the African savannah. The aardwolf is fueled by a specialized diet of harvester termites. Other carnivores like genets, jackals and the striped hyena are generalists and will eat whatever is available from insects to earthworms to mammals. Opportunism and conservation of energy are key ingredients of a predator’s success. Scavenging is the easiest way to get a meal, however, unlike birds like vultures, it has not been reliable enough for any mammalian carnivore to evolve to rely only on scavenging, unlike the vulture. Lions and leopards will scavenge but are obviously very capable predators. *In addition to predators using traditional methods to capture prey such as ambush hunting, speed hunting, and stalking, it is now being documented that predators living in a shared landscape with humans are becoming more inventive in capturing and killing prey. Wild cheetahs in Namibia are notorious for chasing prey animals into farmer’s fences- which slows their prey and causes injury before the cheetah finishes the hunt. This is just one example of how predators and humans are successfully sharing landscapes.

Habitat Integration/Coexistence: Top predators around the world have experienced rapid population declines and local extirpation due to human pressures partly based on the conflict between livestock farmers and predators. Initially the conservationist’s perspective was isolating wildlife and people through the establishment of national parks. National parks and preserve areas are critical for predator conservation; however, mixed-use landscapes may be crucial for sustaining viable populations in the long term. For example, an area in Kenya’s South Rift valley, sandwiched between Maasai Mara National Reserve and

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Queen_%28Through_the_Looking-Glass%29


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Carroll

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Through_the_Looking-Glass



Amboseli National Park contains a landscape richer in wildlife than both parks combined. In fact, more than 75% of Kenya’s wildlife lives outside of national parks. Sharing the valley with wildlife are the Maasai people and their livestock. Thanks to their traditional nomadic lifestyle, the Maasai have managed to coexist with wildlife for hundreds of years. One particularly successful way of habitat integration between humans and wildlife is developing community based conservation initiatives that include the needs of wildlife (conservation) and the livelihoods of people (development). The linkage of conservation and development has been inspired largely by the failure of either to succeed on their own. The development and conservation camps have traditionally viewed the world from opposite perspectives. However, community based approaches to field conservation where research meets community development has shown success. Scientists studying shared habitats of humans and wildlife have identified several factors that influence coexistence between people and wildlife. These are:

-Habitats -Opportunities -People -Education

Community Based Conservation & Coexistence The Maasai people are a semi-nomadic people who live in Southern Kenya and Tanzania along the Great Rift Valley. They have been with wildlife, including predators, for centuries. They live under a communal land management system in which everyone grazes their livestock on shared land and moves their herds based on seasonal availability of resources (water and grass). The lives and movements of the Maasai people are based on meeting their needs and the needs of their cattle and other livestock animals (goats/sheep). Livestock play a crucial role in the Maasai economy, they can be traded for other livestock, cash and livestock products such as milk. Livestock (specifically cattle) serve

a cultural role in Maasai society as they are used in ceremonies and seen as a sign of status. Therefore, protecting their cattle from lions is a major concern for all Maasai pastoralists. The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden (CZBG) supports one such project, “Rebuilding the Pride,” (RTP) which combines Maasai tradition and modern technology, RTP aims to restore a healthy lion population while reducing the loss of livestock to lions. The main goal of the program is to rebuild lion prides (and other carnivore numbers) by promoting the coexistence of Maasai and predators. By combining technological advances like GPS collars with culturally appropriate meetings and home visits, RTP empowers local Maasai to actually participate in the conservation of lions and wildlife. By acknowledging that the Maasai have a right to productive, vibrant lives, RTP has actually garnered support from within the Maasai community. Not only do the Maasai help protect lions, but they gain important information that helps support their own livelihoods, like the location of good grazing land or places to avoid because of frequent lions sightings. The RTP program intends to prove that coexistence of pastoral livestock and wildlife is not only possible but the best hope of sustaining large viable predator populations. RTP also refer to the pride communities themselves take in conserving wildlife to their economic advantage. Our actions as participants in this overnight can help support “Rebuilding the Pride” by purchasing Maasai-made bracelets- all proceeds go directly to conservation efforts in the Maasai community. By purchasing one of these bracelets- you have effectively help preserve the Maasai culture and helped insure the survival of predators in the South Rift Valley for future generations.

Cheetah/Dog Program- Coexistence through Innovation Historically, cheetahs roamed large expanses of southern Africa’s undeveloped land. In the mid-


1900s, however, farmers accelerated the development of bush land - the cheetahs’ final stronghold - and the wide-ranging cats found themselves living among livestock. Adaptation to reserves did not go well. According to Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), pressure from larger predators in protected areas is too great. Although the cheetah is agile and fast, it is an inept fighter; while good at catching, it is often relieved of its bounty by more aggressive predators such as lions. Farmland, on the other hand, is virtually free of lions - farmers have removed them to protect their herds - and is well-populated with small wild game, which is a natural food source for the cheetah. This lack of competition for food, along with access to water, created a niche for the cheetah. Sharing scarce resources, however, led to conflict between cheetahs and farmers when, in the early 1980s, drought hit southern Africa. During the decade-long drought, most of the cheetahs’ natural prey perished, either of environmental causes or at the hands of farmers attempting to reduce grazing and watering competition for their herds. With their natural food sources gone, cheetahs turned to livestock.

A Familiar Tale The cheetahs’ story is similar to that of the wolf in the American West, where, as the bison population was wiped out and replaced with cattle, wolves found themselves with little to eat but cows. Similarly in Namibia, the cheetah population was cut in half in ten years by the use of lethal predator control methods. According to a 1996 population and habitat viability assessment, there were almost 7,000 cheetahs removed from farmland in Namibia between 1980 and 1991. Roughly 1,000 of those were live animal exports. The rest were poisoned, trapped, or shot. *There is hope for the cheetah’s survival, though, and that hope springs from human

willingness to help save the cheetah. In Namibia, conservationists are working hand-in-hand with local farmers to show them how they can peacefully coexist with cheetahs. Rather than shooting cheetahs, farmers are relying increasingly on guard dogs and even guard donkeys to protect their livestock. The gist: -Anatolian Shepherd puppies are placed as livestock guarding dogs (LGDs) in Namibia and South Africa’s cheetah range. The dogs, once bonded with their herds (goats), scare predators away. By protecting livestock, The Cheetah Conservation Fund and Cheetah Outreach are forcing cheetahs to go back to their natural prey, which is abundant enough on conservancies and farmland to sustain the cheetah population. In exchange, farmers agree to stop lethal predator control. Coexistence!!

African Savannah Ecosystem The African savanna ecosystem is tropical grassland with warm temperatures year round and seasonal rainfall. The savanna is characterized by grasses and small or dispersed trees, along with a diverse community of organisms that interact to form a complex food web. Carnivores (cheetahs, lions, wild dogs, leopards) feed on herbivores (impalas, warthogs, wildebeest) that consume producers (grasses, plant matter). Scavengers (hyenas, vultures) and decomposers/detritivores (bacteria, fungi, termites) break down organic


matter, making it available to producers and completing the food cycle (web). Humans are part of the savanna community and often compete with other organisms for food and space.

Food Webs:

A food chain is simple to study (Sun—Grass—Mouse—Hawk) but does not indicate the complex relationships that exist for organisms that feed on more than one species. Food webs do more than just map who eats whom. A food web charts the flow of energy through the environment and all the possible feeding relationships at each trophic level. A trophic level is each organism in a food chain that represents a feeding step (e.g. mouse = primary consumer). Multiple food chains amount to a food web. The ultimate source of energy in the environment is the sun. This is the major connection between living elements of an ecosystem and non-living elements of an ecosystem. Plants capture that energy and, through the process of photosynthesis, produce the food they need to grow. How cool are plants that they take the sun a non-living piece of the universe, use its energy and make sugar!! Plants are thus commonly referred to as producers. Everything else in the food web is then considered to be a consumer of the energy produced by plants. An animal that eats plants is called a primary (or first level) consumer. The animal that then eats a first level consumer is a secondary consumer. Its predator is a tertiary consumer. Most food chains contain only three or four levels of consumers. Why? When an animal eats a plant, it is only able to capture a small part of the energy that the plant obtained from the sun. The rest of the sun's energy had already been used by the plant for growth, respiration, etc., when the plant was consumed. Likewise, when a predator eats a plant-eater, it only gains a small portion of the energy that the plant-eater received from the

plant, the other portion of that energy having been already used by the plant-eater for its metabolic processes. By the time a tertiary consumer enters the picture, very little of the sun's original energy is still available. The number of levels in any particular food chain, as well as the number of individual organisms at each level, is limited by the amount of available energy. Another way of depicting these relationships is through a food (or energy) pyramid, in which plants form the base of the pyramid. Plant-eaters (primary consumers) then form the second level, secondary consumers the third, and so on, with the top carnivore at the tip of the pyramid. For the environment to remain stable, each level of the pyramid must be smaller than the previous level that supports it. The pyramid is symbolic of the reduction in energy as you ascend the pyramid. Everything in nature is connected to everything else. Although they may appear simple, these connections are often quite complex. Even a relationship as seemingly straightforward as that between a predator and its prey can be very complicated.

The Human Element Then add humans to the mix (which we are part of all living systems!!- Make this point clear- because often visitors/participants feel like they have no control over the living earth). This couldn’t be farther from the truth. In fact humans are considered keystone species. (make your group feel empowered that we are keystone species, keystone species are those whose activities have a significant role in determining community structure! That means our actions and behaviors can be magnified in an ecosystem- especially those that are positive to conservation- What I am saying is our behaviors matter!!) With in the African savannah ecosystem- Human activities can potentially affect both top down and bottom up processes in terrestrial ecosystems. Humans are a keystone species that alters terrestrial


ecosystem structure and composition through actions such as livestock grazing (human-induced bottom up control), and by acting as a generalist super predator able to top-down harvest any animal species regardless of body mass.

The Role of Climate Change When we fuel our lives by burning coal, oil, and natural gas, we release carbon dioxide (CO2) into the air in larger quantities than would naturally occur. This extra CO2, called “rampant CO2” is going up into the atmosphere where it creates something like a heat-trapping blanket (HTB) around our Earth. This HTB allows the heat from the sun in, but then traps too much of it, preventing it from leaving again (Figure 1).

Figure 1: taken from http://saveourgreen.org/allpost/global-

warming-effect/

The result is that our Earth, including the oceans, is warming. This warming is resulting in changes to our global climate. These changes can be seen in many forms, including increasing temperature, rain variability, more intense and frequent storm events (such as hurricanes), and rising sea levels. While the Earth’s climate has changed many times throughout history and there are naturally occurring causes to climate change (such as volcanic activity, changes in the Earth’s orbit and the sun’s intensity), it is important to remember that the rapid warming we are seeing today cannot be explained by natural causes alone. So, how is climate change affecting African wildlife? The greatest impact can be seen in

changing rainfall patterns and increased temperatures. Rainy seasons are starting later and ending earlier. This limits the amount of water that is stored in underground reservoirs, in plants, and in waterholes. A later start to the rainy season means a later start to the growing season. Many animals’ birthing seasons coincide with the rainy seasons because rain usually equates to plentiful food. To humans relying on the rainfall for crop cultivation or for maintenance of the grazing land for their livestock, a drought puts extra pressure on them to provide for their family and maintain their livelihood. When livestock farmers and wildlife share the same grazing land, this also creates resource competition. When the livestock outcompete the wild hoofstock (such as springbok, steenbok, impala, and gazelles), the predators turn to the livestock as a food source. When predators begin hunting livestock, they create conflict, making coexistence harder, and often resulting in lethal measures being taken to eliminate the predators. This is already being seen in places such as Namibia. So, as you can see, everything is connected. Because of this, it is essential that we all take measures to protect our Earth, its wildlife, and its resources from the harmful effects of climate change. The good news is, we know some of the human-induced causes of climate change and can take measures to mitigate them. Burning fossil fuels, clearing forests, and developing land for farms, cities, and roads all release rampant CO2 into the atmosphere. By supporting initiatives as schools such as idle-free zones (turn the car off rather than idling it while dropping off/picking up from school), city bike lanes, walking-friendly urban-planning, and accessible public transportation, we can all be a part of the solution. For more information about effective climate change interpretation, check out the work done by Frameworks Academy here: http://frameworksinstitute.org/climate-change-and-the-ocean.html and their free

http://frameworksinstitute.org/climate-change-and-the-ocean.html

http://frameworksinstitute.org/climate-change-and-the-ocean.html


training module here: http://frameworksacademy.org/collections/specialized-sponsored-courses/products/changing-the-conversation-on-ocean-and-climate-change

Top-down Controlled Ecosystems Are those ecosystems that where predators control the distribution and abundance of lower trophic level organisms. -Predation plays a key role in controlling populations of large herbivores in ecosystems, especially the non-migratory species, illuminating one of the features defining the landscape of fear that large ungulates exist within. Top predators may structure a whole community by initiating a trophic cascade. A trophic cascade occurs when a consumer influences at least two other trophic levels, such as when a predator limits the populations of its prey, which in turn limits the populations of its own prey. This emphasizes the importance of maintaining healthy predator populations in our ecosystems.

Why Do We Need Predators? Niches! When I think about a species’ niche I see it as its “profession,” that is, “everything it does to get its food and raise its babies.” A plant or animal’s habitat is its address. For the purposes of this curriculum, the address will be the African savannah and the importance of predators coexisting with people in the landscape shows that people are a part of nature and each animal/person must do their job. The niches, or jobs, of each species are crafted over millennia by natural selection. The bottom line is that ecosystems are complex and predators are a necessary and beneficial (top-down ecosystem control) part of them. If we remove them from the picture, there are consequences. Predators provide ecological stability by regulating the impacts of grazing and browsing animals, thus ensuring the overall productivity of the habitat. New research highlights a bigger role for these animals (predators) as crucial

managers of ecosystems. Large top predators (and some top plant-eaters) keep systems in balance in ways that control human disease, wildfires, carbon emissions and more, while benefiting agriculture, water resources, and forestry, among others. Many of the creatures that predators prey upon—insects, rabbits, rodents—are often considered pests by humans. For instance, in parts of Africa, a reduction in the amount of lions and leopards in the ecosystem has lead to an explosion of olive baboons - which have wreaked havoc around local villages, where baboons attack livestock, damage crops and spread diseases to humans (intestinal parasites). The aardwolf hides in a burrow during the day and comes out at night to search for food. It is related to the hyena but unlike them it does not hunt large prey. This unusual animal is an insect serial killer ! Feeding mainly on termites, it can eat more than 200,000/night using its long sticky tongue!!

Hunting Techniques The method used by a predator to pursue its prey is determined by many factors, including the adaptations of the predator, the adaptations of the prey, and the nature of the habitat in which they live. A technique that works well in one situation (a cheetah outrunning its prey on the open savannah) may prove quite ineffective in another (a forest habitat). Each strategy has its own inherent risks and rewards. Consider three commonly employed techniques—the chase, the stalk, and the ambush.

Active Hunting: o The Chase

Many predators catch their prey by chasing it. Some predators are solitary hunters by nature, and others use the pack technique. Chasing can involve a significant expenditure of both time and effort in order to make a successful capture. To be efficient, predators that

http://frameworksacademy.org/collections/specialized-sponsored-courses/products/changing-the-conversation-on-ocean-and-climate-change





chase their prey must concentrate on species that will provide enough nutrition to offset the energy burned up during a capture.

Passive Hunting: o The Stalk

Herons employ a different technique. Standing motionless in shallow water, or wading slowly along the shore, the heron patiently searches for prey, which it captures with a quick lunge of its long, sharp beak. This method does not require much energy. The search time may be great, but the time used to catch prey once it is found is minimal. A stalking predator can afford to choose smaller prey and still meet its energy requirements.

o The Ambush Many predators are ambush hunters. This technique requires minimal energy requirements. It is used by both endotherms and ectotherms. Prior to settling in to await prey, the predator determines that the specific location it is hunting in has potential prey (pretty savvy!). The choice of ambush spots is not random (ex. polar bears waiting at seal air holes in the ice). Animals have diverse ways of locating prey. It would be foolish, and even deadly, for an ambush hunter to wait in a location where a meal is unlikely to pass. If a current location is no longer sufficient, ambush predators will search out new locations. To remain inconspicuous, ambush predators usually hunt alone. The Nile crocodile prefers to lie and wait until something good to eat wanders by (yummy Zebra, perhaps). This method of hunting requires little effort at all. However, chances for success are fairly low. The alligator, a reptile, and therefore an ectotherm, has minimal energy requirements. Its metabolism is

so slow that it can survive with infrequent meals. Because a successful ambush depends on the predator avoiding detection, most ambush hunters are fairly small, and they are well adapted to go unseen until it is too late. One example of a small, well-camouflaged ambush predator is the Black Footed Cat.

Vocabulary: Co-evolution - the influence of closely associated species on each other in their evolution

Consumer - the protection or promotion of the interests of consumers. Ecological niche - the role and position a species has in its environment; how it meets its needs for food and shelter, how it survives, and how it reproduces

Generalists - a person competent in several different fields or activities

Keystone species - a species on which other species in an ecosystem largely depend, such that if it were removed the ecosystem would change drastically. Primary consumer - organisms that eat the autotrophs

Primary producers - organisms in an ecosystem that produce biomass from inorganic compounds Secondary consumer - carnivores (meat-eaters) and omnivores (animals that eat both animals and plants) that eat primary consumers Specialists – animals that have very specific dietary needs

Tertiary consumer - a carnivore at the topmost level in a food chain that feeds on other carnivores; an animal that feeds only on secondary consumers

Trophic level - each of several hierarchical levels in an ecosystem, comprising organisms that share the same function in the food chain and the same nutritional relationship to the primary sources of energy


Program Activities: The following information should be shared as you engage in each of these activities throughout the course of the night. While the order of these activities will be determined by your AC at the start of the night, the common threads that tie these activities together (predators’ role in the ecosystem and coexistence) should be maintained in order to provide a cohesive, content-consistent experience for every group.

I. Introduction

Talking Points: o Ask the group, “What do you think of when you hear the word predator? Big teeth,

claws, talons, sharp beak, etc.? Generally, mega-predators (Tigers, Lions, Polar Bears)? Of the 235 carnivores worldwide, Africa is home to 66 species, mostly small 50%

under 20 inches (most of these carnivores are smaller than a basketball). They range in size from the dwarf mongoose 9oz to African Lion 400lbs.

o Ask the group, “How does a predator fit into a food chain? Are all predators at the top? Can a predator also be another animals’ prey? What would happen (to the herbivores, their food source, to the scavengers, etc) if we removed all the predators from an ecosystem? What would happen to the flow of energy that ultimately begins with the sun?

o The predators featured in our Africa exhibit are mammalian and from the Order Carnivora. This is an order of flesh eating mammals that arose about 40 milllion years ago. The Carnivora divided early into 2 separate lines: Felids and their allies & Canids and their allies.

o Interactions of these predators and their prey helped shape the animals we see today. By predators always taking the individuals easiest to catch, predators promote survival of the fittest; as their prey becomes harder to catch, predators that improve performance are “winners;” their offspring pressure prey species to improve, and so on, coevolution. If you want to nerd out (Prowling for Predators II- State Standard Grade 5- Interconnectedness in a system)- this is often referred to as the “Red Queen Hypothesis” as life must continually evolve to avoid extinction, especially in terms of predator/prey. Technically, this is an evolutionary hypothesis which proposes that organisms must constantly adapt, evolve, and proliferate not merely to gain reproductive advantage, but also to survive while pitted against ever-evolving opposing organisms in an ever-changing environment. The term “Red Queen” comes from a statement that the Red Queen made to Alice in Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass in her explanation of the nature of Wonderland: “Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place.”

II. Animal Demonstrations: An important part of fostering the wonder and connections between nature and participants is through close encounters with live animals in the classroom. To this end, instructors will bring African animals into the classroom, sharing information about their habitat and their place in the food chain as well as the adaptations that allow them to thrive in these places/roles. Potential African predator demo animals include: Barn owl, African snakes, emperor scorpion,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypothesis


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Carroll




hedgehog, tenrec, or hornbill. Potential African prey animal demo animals include: Radiated Tortoise, turaco, cockroach, spiny-tailed lizard, or plated lizard. Below are some general talking points to reinforce the concepts you are verbally describing. In addition, each animal will have 3-4 bulleted talking points to help keep the conversation on track and keep the demo focused on the topic.

Predators

All predators: o Have excellent senses All are acute but variably developed, depending on their ecological niche. Most predators have frontal placement of their eyes which increases visual acuity by

enabling the animal to have depth perception. o Predators as part of the ecosystem There are different types of predators aside from their morphological differences

(i.e. size). These differences allow them to fill varying predatory roles (ex. they might eat differing sizes of prey).

Ecosystems are complex and predators are a necessary and beneficial part of these systems. If we remove them from the picture, there are consequences. Predators provide ecological stability by regulating the impacts of grazing and browsing animals, thus ensuring the overall productivity of the habitat. o Ask the participants if you were to remove lions from a savannah ecosystem

what would happen? To the herbivores? To the producers? Would the removal lead to more surviving herbivores, which would eat more grass, etc….?

Barn owl o Range/habitat: Found on every continent except Australia. Found in both urban and rural settings. Generally found in open habitats such as grasslands, deserts, marshes, fields, heaths,

and moors where nesting possibilities exist of hollow trees, cliffs, caves, barns, steeples, nest boxes, and thick foliage

o Diet: CARNIVORE Eats small ground mammals-mainly rodents (mice, voles, rats, gophers), shrews,

baby rabbits. Also eats bats, frogs, lizards, birds, fish, and insects. o Hunting style: Ambush hunter

o Predatory adaptations: They catch prey by use of sound alone rather than sight

Asymmetrical ear placement that allows them to pinpoint prey location through triangulation.

The nervous system connected to the ears, and the structures of the auditory area of the brain are the most and advanced of any owl.

Facial disc collects sounds and concentrates the sounds to the ear, allowing the owl to gauge direction and distance of possible prey.


Strong, down-tilted beak for grabbing prey On both the primary and secondary feathers, there are comb-like structures at the

edge of the feather that are responsible for muffling the sound of the air going over the wing – this essentially makes an owl silent when they fly.

Screech owl o Range/habitat: Open deciduous woods, wood lots, suburban areas, lakeshores, old orchards; southeastern

Saskatchewan, east along the Canadian border to New England, along the east coast to Florida, along the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains to central Texas and eastern Mexico. They are never found far from trees.

o Diet: CARNIVORE Eats largely mice, shrews, and all types of insects. It will take songbirds, other small

mammals (including bats), amphibians, small fish (wading right into shallow water to capture them), other arthropods (spiders, scorpions, millipedes, and crayfish), snails, earthworms, and reptiles.

o Hunting style: Ambush hunter

o Predatory adaptations: In spite of their small size, screech owls are exceptional hunters. Insects are caught in the beak in midair; other prey items are captured with the

talons. They have been known to fish through holes in ice that were left by other animals. Have keen eyesight, which is helpful because they are strictly nocturnal. Have a facial disc that collects sounds and concentrates the sounds to the ear,

allowing the owl to gauge direction and distance of possible prey. On both the primary and secondary feathers, there are comb-like structures at the

edge of the feather that are responsible for muffling the sound of the air going over the wing – this essentially makes an owl silent when they fly.

African snakes o Range/habitat: Various habitats from grasslands to forests and in various parts of mainland Africa

(ball python and sand boa) and the island of Madagascar (Dumeril’s) o Diet: CARNIVORE Eats mostly small mammals and birds

o Hunting style: Ambush hunter

o Predatory adaptations: Strong body muscles allow them to use constriction to kill their prey. Recurved teeth provide a grip while constricting as well as helping guide their food

down their throat. Strong digestive enzymes in their gut help break down all parts of their prey (from

bones to toenails) and get the most of the nutrients contained within.


Emperor scorpion o Range/habitat: Found in western Africa and Congo areas, typically in hot and humid forests. They

reside in burrows and prefer to live under leaf litter, forest debris, rocks, stream banks, and also in termite mounds

o Diet: CARNIVORE Eats insects, arachnids, mice and small lizards

o Hunting style: Ambush or active hunter

They may rest in a burrow and ambush passing prey (felt through vibrations) or they may actively hunt their prey.

o Predatory adaptations: Adult emperor scorpions use their powerful pincers to kill and manipulate prey Hungry scorpions move slowly forward, with open claws held out and tail raised

forward over the body. Eyesight of emperor scorpions is very poor. Their other senses are well developed

Sensory hairs cover the pincers and tail, enabling the scorpion to detect prey through air and ground vibrations.

Behind the fourth pair of legs are comb-like structures known as “pectines,” which are sensory appendages that brush the substrate as the scorpion walks and can detect the vibrations of prey on the ground. The tail is long and curves back over the body ending with a large receptacle

containing the venom glands and tipped with the sharp, curved stinger. While juvenile scorpions subdue their prey with their stinger, adults’ use of the stinger is reserved for larger prey or for use in self-defense.

Scorpions must predigest their food before consumption. Once the prey is subdued, they secrete digestive enzymes onto the prey, which liquefies the food and prepares it for intake with their chelicerae.

Hedgehog o Range/habitat: Deserts and dry grasslands of Africa (Senegal to Sudan and southern Tanzania)

o Diet: OMNIVORE Eats earthworms, slugs, insects, snails, scorpions, small mammals, frogs, reptiles,

eggs and ground-nesting birds, crabs, fruit, fungi, roots, vegetation, and groundnuts. o Hunting style: Active hunter- At night, the animal roams within its own small territory searching for

food, eating a third of its body weight in one night!!! o Predatory adaptations: Excellent hearing and sense of smell, can detect prey 2 inches or more below

ground. The occlusal (chewing) surface of the teeth has sharp, W-shaped ridges that are

extremely effective at breaking through the exoskeletons of arthropods.


Hedgehogs are very resistant to scorpion and snake venom, and insect toxins. When snakes are eaten, they are approached carefully and bitten severely. The hedgehog’s spines are directed over the nose to expose a minimal area of the body, and the snake generally strikes directly into the spines. The hedgehog attacks repeatedly until it has broken the spine or disemboweled the snake.

Tenrec o Range/habitat South and south-western Madagascar in dry forests and dry coastal regions and

scrub habitats. o Diet: OMNIVORE Eats primarily insects, other arthropods such as spiders, eggs and fruit when

available o Hunting style: Ambush hunter

o Predatory adaptations: They have an excellent sense of smell (but poor eyesight) for finding food Good climbers and often forage in trees The occlusal (chewing) surface of the teeth has sharp, V-shaped ridges that are

extremely effective at breaking through the exoskeletons of arthropods.

Hornbill o Range/habitat Y-bill: North-eastern Africa, they live in dry thorn fields, broad-leafed woodlands, forests,

savannas, and shrublands A Gray: Sub-Saharan and Eastern Africa into Arabia, living in open woodlands and

tree hollows. o Diet: OMNIVORE Y. bill: Eats primarily insects, other arthropods such as spiders, eggs and fruit when

available A. Gray: Bird eggs and nestlings, insects, rodents, lizards, frogs, supplemented with

small fruit and seeds especially during the dry season. o Hunting style: Ambush & Active hunters

o Predatory adaptations: Strong beak to crack seeds, and find insects Huge, two-tiered beaks that is long, forming dexterous forceps. The cutting edges

are serrated for breaking up food and snapping seed pods/fruit off of branches. Hornbills have been known to wipe their food back and forth over a perch or along

the ground to clean the item of unwanted coverings, like hairy caterpillars, slimy toads, juicy fruits, or even stingers on venomous arthropods.

Yellow-billed hornbills have a cooperative partnership with dwarf mongooses. The mongooses will wait for the hornbills to arrive before setting out; if the hornbills arrive before the mongooses are up and about, the birds call down the burrow to


them. The hornbills benefit by eating all the insects stirred up by the foraging mongooses, and the mongooses gain extra eyes and ears to look out for danger. The companionship allows the mongooses to forage in peace, while the birds benefit from creatures flushed out by the mongooses. The hornbills sound off with warning calls when a predator approaches, even warning at the sight of predators of mongooses that are not enemies of hornbills.

Prey

All prey: o Have excellent senses All are acute but variably developed, depending on their ecological niche. Most prey have side placement of their eyes which allows them to observe their

surroundings while feeding. o Prey as part of the ecosystem Herbivores perform important natural services within their habitat as well. While

feeding, many inadvertently carry pollen from one plant to the next; pollinating the flowers on the plants they brush against and munch on. Those who eat the fruits of plants can also perform a service to the plants. As fruit is digested, the seeds often pass through the digestive system unharmed. When they are released in the waste material of the herbivore, they may germinate and grow into new plants! So, essentially, with their munching and pooping, herbivores can alter and/or maintain a landscape. This is especially true for a habitat that had a good balance of predators to prey. In a habitat that lacks this balance, however, too many herbivores can cause overgrazing/over-browsing and destroy the plants in that habitat.

o Ask the participants if you were to remove herbivores from a savannah ecosystem what would happen? To the predators? To the producers? Would the removal lead to more surviving grass, trees, etc? Would their absence alter the habitat?

Turaco o Range/habitat Canopy of evergreen and riparian forests and wooded valleys, avoiding deep forests

in Central and South Africa. Is fairly common in Kenya. o Diet: Mostly FRUGIVOROUS but occasional OMNIVORES Eats all kinds of fruit and occasionally eat foliage, flowers, and buds. They also are

known to occasionally eat insects, snails, and termites (especially during breeding season).

They are messy eaters. For this reason, they contribute to seed dispersal. Fruit seeds also pass through their digestive system intact, further contributing to seed dispersal.

o Feeding adaptations They occur in pairs or small groups but flock in feeding trees where groups will feed

on wild or cultivated fruits. Can eat berries that are poisonous to humans

o Predator avoidance adaptations:


They are capable of making piercing sounds, that warn others of approaching predators

Live in the canopy and their coloration helps them hide in the foliage. When threatened, they freeze and become motionless, blending with the surroundings

Radiated Tortoise o Range/habitat Found only in the extreme south and southwestern part of the island of Madagascar,

where they inhabit areas of dry brush, thorn forests, and dry woodlands. They have also been introduced to the island of Reunion.

o Diet: HERBIVORE Eats grasses, vegetation and succulents, especially certain species of cactus

o Feeding adaptations Sharp beak-like mouth aids in grasping and tearing vegetation and other food

sources. Radiated tortoises will graze the same area and keep the vegetation trimmed low, as

they prefer fresh growth to older vegetation. o Predator avoidance adaptations: These animals can retreat into their shells when threatened. Because of the shell,

flight, running, and climbing are not options, so it is a good thing that shell is so thick and tough!

o Conservation notes: Human activity has pushed the radiated tortoise to the point of being “Critically

Endangered.” Threats include significant habitat loss, collection for the pet trade, and poaching for food and their shells for medicinal markets in China.

No estimates of wild populations are available, but their numbers are declining, and many authorities see the potential for a rapid decline to extinction in the wild. In the North American studbook, 332 specimens are listed as participating in captive breeding programs such as the SSP (Species Survival Plan). Captive breeding has shown great promise. However, captive management is not the answer to the problems in their wild range and the many other unusual species endemic to Madagascar.

Cockroach o Range/habitat Live in the dry litter of the forest floor of tropical lowland rainforests. Range: the

island of Madagascar. o Diet: OPPORTUNISTIC DECOMPOSER Eats ripened fruits and other plant matter that fall to the rain forest floor. This food

provides much of the moisture required for the cockroach; however, they occasionally drink dew from surrounding plants.

Plays a role in the rainforests of Madagascar by recycling a large amount of decaying plant and animal matter.


Cockroaches play an important ecological role. They are generalist feeders, capable of digesting a wide range of substances due to the variety of bacteria and protozoa in their digestive systems. They help decompose forest litter and animal fecal matter and are, in turn, food for many other animals.

o Feeding adaptations Roaches use their antennae as noses, finding food, mates, etc with them. Their

sense of smell is so great that it can recognize family and friends by distinct odors. o Predator avoidance adaptations: Pliable exoskeleton allows cockroaches to take refuge in narrow crevices Alarm hiss is an anti-predatory strategy, producing a loud snake-like noise to startle

potential predators. A cockroach can move very fast, approximately 3 MPH. If it were human-size that

would be 93MPH!

Spiny-tailed lizard o Range/habitat Found in the habitat spanning throughout parts of North Africa and the Middle East

and in parts of southern Asia. This range is primarily dry, and the Uromastyx stays at elevations above 2000 feet. Their habitat is desert regions or climates that mimic a desert. They often create burrows in the sand around places of rock clusters and formations.

o Diet: OMNIVORE Primarily herbivores but the occasional insectivore Important link in the food chain. They are predators but in turn are preyed upon by

many larger reptiles, carnivorous mammals and birds. o Feeding adaptations Due to the high salt content in the soil in deserts where they live, many plants they

consume also have high salt concentrations in their leaves. To shed this excess salt without losing moisture, this species has glands in its nostrils that produce “snalt” (a “snot” and salt combination). This can be seen as white dusty crystals around their nostrils.

Some species of uromastyx lizard make use of microbial digestion and a complex digestive tract that maximizes surface area to absorb as much nutrients possible.

Water is consumed infrequently as all moisture needed is generally obtained from the food that is eaten.

o Predator avoidance adaptations: Like most animals, the lizard’s main line of defense is to avoid detection, either by

hiding or through camouflage. If detected, the lizard will resort to flight, taking refuge inside one of its retreats, which typically are nearby. The beige and black spots on the lizards help it to blend in to the surrounding rock formations. Uromastyx use their spiny tail, which is strong and muscular, to swing at their opponent, both to intimidate as well as strike and harm.


Plated lizard o Range/habitat Found south of the Sahara, in Eastern and Southeastern Africa. They inhabit semi-

arid steppes and/or savannas. They occupy burrows and termite mounds or rocky outcroppings.

o Diet: OMNIVORE Eats a wide variety of plants and plant parts, insects, and small vertebrates

(including other lizards and snakes). Reptiles are important components of the food webs in most ecosystems. They fill a

critical role both as predator and prey species. Herbivorous species can also be important seed dispersers, particularly on island habitats. Reptile species can also be useful to people, in some areas, they help control the numbers of serious agricultural pests by consuming rodent and insect pests.

o Feeding adaptations The tongue serves as a sense organ by capturing biochemical particles present in the

environment emitted by food, predators, mates, etc. The line running along the plated lizard is a gap in the plates. It allows for expansion

if the situation calls for it. If additional food is found, it allows for growth. o Predator avoidance adaptations: They use their thick, strong tail as a whip to fend off predators and strike them. The

sharp plates on the tail can cause pain to any intruder to their burrow or personal space. They will often run and stop suddenly to raise the tail in a threatening manner.

They hide in crevices, wedging themselves into small openings where the predator cannot reach.

Plated lizards are capable of autotomy or shedding of the tail in an effort to escape.

III. Hike Locations Needs: One flashlight with red filter/instructor and cued up recording of a barred owl call APP I

Students will learn that most cat species are solitary predators but some are social predators.

Students will experience food chain dynamics and become familiar with the factors that create change in these systems.

Students will investigate the how farmers in Namibia and farmers in Kenya are living in an integrated landscape successfully with top predators

Students will take part in creating their own knowledge, based on investigative skills.

APP II

Students will take part in creating their own knowledge, based on investigative skills


Students will learn about lion pride hunting, pride dynamics, and where lions are living on the same landscape as humans.

Students will take a closer look at the Zoo’s role in supporting global conservation, specifically in Kenya

Students will learn about the Pastoral livelihoods of the Maasai culture in the South Rift Valley

Students will understand that people are the solution to conservation issues and the future of conservation is not to separate humans and wildlife but coexistence through HOPE (Habitats, Opportunities, People & Education)

Africa (see Africa Interpretive guide and Supplemental Hike information in Appendix A for more details on the species in each exhibit) General Talking Points: Animals that share an ecosystem have specific niches and applicable adaptations. Animals active during the day are diurnal and those active at night are nocturnal. Reinforce the idea of predator and prey animals having specific adaptations, especially

in the context of the African food web. What senses may a predator use? What about those hunting at night? What about

those hunting during the day? Do they rely on different senses? Changes to this ecosystem impact the human and non-human animals that depend

upon it.

Giraffe Ridge o Prey species o Herbivore o Eyesight is keen and other prey animals rely on them to warn of incoming danger

Cheetah o Predator species o Carnivore o Build for speed o Diurnal

Mixed species yard o Hoofstock (Thomson’s gazelle, kudu, impala) Can run fast and are nimble (for quick turns) Behavior called “stotting” or “pronking” in front of predators has been correlated

with a reduction in the chasing of that stotting prey animal by most predators that witness the stotting.

Eyes on the side for watching for predators while munching on plants Horns for defense against predators (and male-male competition)

o Ostrich Strong legs

Kick to defend

Fast runners Good eyesight Can camouflage by lying down on the ground


Communal egg layers. Male takes care of the eggs and hatchlings o Vultures Extremely sharp beaks for tearing and ripping meat off carcasses. A good sense of smell to detect the odor of something rotting. They don’t hunt live animals, they eat dead meat Bald heads that keep the meat and debris off of their faces. Keeps them clean while

they are shoulders-deep into a stinky, dead animal. Ridiculously acidic stomachs (with a pH near 0, that is nearly 10x more acidic than

other raptors) that kills the bacteria and germs upon contact. They also have strong immune systems to prevent them from getting infected by most of the microbes they ingest.

o Guineafowl Opportunistic omnivore whose diet changes by season. During the dry season, eat

plant material. During the rains, animal material is eaten for protein in preparation for breeding.

Flocks may join in numbers reaching a thousand. Individual flocks contain from 25 to 100 birds.

Many predators, like jackals, want to eat them. Their normal response is to run for cover rather than fly away.

Lions o Some carnivores/predators (like lions) can eat other predators or steal the prey they just

killed. o Lions are the only truly social cat species o Lions can make 9 different vocalizations - a specialized adaptation for an animal that

lives in social groups (prides).

Painted Dogs o Carnivores o Highly social, communicating by touch, actions, and vocalizations. o Live in groups called “packs” with an alpha male and female o Second most endangered carnivore in Africa

Meerkats o Live in tight-knit social groups o Use a variety of calls and purrs to alert each other when incoming prey (and predatory

threats) is spotted o Omnivores that will eat everything from insects and lizards to birds and fruit

Wolf Woods General Talking Points: As predators, wolves are true team players. One could liken their hunting efforts to the

carefully coordinated plays at the Super Bowl. They are the only large predator in North America dependent for survival on a cooperative, social unit. Many adaptations, both physical and behavioral, help these animals stay “top dogs” in the food chain. Since the return of the wolf in many ecosystems (Yellowstone, Michigan, Montana and Arizona), scientists have enjoyed documenting the benefits wolves bring. Before the return of the


wolf to these areas, coyotes, grizzlies, cougars and even humans were in charge of keeping ungulate populations in check. In all ecosystems where wolves have been returned, the ripple effect has been tremendous.

The wolves keeping other predatory populations (coyote and foxes) in check by stalking and killing them. Therefore, the presence of the wolves means that there is a three layered hierarchy of predators in the ecosystem, with the wolves at the top.

When the wolves were removed, it allowed the coyotes to begin feeding off a larger prey base than they previously had. More food meant more coyotes. When the coyotes were removed, it allowed the red foxes the same luxury, all to the ultimate detriment of the duck population. When all three predators were again in the ecosystem, each stalked its own, smaller prey base, resulting in more stable populations for both predator and prey.

Wolves generally may fast for several days and then gorge on a large kill, sometimes eating up to 20 pounds of meat per individual at that time. Thus, because of these higher caloric needs, wolves favor large prey, such as elk.

An interesting story that came from the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone links wolves, elk, and aspen trees. When wolves occurred naturally in Yellowstone, aspen trees flourished as well. Sapling aspen trees are a favorite food of elk. The elk naturally avoided the territory the wolf packs occupied; meaning aspen trees in these territories could proliferate. (Wolves don’t eat trees!) With the wolves gone, the elk were free to roam the countryside and eat from a much larger number of aspen trees, which further threw that ecosystem out of whack. When wolves were reintroduced and established territories, the elk were less likely to roam, allowing the aspen trees to regenerate.

Gray fox o Also known as the tree fox, the grey fox is the only member of the dog family that can

climb trees. o These omnivores are solitary hunters eat a wide-variety of foods

o Have been known to cache food for later consumption

o They use their large, cup-shaped ears to funnel sound, rotating them in different directions to pinpoint prey location.

Mexican wolf o Most endangered subspecies of wolf o Considered an apex predator in their ecosystem. o Live in a pack that is ruled by an alpha male (and female). o Wolves are unique in North American ecosystems as the only top predator to hunt in a

pack as a cooperative group. They depend on one another to bring down the game that would elude them if each worked alone.

o In eliminating weaker animals, the wolf helps maintain strong, viable populations of large ungulates, such as caribou, deer, elk, and moose.

o Highly social and physically interactive with pack mates o Many parallels between their plight and that of large carnivores in Africa

Barred owl o Large, forward-facing eyes equip the owl with exceptional vision and an acute ability to

judge distances. Soft, fringed feathers silent the owl’s flight as it swoops down to catch its unsuspecting prey.


o Defending its territory or advertising for a mate, a barred owl hoots: “Who-cooks-for-you, who-cooks-for-you-all?”

o *Play recording of barred owl call to see if you can get our owl to call back*

Discussion after the hike (can be done in front of the mixed yard, during snack, or right before bedtime) 1. Remind them that we have just seen and learned about some of the important roles that

animals play in their ecosystems (have them share some of these with you). 2. Discuss how humans interact with the African savanna community. Ask: What is the role of

humans in the ecosystem? (Humans are omnivores and top-level consumers. They use ecosystem resources and alter the environment so they often compete with other organisms for food and space.) Ask: How do humans and big cats interact? What about the cattle? Elicit from students that humans and big cats have a similar role in terms of feeding relationships. They are both top carnivores and help balance the ecosystem by consuming herbivores. Humans and lions and cheetahs also come into conflict because they are on the same trophic level. This leads to conflict which has become coexistence between predators and people in the integrated African landscape.

3. Introduce the added challenge of climate change. Be sure to use the same verbage utilized in the blurb below. Research has shown that the way a message is conveyed significantly impacts the understanding and retention of the information within. “When we fuel our lives by burning coal, oil, and natural gas, we release carbon dioxide

(CO2) into the air in larger quantities than would naturally occur. This extra CO2, called “rampant CO2” is going up into the atmosphere where it creates something like a heat-trapping blanket (HTB) around our Earth. This HTB allows the heat from the sun in, but then traps too much of it, preventing it from leaving again. The result is that our Earth, including the oceans, is warming. This warming is resulting in changes to our global climate. These changes can be seen in many forms, including increasing temperature, rain variability, more intense and frequent storm events (such as hurricanes), and rising sea levels. In Africa, the effects of climate change are being seen in the amount of rain that falls in many regions. This reduction in overall rainfall and reduction in the length of the rainy season are impacting that ecosystem’s resources by causing droughts. Drought reduced the amount of plant matter available for grazers and browsers, increasing the competition between livestock and wild herbivores for this resource. This competition may reduce the herbivore prey base, forcing predators to look elsewhere for a meal and increasing the likelihood that predators and livestock will come into contact and conflict. The good news is that we know some of the human-induced causes of climate change such as such as the burning fossil fuels, clearing forests, and developing land for farms, cities, and roads. By taking measures to mitigate this, we are protecting ecosystems here and worldwide for wildlife and future generations of humans. By supporting initiatives at schools such as idle-free zones (turn the car off rather than idling it while dropping off/picking up from school), city bike lanes, walking-friendly urban-planning, and accessible public transportation, we can all be a part of the solution.”


IV. Behind the Scenes Hike Locations (See Appendix B for a pictoral outline and step-by-step directions for your tour stops)

Africa – Keeper, hoofstock, and bird areas This tour is mostly about the equipment and logistics of the keeper side of things. There is a chance for a close encounter of the ostrich kind, but no guarantees. Scheduled stops in the building are:

Kitchen

Ostrich Outdoor Holding

Enrichment Closet

Keeper Break-Room Curator’s Conference Room

Keeper Whiteboard for Messages

Keeper Lockerroom/Doors to Holding Areas Hippo Pump Room While standing on the platform, have them look around the room at all of the equipment housed in this building. Holy cow! Now for some FUN FACTS about this system:

Hippo Life Support System (LSS) o Amount of equipment and piping in the filtration building weighs the equivalent of 90

hippos (293,800 pounds or 147 tons)! o Exhibit pool system pushes water through the system at 1,800 gallons per minute (gpm).

That’s 7.5 times greater than the output of a fire hose! o Why so much? Hippo holding pool holds approximately 11,000 gallons of water (about 140

bathtubs worth) and the exhibit pool holds approximately 67,000 gallons (about 840 bathtubs worth)

Hippos produce approximately 300 pounds or poop each per day. Lots of poop means we need a good system for cleaning the water

All those pipes! o There is approximately 3,500 linear feet (that’s over ½ mile) off piping for the LSS

system alone!

Large, blue sand filters: o Each large, blue sand filter holds 3000 gal & weighs 755,000 lbs when full (Typical

swimming pool filter is 12’ high, 8’ wide and holds about 30-35gal and weighs 250-300lbs when full)

o These are larger than a Fiat 5000

Main pool glass o 7 plies of ½”, laminated glass o Able to withstand 4500psi of pressure from water and swimming hippo impact at

10mph o Can’t be acrylic because hippos would gouge/mar it


V. Activities and Games (See Appendix C for full instructions)

“Who Killed My Goat?” Activity Whether we are talking about grey wolves in Yellowstone or cheetahs in Namibia, human-wildlife conflict can present real challenges to wildlife conservation efforts. As with any predator-prey relationship, changes in habitat, increases in human populations, and prey availability can lead to human-wildlife conflicts. One area where these conflicts can arise is in the killing and consumption of livestock by the native predators to a habitat.

Needs: This is an activity that needs to be set up ahead of time by either instructors or the AC. The AC will decide where and when this activity is done.

Goal/Focus:Learn how the Goat ID program in Namibia is training farmers in Africa to see what animal might have killed their livestock by stepping into the shoes of the farmer (or CCF employee) who must identify “Who killed my goat?” and choosing the appropriate action to take to prevent future losses.

Find Your Food Scavenger Hunt The goal is for participants to pretend they are packs of painted dogs searching for prey. Each pack will be given a unique scent to follow. These scents will represent different prey species. They must find and follow the “scent trail” of their prey species, gathering clues at each scent stop about the identity of the animal that they are stalking.

Needs: This is an activity that needs to be set up ahead of time by either instructors or the AC. The AC will decide where and when this activity is done.

Goal/Focus: Do a fun scent-based scavenger hunt to mimic a predator following the scent trail of their prey in order to stalk and catch their meal.

Resources: Animal Diversity Web: http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Uromastyx_acanthinura/ Biggs, A., National Geographic Society (U.S.), and Glencoe/McGraw-Hill. (2002). Biology: The dynamics of life. New York, N.Y: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden: http://cincinnatizoo.org/blog/animals/maasai-giraffe/ Elmwood Park Zoo: http://www.elmwoodparkzoo.org/ Estes, Richard. (1999).The Safari Companion: A Guide to Watching African Mammals Including Hoofed Mammals, Carnivores, and Primates. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing Company. Giraffe Conservation: http://giraffeconservation.org/

http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Uromastyx_acanthinura/

http://cincinnatizoo.org/blog/animals/maasai-giraffe/

http://www.elmwoodparkzoo.org/

http://giraffeconservation.org/


Goodall, J., Maynard, T., & Hudson, G. E. (2009). Hope for animals and their world: How endangered species are being rescued from the brink. New York, NY: Grand Central Pub. Indiana State Standards: http://www.doe.in.gov/standards/science-computer-science

Molles, M. C. (1999). Ecology: Concepts and applications. Boston, MA: WCB/McGraw-Hill National Geographic: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/african-hunting-dog/ New Hampshire Public Television: http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/grayfox.htm Next Generation Science Standards (aka KY State Standards): http://www.nextgenscience.org/ Ohio State Standards: http://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Ohios-Learning-Standards/Science/ScienceStandards.pdf.aspx Rosamond Gifford Zoo: http://rosamondgiffordzoo.org/assets/uploads/animals/pdf/EmperorBlackScorpion.pdf Smithsonian National Zoo: https://nationalzoo.si.edu/Publications/PressMaterials/PressKit/AmericanTrail/facilities.pdf Sobel, D. (1996). Beyond ecophobia: reclaiming the heart in nature education. Great Barrington, MA: Orion Society. Toronto Zoo: http://www.torontozoo.com/explorethezoo/AnimalDetails.asp?pg=822 University of California Museum of Paleontology: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/mammal/carnivora/carnivoralh.html United States Department of Fish and Wildlife: https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/mexicanwolf/pdf/Mx_wolf_listing_final_rule_to_OFR.pdf

http://www.doe.in.gov/standards/science-computer-science

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/african-hunting-dog/

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/african-hunting-dog/

http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/grayfox.htm

http://www.nextgenscience.org/

http://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Ohios-Learning-Standards/Science/ScienceStandards.pdf.aspx

http://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Ohios-Learning-Standards/Science/ScienceStandards.pdf.aspx

http://rosamondgiffordzoo.org/assets/uploads/animals/pdf/EmperorBlackScorpion.pdf

https://nationalzoo.si.edu/Publications/PressMaterials/PressKit/AmericanTrail/facilities.pdf

http://www.torontozoo.com/explorethezoo/AnimalDetails.asp?pg=822

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/mammal/carnivora/carnivoralh.html

https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/mexicanwolf/pdf/Mx_wolf_listing_final_rule_to_OFR.pdf

https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/mexicanwolf/pdf/Mx_wolf_listing_final_rule_to_OFR.pdf


APPENDIX A: Exhibit Talking Points The Cheetah Exhibit The exhibit contains large shade trees under which the cheetahs are expected to rest in view. Fabricated weaver bird nests hang from one of the trees. There is an artificial termite mound in the public space with a flip-up interactive. Also, in the exhibit there is a cheetah play tree. Play trees are quite distinctive as they normally have a large trunk, a wide canopy, and a good view of the surrounding area. However, not all trees in the bush that seem to be suitable play trees are visited by cheetahs, so there is some quality of the tree beyond the obvious that cheetahs are looking for when deciding which trees to use. Cheetahs in the wild will use these as marking posts (I would refer to them as the wild cheetahs Facebook page or twitter account, email, whatever). Playtrees are very important for cheetahs as they can communicate their territory to other cheetahs and if females are in estrus. These playtrees are communication stations which are critically important for the cheetahs’ survival as cheetahs are mostly solitary animals. They require common areas to communicate to each other. Predatory Adaptations: Built for Speed A cheetah can sprint across a distance of 92 feet in a single second.

Head—Small aerodynamic head

Shoulders—Long, thin streamlined body

Spine—Flexible spine for maximum stretching

Legs—Long, strong legs for long strides

Claws—Claws for traction, like cleats on running shoes

Brake pads—Hard, pointed pads for braking

Tail—Long tail for balance and steering

General Information Length: 3.5 to 4.5 ft Weight: 85 to 140 lbs Lifespan: Up to 12 yrs in wild Habitat: Savanna and dry forest Prey: Small antelope, warthog, hare and game birds Status: Species at Risk (IUCN—Vulnerable) Range: Africa and western Asia (Iran)

Supporting Cheetah Conservation Cheetahs are endangered and their population worldwide has shrunk from about 100,000 in 1900 to an estimated 9,000 to 12,000 cheetahs today. The Cincinnati Zoo has been dubbed “The Cheetah Capital of the World” because of its conservation efforts through education, public interpretation, and the captive cheetah breeding program.

The Angel Fund o In 1982, a woman named Cathryn Hilker – Individuals can make a huge change in the

world!! Even people right here in Cincinnati!!! and a cheetah called Angel launched a program at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden that was the first of its kind for zoos


in the nation: the Cat Ambassador Program. Cathryn and Angel were partners for 12 years here at the Zoo, working to educate people about cheetahs—where they live, what they need, and what we need to do to save them. In her lifetime, Angel connected with over 1,000,000 people through the Zoo’s programs.

o In 1992, The Angel Fund was established in Angel’s memory to continue the work which she so bravely began by letting her very presence, day in and day out, speak for every living cheetah. Angel helped give cheetahs, everywhere, a presence, a voice, a real chance. Funds raised by the Angel Fund support cheetah conservation efforts worldwide.

Livestock Guarding Dog Program o Commercial farmers in Namibia were in need of more protection for their cattle and

other small stock (goats, sheep) for which they earn a living. As a direct response to this need, CCF introduced a special guard dog program. We breed Anatolian Shepherds, place them with farmers, supply free medical care for the dogs and train farmers in the best dog care and support. These wonderful working dogs then live with the herds 24 hours a day, scaring away predators such as the cheetah. What a success this program continues to be! To-date we have placed over 200 dogs and can report a dramatic impact on lowering the number of wild cheetahs trapped and killed in Namibia.

Cat Ambassador Program o Cathryn Hilker and the Cincinnati Zoo’s Cat Ambassador Program (CAP) continue Angel’s

legacy with the assistance of other cheetah ambassadors, including Bravo, Chance, Tommy, Nia, Savanna, and Donni who work like their predecessors to make the connection that people will save what they see.

o The CAP presents a seasonal Cheetah Encounter show, displaying running demonstrations and other natural behaviors of the cheetah. During the school year, the CAP takes the cheetah to school assemblies to spread the word that cheetahs are running for their lives and their future will be a bright one as long as the trend of coexistence continues.

Regional Cheetah Breeding Center o The Angel Fund was also the inspiration and funding source for the Zoo’s cheetah off-

site breeding facility at the Mast Farm. The Zoo’s Regional Cheetah Breeding Center is one of only a handful of similar facilities in the United States managed by the Species Survival Plan. More than 60 cheetah cubs have been born in Cincinnati so far (This breeding work is scheduled to move to the Cincinnati Zoo’s Bowyer Property in 2017 pending permits and holding pen construction).

In Situ Conservation o The Angel Fund and the Cincinnati Zoo are integral parts of a true international effort

committed to the cheetah’s survival in Africa. From South Africa and Botswana in the south up through Kenya and Tanzania in East Africa, the Angel Fund has contributed more than $1 million in support of predator coexistence in the wild.


Lion Exhibit Talking Points: Lion General Information:

Length: Male – 8.5 to 10.5 ft

Female – 5 to 6 ft

Weight: Male – 330 to 530 lbs

Female – 270 to 400 lbs

Lifespan: Up to 18 yrs in wild

Habitat: Savanna, woodland, and desert

Prey: Hoofed mammals, hares, small birds and reptiles

Status: Species at Risk (IUCN—Vulnerable) Behavior:

Lions are the only truly social cat species, living in prides comprised a group of related females and a dominant male.

Lions are exceptional predators and hunt in groups, cooperatively to take down large prey animals, like wildebeest, water buffalo and sometimes even elephants.

In order to effectively hunt cooperatively and communicate effectively lions can make 9 different vocalizations.

Can People and Carnivores Coexist? Setting the stage:

Take your participants on a journey to Africa (have them close their eyes). They arrive in Kenya in the Maasai land. When they step off the plane and take a deep breath in…… What do they smell? The smell of campfires and cattle dung (this is truly what it smells like).

Begin to talk about the Maasai people and their pastoral lifestyles. A pastoral lifestyle is that of shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land (sharing their land with wildlife) based on the seasons and the changing availability of water and pasturage.

When you discuss the topic of coexistence with younger kids and older audiences it may be helpful to make an analogy between the Maasai people’s cattle and our domestic animals (i.e. dogs, cats). The Maasai love their cattle like we love our dogs. They also “walk” or graze their cattle much like we walk our dogs. Have the audience imagine they are walking their dog through an African savannah ecosystem and see a pride of lions?!!

Sharing the same space can be tricky for lions and people. Livestock and wildlife often graze in the same areas. Lions need to eat, and sometimes happen upon livestock rather than wild animals. Losing one of their beloved cows to a lion is a hard for loss for a Maasai, often creating a desire to retaliate. It is far better to prevent lion attacks in the first place.

Cultural changes bring new challenges The Maasai people have lived with lions and other wildlife for thousands of years in Kenya’s South Rift Valley. However, as times change and their culture evolves, the traditional Maasai way of maintaining that coexistence must also adapt. Traditionally, young Maasai men would look out for lions and chase them away. As more of these young men go off to school today, livestock herds are much more vulnerable to lions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herd

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landscape

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Season


How can the Maasai protect their flock in this new day and age and still share the land with predators? “The Maasai know how to live with lions; we do not need to separate people and wildlife for we have learned how to move around one another. For conservation to succeed, it must maintain this balance between livestock and wildlife”

Rebuilding the Pride Rebuilding the Pride is a community-based conservation program that combines tradition and modern technology to restore a healthy lion population while reducing the loss of livestock to lions in Kenya’s South Rift Valley. New technology keeps tabs on the lions. Local Maasai research assistants track lions with Global Positioning System (GPS) collars. Knowing where the prides are lets herders know where to avoid grazing their livestock.

Game scouts help protect livestock When herders must move through areas with lions, they call on community game scouts to accompany them for extra protection. The pride—of lions and people—continues to grow. Nasha is one of two lionesses in a pride of about a dozen lions that lives in the South Rift. Her pride is often out in the open and easy to view. As Nasha’s pride grows, so does the pride the Maasai take in sharing the land with lions.

Supporting Community-based Conservation in Kenya The Zoo partners with the African Conservation Centre (ACC) in Kenya. ACC’s primary aim is to bring together the people and skills needed to build East Africa’s capacity to conserve wildlife. ACC is located in the South Rift Valley of Kenya, stretching from the Maasai Mara National Reserve through Amboseli National Park. More than 75% of Kenya’s wildlife lives outside of national parks, which makes the South Rift Valley one of the most spectacular wildlife areas on the planet.

SORALO and ACC o The Maasai people have coexisted with wildlife in southern Kenya for centuries. As a

nomadic culture, the community makes decisions together and shares the landscape. People and wildlife migrate seasonally as necessary to meet their needs for food and water. Unfortunately, a growing population is creating pressure to subdivide the land and build fences, which puts the land, wildlife, and people in trouble.

o Leaders from 14 Maasai group ranches established SORALO (South Rift Association of Land Owners) to manage the sustainable use of their natural resources by integrating tourism, livestock development and other income generating activities to improve communities’ livelihoods. SORALO established community conservation areas on two group ranches, Olkiramatian and Shompole, which provide refuge for wildlife and serve as drought refuge for Maasai livestock. SORALO and the Olkiramatian and Shompole group ranches invited ACC to help assess their conservation projects and to provide guidance in future management strategies. ACC initiated an integrated research program to understand the dynamic interactions between people, livestock, wildlife, habitat, water resources and temperature, which are all key components of the ecosystem. If research can


identify the necessary criteria for people, wildlife, and landscapes to persist, then the community will be well-equipped to tackle current and future management concerns.

o Research is conducted both by local community members and resident or visiting scientists. Community Resource Assessors assist with ecological monitoring, livelihood surveys and land use assessment. Community game scouts play a crucial role in protecting wildlife by arresting poachers, rescuing wounded animals, protecting threatened animals, controlling human-wildlife conflict and collecting scientific data on biodiversity. For a great overview, watch a documentary on the coexistence of Maasai and lions in South Rift Valley of Kenya produce by Anna Campbell at www.annacampbell.tv/films.

Rebuilding the Pride o The Zoo provides funding to support Rebuilding the Pride, a community-based

conservation program that combines tradition and modern technology to restore a healthy lion population while reducing the loss of livestock to lions in Kenya’s South Rift Valley.

o Local Maasai research assistants track the movement of both livestock and lions in an effort to understand seasonal movements and identify conflict hotspots. Some of the lions have been fitted with Global Positioning System (GPS) collars for better tracking.

o The collars transmit four locations a day to a central server, giving detailed information on the exact movement of the lions. Knowing where the prides are lets herders know where to avoid grazing their livestock.

o The program also deploys a Conflict Response Team to mitigate any conflicts that arise between people and lions.

o When herders must move through areas with lions, they call on community game scouts to accompany them for extra protection.

o The team also helps find and rescue lost livestock that would have otherwise fallen victim to predation.

o Thanks to these efforts, lion populations are growing on the Olkirimatian and Shompole ranches. Once down to a low of about 10 known lions in the area, the population is now estimated to be nearly 70. The prides have been producing cubs and new lions are moving in from surrounding areas. COEXISTENCE EQUALs SUCCESSFUL CONSERVATION!!

Maasai Lion Bracelets o To inspire, connect and engage guests in our conservation efforts in Kenya, the Zoo

created the Maasai Lion Bracelets program. o Beadwork is an integral part of the Maasai culture. The Zoo purchases beaded

bracelets hand-crafted by the Olkirimatian Women’s Group. The bracelets are then sold to Zoo guests as a symbol of the coexistence between Maasai and lions and a way that guests can contribute to conservation.

o The proceeds are sent back to the Women’s Group to support the Resource Center and the Maasai community. Some of the funds pay for the education of Maasai girls.

http://www.annacampbell.tv/films


Maasai Giraffe Exhibit talking points Maasai giraffe general information:

o Range: Southern Kenya and Tanzania o Height: 13 to 17 ft o Weight: 1,210 to 4,250 lbs o Lifespan: 25 yrs in wild o Habitat: Savanna and woodland; they can live in the heat of the desert, and some

intensely wooded areas. o Diet: Leaves, shoots, and fruits o Giraffes have a bird’s eye view of the surrounding area and detect predators faster than

any other animal on the African savannah. This helped them earn the moniker “sentinel of the savannah.” Many other animals watch the giraffe for early warning signs of incoming danger.

Ecological Niche o Giraffe are a very important part of the African savannah. Their presence alone indicates

the health of the ecosystem itself. o The main predators to Maasai giraffe are lions and hyenas. Giraffe are well equipped

with their line of defense being their powerful legs and tough hooves Where do we fit in?

o The Zoo partners with the African Conservation Centre in Kenya. www.conservationafrica.org The center’s main goal is to bring together the people and skills needed to build East Africa’s capacity to conserve wildlife, including the giraffe.

Our individuals:

Kimba, Male, 7/24/2007 o Born at Roger Williams Park Zoo (RI) o Cross on chest

Tessa, Female, 8/8/2006 o Born at Houston Zoo (TX) o Five-slice pie on chest o Fuzzy horns

Cece, Female, 2/2/ 2003 o Born at Kansas City Zoo o Cece has a spot in the center of her chest.

Jambo, Female, 6/2011 o “Jambo” means “hello” in Swahili o Born at Louisville Zoo o Close to 1200 lbs o “Tortoise shell” or “six pack” markings on chest.

Cora, Female, 7/27/2016 o “Cora” means “heart” and was named for the heart-shaped spot on her shoulder. o Born at our Zoo to Mom, Cece, and Dad, Kimba.

http://www.conservationafrica.org/


Wolf Woods Exhibit Talking Points Grey Fox

o Our fox Farrah Foxcett, Female, born in 2008

o General information Only member of the dog family that can climb trees. Length: 1.8 to 2.7 ft Weight: 6.5 to 15 lbs Lifespan: Up to 13 yrs in captivity Habitat: Woodland Diet: Small mammals and birds, some fruits and seeds Range: Southern Canada to northern South America

o Ecological niche They are solitary hunters eat a wide-variety of foods These little predators eat an omnivorous diet Sometimes, they cache food for later They use their large, cup-shaped ears to funnel sound, rotating them in different

directions to pinpoint prey location. Barred Owl

o Our owl: Flanders, Male, age unknown Was injured in the wild. Rehabilitated by Raptors Inc. Came to us in 2009 when he was deemed unreleasable

o General information Length: 1.4 to 1.6 ft Wingspan: 3.2 to 3.6 ft Weight: 1 to 2.3 lbs Lifespan: More than 20 yrs Habitat: Forest Range: North America Diet: Small mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and invertebrates

o Ecological Niche Nocturnal bird of prey with carnivorous diet Plays an important role in management of pest populations within its habitat Predatory adaptations include:

Large, forward-facing eyes that equip the owl with exceptional vision and an acute ability to judge distances

Soft, fringed feathers silent the owl’s flight as it swoops down to catch its unsuspecting prey

o Owl Call Defending its territory or advertising for a mate, a barred owl hoots: “Who-cooks-

for-you, who-cooks-for-you-all?”


Mexican Grey Wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) o Our wolf Sedona, Female, 05/09/2002 Born at Binder Park Zoo, however, all captive Mexican wolves are “owned” by the

US Dept of Fish and Wildlife o General information The Mexican grey wolf (Canis lupus baileyi—named after a famous trapper) is the

smallest, southernmost, most genetically distinct, and most endangered of the five subspecies of grey wolf in North America.

Size: Adults weigh up to 80lbs Preferred habitat: is mountainous regions—montane woodlands, provide excellent

cover, water, and prey base for wolves Current Range: Reintroduction to area ranging from east-central Arizona to west-

central New Mexico Historic Range: Included central and southeastern Arizona, southern New Mexico,

west Texas, and territory as far south as Mexico City, Mexico Diet: white-tailed and mule deer, elk, pronghorn antelope, javelina (boar), beaver,

and other small mammals. Ungulates are the preferred prey. Wolves will occasionally kill and eat domestic livestock. Mexican wolves hunt in packs and often chase prey long distances before killing it.

o Ecological niche Considered an apex predator in their ecosystem. Wolves are unique in North American ecosystems as the only top predator to hunt in

a pack as a cooperative group. It is vital that all members get along and understand their roles if the pack is to

survive. They depend on one another to bring down the game that would certainly elude

them if each worked alone. Because hunting carries a relatively low chance of success, wolves search for easy

targets. It is the vulnerable animals—the crippled, diseased, injured, those with poor sight or hearing, and the oldest or youngest—on which the wolf survives.

In eliminating weaker animals, the wolf helps maintain strong, viable populations of large ungulates, such as caribou, deer, elk, and moose.

Wolves are also responsible for keeping the prey population at a manageable number. If left unchecked, prey would overgraze/browse the available plants, negatively impacting the landscape and putting unsustainable stress on the food supply, leading to habitat degradation and, eventually, starvation and malnutrition in some of the prey base.

o Behavior Live in packs with an alpha male and female (much like the painted dogs) Highly social and physically interactive with pack mates, licking, sniffing, nuzzling

muzzles, sleeping next to each other, and playing (romping, wrestling, etc) with each other.

Play biting and wrestling matches also maintain their hierarchal structure.


As youngsters, wolf pups learn how to become a socially acceptable individual, family member, and team player. Submissive behavior is learned very early by pups. Rolling over on the back with legs extended indicates respect and submission.

When the alpha male raises his head and tail, the others must lower their heads and flatten their tails between their legs.

Pack life advantages

In groups, wolves can take down prey up to 10 times heavier than their own weight.

Pack hunting allows each individual to expend less energy while still providing maximum nutrition.

Multiple attackers sharply increase the likelihood of a successful hunt

The young, as well as the old, benefit from a shared meal because wolves not only hunt cooperatively, but they also spend their entire lives in hierarchical family units.

Pack life disadvantages

In times of food scarcity, or when the pack brings down smaller prey, the hierarchy also comes into play.

The alpha animals eat first no matter what, followed by the beta animals, then followed by the omegas.

Those at the bottom of the omega sub-group generally do not fare well under these conditions.

At times, individuals are forced from the pack, and must fend for themselves, eating smaller prey.

While wolves have no natural predators themselves, a lone wolf becomes much more vulnerable to larger or more aggressive predators they may encounter such as bears, wolverines, cougars, and most importantly, other wolves.

o Challenges with coexistence Wolves will occasionally kill and eat domestic livestock. This is called depredation. Settlement of the American West, and the growth of the cattle industry that

accompanied it, led to the near-extinction of the Mexican wolf.

Before 1915, when they were targeted as a threat to livestock, it was legal to kill the Mexican wolf

At this time, there were perhaps 1500 wolves in New Mexico alone

Some 900 were killed in Arizona and New Mexico between 1915-1925 (many more were likely killed between 1890-1915, though no one knows for sure how many)

By 1942, Mexican wolves had been extirpated from their New Mexico habitat.

In Mexico, only 50 breeding pairs remained in 1978.

After ruthless hunting, poisoning, and trapping, the five remaining Mexican grey wolves in the U.S. were collected for a reintroduction program

In 1976, the Mexican wolf received federal protection under the Endangered Species Act and captive breeding/reintroduction efforts were begun in parts of Arizona and New Mexico (show map on desk in wolf cabin).


In 1998, Mexican wolves were released to the wild for the first time in the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area (BRWRA) within the Mexican Wolf Experimental Population Area.

At the end of 2014 at least 110 wolves occupied Mexican Wolf Recovery Area (MWRA). This was a 33% increase over the minimum population count (83) in 2013. Of those packs surveyed, 16 of the 19 were denning and 14 packs had produced 45 pups total, 39 of whom survived to year’s end.

Because the grey wolf population (as a whole) has made a comeback, they were delisted in most of their range in 2011 and 2012. This would have been bad news for the Mexican grey wolf subspecies. In 2011, a landmark agreement with the USFWS compelled them to move forward on improved protections for the Mexican gray wolf. On January 16, 2015, the Mexican gray wolf subspecies was finally granted separate endangered status under the Endangered Species Act.

Dealing with livestock depredation today: The following is taken from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s Ecological Services website: o The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and the Interagency Field Team

work diligently with affected stakeholders to prevent, reduce, and compensate for negative economic impacts felt by affected stakeholders in the BRWRA. These activities may include, but are not limited to the following: Turbo Fladry: an electric fence with red flagging installed around

livestock holding pastures and private property to discourage wolves from crossing the perimeter.

Hay: feed purchased for livestock producers who opt to keep livestock consolidated during calving season.

Range Riders: contract employees with radio telemetry equipment used to assist livestock producers in monitoring wolf movements in relation to cattle.

Livestock Grazing Rotation: moving livestock between different pastures within USFS grazing allotments in order to avoid areas of high wolf use including den and rendezvous sites.

Exclusionary Fencing: an eight-foot-high fence enclosing areas of private property for the purposes of protecting especially vulnerable animals or other specific reasons.

Radio Telemetry Equipment: monitoring equipment issued to livestock producers to facilitate their own proactive management activities and aid in the detection and prevention of livestock depredations.

Diversionary Food Cache: road-killed native prey carcasses or carnivore logs provided to wolves to reduce potential conflicts with livestock.

Supplemental Food Cache: road-killed native prey carcasses or carnivore logs provided to wolves in order to assist a pack or remnant of a pack in feeding young of the year when extenuating circumstances reduce their


own ability to do so. Supplemental food caches also serve to reduce potential conflicts between wolves and livestock.

o In April 2011, the Service appointed an 11-member Mexican Wolf/Livestock Coexistence Council (Coexistence Council), which has the authority to identify, recommend, and approve conservation activities, identify recipients, and approve the amount of the direct disbursement of Trust Funds to qualified recipients.

o The IFT, working with Non-Governmental Organizations, the U.S. Forest Service, and livestock producers implement proactive management activities to assist in eliminating or reducing wolf livestock conflicts in the BRWRA.

o Visit the Proactive Management Activities page to learn more about our efforts to prevent or reduce wolf livestock conflicts.

https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/mexicanwolf/PMA.cfm


Appendix B: Africa Holding & Hippo Pump Room Tour and Talking Points

BEHIND-THE-SCENES:

NOTE: Group leaders must pay close attention behind-the-scenes. We need to be sure that nothing is left behind, taken, or disrupted in any way or we may lose the privilege to tour non-public areas.

Explain the rules to visitors before crossing to the “keeper side” of the fence just past the African painted dog exhibit: o For the safety of both the visitors and the animals, the group must stay together and visitors

must refrain from wandering into “off-limits” areas. o Visitors must step into the footbath to kill any germs that may be on their shoes as they

enter and exit. This is important for the health of the animals. (remind them again when entering the building)

o The group should watch their step as they will be walking on gravel until they come to the concrete pad next to the holding building

(1) Fence Entrance between Hippo and Painted Dog Exhibit: You will access the behind the scenes area by passing though the keeper gate in the fence. This gate is secured with a pass-code lock. The pass-code is the Zoo’s # address. BE SURE TO RELOCK THE GATE ONCE YOUR GROUP HAS PASSED THROUGH IT. This lock cannot be left open.

Follow the path so that the hippo holding area is on your left and the rock wall of the painted dog exhibit is on your right.

1 2

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(2) Hippo Pump Room Enter the building at the door on the map indicated by the. You should enter first and, after ensuring that the safety rope is up across the opening leading to the lower level access ladder, invite your group to follow you inside. Take care that YOU stand at the far end of the platform closest to the filtration towers. Share information about what they are looking at and what the system in front of them is capable of doing to help keep the hippo exhibit and holding water clean. The Hippo Life Support System (LSS)

This is the most advanced and in-depth life support system in the Cincinnati Zoo. The goal is to ensure crystal clear water for visitors to see the hippos and fish while they are on exhibit. The exhibit pool filtration process is broken down below:

Water and waste is pumped from the exhibit and holding pools too the Parkson screen first (giant, rectangular metal tower) to strain out the solid matter (poop, straw, leaves, etc) and the solid matter is then dumped into the waste carts for disposal.

The water then travels to the sand filters where the fine sand particles allow for bio-filtration of microbes.

Some water then flows through the ozone equipment which injects ozone into the water for disinfection and removal off any remaining bacteria, metals, or chemicals.

The ozonized water then meets up with the filtered water in the deaeration tower where it passes over and trickles through the bio media filter which helps to keep good levels of pH, nitrites, and ammonia for the life support of the fish and hippos.

The water is then gravity fed back to the exhibit pool. The indoor holding pools go through a similar process on a smaller scale but do not go through the ozone or deaeration treatment because they are less worried about water clarity since no one will be viewing them through the water from the holding pools. The design calls for one to two of the large sand filters (3000 gallons) to be backwashed every day. This water is made up from the 10,000 holding tank located in a planter in the exhibit that store filtered rain harvest system water. If this tank is empty and there is not enough water in the rain harvest system, the system is filled with domestic water that must be treated before heading to the exhibit

FUN FACTS about this system:

Hippo Life Support System (LSS) o Amount of equipment and piping in the filtration building weighs the equivalent of 90

hippos (293,800 pounds or 147 tons)! o Exhibit pool system pushes water through the system at 1,800 gallons per minute (gpm).

That’s 7.5 times greater than the output of a fire hose! o Why so much? Hippo holding pool holds approximately 11,000 gallons of water (about 140

bathtubs worth) and the exhibit pool holds approximately 67,000 gallons (about 840 bathtubs worth)

Hippos produce approximately 300 pounds or poop each per day. Lots of poop means we need a good system for cleaning the water


All those pipes! o There is approximately 3,500 linear feet (that’s over ½ mile) off piping for the LSS

system alone!

Large, blue sand filters: o Each large, blue sand filter holds 3000 gal & weighs 755,000 lbs when full (Typical

swimming pool filter is 12’ high, 8’ wide and holds about 30-35gal and weighs 250-300lbs when full)

o These are larger than a Fiat 5000

Main pool glass o 7 plies of ½”, laminated glass o Able to withstand 4500psi of pressure from water and swimming hippo impact at

10mph o Can’t be acrylic because hippos would gouge/mar it

(3) Ice Storage Units (across from pump room access door) We freeze it at night so we don't have to run the compressor during peak electric hours

Utilize glycol as a coolant to chill the water in the enclosures with pools kept at a cooler temperature

A stream of water is diverted (through underground pipes) to a heat exchanger which allows chilled glycol at 44 degrees F from these self contained chiller units to cool the water through a metal plate transfer. The water is then diverted back to various animal pools.

The priority pools are penguin, puffin, auklet and sea lion pools. If supply allows and need arises, polar bear is next to get chilled.

Each pool has its own, dedicated chiller.

(4) Exterior Holding Pens and Mixing Yards

(a.k.a. the back of the public exhibit and holding’s outdoor access pens that you see on the walk to the door):

Keep group toward the center of the path, keeping the group at least 15 feet from the path that leads to exterior holding pens (see picture)

Secondary containment for painted dogs (safety and regulations)

Mixing yards for shifting some of the “mixed yard” animals on and off exhibit.

(5)Entering Holding (door sign = “Africa East

Holding”): Head down path parallel to Dury and enter the door that faces Dury marked “Africa East

Holding.” Your Africa key will unlock the door. *This is a good spot to reiterate expectations for when we are in a behind-the-scenes area.*

Exterior holding pens

Don’t cross this line

Africa holding


Go through the exterior door (Make sure it closes tightly behind you) and dip feet in the footbath (be careful as lots of feet stepping in these foot baths can make the floor slippery).

If the solar tubes do not provide enough light, flip on the light to the left next to the door marked “To Offices” (see photo) before heading through the “To Offices” door (this door slams, so someone should hold it and close it gently behind the group).

*Notes about this building*:

LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification paperwork is being filed and it should come back certified at the GOLD or PLATINUM level. To achieve that ranking, we have, amongst many other things not listed below: o All LED lights throughout o Geothermal cooling

o High efficiency boiler for heat in office/keeper area – Floor in holding have heat loop off of boiler

o The big round “lights” in the ceiling are actually solar tubes and are found throughout the holding area (the solar tubes reflect sunlight to illuminate indoor areas as well as a light would).

o Light sensors and campus lighting controls system (if solar tubes offer enough light – LEDs will not turn on unless overridden)

o A percentage (~60%) of the materials used were recycled content including the concrete in all new walls and floors

o A special white roof membrane called TPO was used for highest solar reflectivity index possible (to keep the building cooler in the summer

(6)Kitchen (door sign = “Africa Kitchen”): *Note- you will be entering and exiting the kitchen through different doors (enter in front and exit in back)*

Giant white board of info (on left of same wall as the door) o This board is divided into areas for everyone to make notes, leave reminders, and

make lists

“Enrichment corner” (on immediate left) o Shelves with cardboard and other enrichment items (cardboard is for

vultures. They like to rip them apart. They don’t even have to have food or treats inside!)

o Enrichment calendars are on the counter next to the shelf with notes as to whether they liked or disliked an enrichment item

White bird grain food rolling bins (under counter to the left) o Feel free to roll these out and let the group look inside. o “Game bird” – for guinea fowl o “Waterfowl” – for ruddy shelducks

Light switch


White food tubs on shelf (over counter on left) o Grab some nitrile gloves from the grey

cabinet marked “gloves” on right and pull down/out samples of what is in each bin. No snacking

o “Marion leafeater” – used for training, relationship building, and medicating (it absorbs liquid meds)

o “Horse Treats” – used for training and relationship building

o “Lion Chow” – believe it or not, it is NOT used for lion food. Used as enrichment for painted dogs. They like to roll in/on it. Why? We don’t know but that is ok.

Ostrich egg (on counter on left) o Really laid by our ostriches (2 females named “Rose” and “Pam”) that has been

blown out (contents flushed out to preserve shell) o Our ostriches lay around 1 egg/month in the summer o Can walk around and let them touch it gently to feel the texture o Imagine the omelet that would come from this egg! The contents of one ostrich egg

are equivalent to that of 20-24 large chicken eggs.

Roach tank (on counter) o Instructors are welcome to take one out to demo if they have time, just make sure

the lid is closed tightly after. o These are Madagascar hissing roaches o Unlike the ones in our interpretive collection, these guys are used as enrichment for

the meerkats and birds Bird feathers (on counter on left)

o These are actual feathers from the birds in our collection. o Pass them around and have the group gently touch them. o Can they guess from what type of bird they may have come? If they are young or

having trouble, make it a multiple choice question. o There is a “cheat sheet” of the feathers and their previous “owners” with the

feathers (see attached).

Grey cupboards on right o All are labeled and can be opened to reveal contents. One even contains “specimen

cups” – what could those be for? See if anyone guesses correctly. They will see a fridge dedicated to these when we head back to the entryway.

Silver fridge o This fridge but it should only be opened to retrieve lettuce for ostrich feed. It does

not have a good seal so MAKE SURE IT CLOSES PROPERLY to avoid causing the food inside to spoil.

o Currently get food deliveries 1 x week (Thursday). Everything goes into the freezer when it arrives except for food that will be fed out in the next 48 hours.


o Meat that is thawed and in the fridge that is over 2 days old is thrown away to prevent serving food that is not high quality and healthy. So, food must be measured and thawed with this in mind.

White Freezer (You can pull things out but be sure to put them back where you found them & that the door closes tightly when you are done): o Items: Femur bones

Fish

Carnivore diet Rats, mice, enrichment, “bloodsicles”

(scattered throughout, look and see)

Meat chunks (beef and goat)

Diet Book

o There is a white binder on the shelf to the right of the freezer. In it are all of the current daily animal diets

o Open the book and flip to the day of the week it is today. Read out (or have them help you read out) the diets that were actually fed out today.

o Did they see any of those foods on the tour so far?

Signage on Walls o Be sure to point out and talk about the signage about trophic levels and food webs

on the walls. These are not only very cool and informative, but are a direct tie in for APP I’s focus on food webs (and the Naturalist Badge scout appendix should that apply to your group)

(7)Ostrich Outdoor Holding Open Silver Fridge to grab 2 leaves of lettuce out of the container of lettuce and

make sure it closes tightly behind you as it does not have a good seal and may not close properly, spoiling the food inside.

Exit the kitchen through the back door and make a sharp right toward the double doors (pictured). These lead to the back “mixing yards” where the ostrich have

nighttime access.

Make sure the group QUIETLY waits just inside the building’s double doors while you, the instructor, walk out into the ostrich back holding area and alert the ostriches to your presence. The ostriches, Pam and Rose, will probably be resting in the smaller yard by their indoor access door.

Lettuce container


Once they see you and know you are there, you can have the group quietly file out the door and along the building side of the path until everyone can see. Make sure to remind them that this is the animals’ space and to keep their hands away from the fence.

Once the group is situated and the ostrich (most likely Pam) has approached you, stick the entire piece of lettuce through the fence, holding onto the base of the leaf. DO NOT STICK ANY PART OF YOUR HAND THROUGH THE FENCE. The ostrich may or may not choose to bite at the lettuce and eat it.

Feel free to interpret the ostriches’ diet and feeding methods while there, regardless of if they choose to feed from your offered lettuce.

(8)Enrichment Closet Head back into the building through the ostrich access door, down the hall and on your right is a door marked “Enrichment Closet”

Open the door marked “Enrichment Closet” and allow everyone to take turns looking inside.

Everything in there is approved enrichment for the animals in Africa. Not every type of enrichment is in there at all times (some are consumable, some “live” in different areas – think of the shelves in the kitchen - and others are not there because they are in use)

(9) Curator’s Conference Room Down the hall and right into the conference room Head into the conference room to see where big meetings happen and where animal behavior is monitored.

Please be mindful that this is the curators’ conference room. Make sure to push in any chairs that are moved and to not leave any trash behind.

Gather group around the table so that they can see the monitor on the wall

Talk briefly about how the lions and p. dogs have den cameras installed in their holding areas and that keepers have remote access to these 24/7. This is especially important when there is an introduction (such as happened with the new male dogs) or “birth watch” going on. In these cases, the Zoo also utilizes specially trained volunteers for round the clock monitoring of these video feeds to record behaviors and collect data. HOLD UP SAMPLE DATA SHEETS (found in a blue, plastic file folder labeled “NA Sample Behavior Charts” in the conference room). One is for “birth watch” behavior recording on Imani and the other is to record the behavior of Imani and the cubs. They use forms just like this to record what they see around the clock. The keepers are then able to gather these sheets and review the data to look for behavior patterns and changes with the parents and young.

Use the following steps to access the live lion den cam:


The computer itself should already be turned “On” (so that keepers can access it remotely from home when we need to). All you need to do is use the remote control on the table to turn the TV (in this case the monitor) “On” so you can login.

You can log on to the computer using: a. Login: hoofstock b. Password: Password1

Once logged on, open Internet Explorer and click the star in the upper right corner. A menu will drop down. Click on “Lion Cameras” and it will take you to the following bookmarked link: http://10.1.16.7:100/webcamera.html

a. The login is: Keepers b. The password is: 1234

This should link you to the live lion cameras. Once on the lion cams, you can switch between the 6 cameras (4 currently view Imani/cub holdings, and 2 are pointed at John’s stalls from the hallway). You can view one camera at a time, or 4 at a time, or as many as 9 at a time (3 will be blank).

You can right-click on any viewing window and select “Master Stream” (if it’s not already selected) to get the highest resolution image. You can also select “full screen” after right-clicking, to make the image fill the whole monitor. Feel free to play around with it. In the “Keepers” login that you’ll be utilizing, a lot of the settings are locked and require an administrator password to change (so you can’t really muck anything up by just playing around).

The only time you might run into a problem is if keepers Wendy or Dana are already logged onto the computer “remotely” from home to observe lions or dogs. If that’s the case, you’ll be able to tell as soon as you turn on the TV/monitor (lion or dog cams will already be pulled up). If this is the case, you can still observe whatever it is that they’re observing from home (so it’s a win/win!).

If you are the last tour group of the night (the AC should tell you this at the beginning of the night), log off the computer and turn off the monitor (Leave the COMPUTER on so that keepers can remotely access the cub/pup feeds if needed.).

What behaviors did they notice? Did anything they saw surprise them? If they were to report back to the keepers about what they saw, what would they say?

Head out the door and to the first door to the right.

http://10.1.16.7:100/webcamera.html


(10)Keeper Break-Room: **Please be mindful that this is the keepers’ break room. Make sure to push in any chairs that are moved and to not leave any trash behind.**

Have the group file into the room. Make sure to be respectful of the space. o Items to point out: Computers for filing “dailies” aka daily reports on their animals Separate food and microwave (AZA and USDA requires that they be kept

separate. Importance of a break room Head back to entry point

Take a look at the whiteboards that the keepers make notes on. o Purpose: this white board is used by Africa keepers to make sure they are all on the

same page as, due to scheduling, not all of them work every day together. o Read some of the keepers’ notes about animals to each other

(11)Keeper Whiteboard for Messages On the corner where the two hallways (kitchen and keeper room) Stop and check out the special message board created by these keepers specifically to allow communication between our NA participants and the Africa keepers.

Communicate to our keepers, and create special memories: Check for any special notes or messaging from the Africa keepers.

Read and share with your group (Can you select some of your members to do this?).

Leave a note of reply to the keepers What does your group want to share with the keepers? Are there

any positive words of encouragement, positive remarks, or favorite experiences from the tour you may want to share with the keepers? Write a few sentences or draw photos if you wish.

(12)Bird Holding (off entry, next to white board with animal names) **You will be looking through the window on the door, NOT going into holding. No flash photos**

Participants can rotate in shifts to look through the holding door window in small groups.

While waiting for everyone to get their turn, the rest of the group can look at the white board for some fun insider info on our animals.

White board information is: o Information on the board is current and tells us: Animal species Names and holding location Gender


Each animal’s unique ID or “ISIS number” (You may need to explain that “ISIS” is the name of our animal tracking and information system)

Animals’age

(13)Animal Fecal Sample fridge Without heading past the bench by the lockers, point out the mini fridge

that is specifically dedicated to holding fecal samples.

Open it up. Are there any “deposits” in there currently?

*Turn off the entry lights if you turned them on when you came in and head out door and around the side of the building*

(14)Hoofstock holding (door sign – “Africa North Entrance”) **You will be looking through the window on the door by the Sprinter vehicle (or parking pad if it is gone), NOT going into holding. No flash photos**

Animals housed here are actually not all hoofstock and include: o Kudu o Lappet-faced vulture o Rüppell’s vulture o Thomson’s gazelle o Impala o African crowned crane

Head back through keeper fence to visitor side again

Lock the gate behind you!


APPENDIX C: Instructions for Games/Activities

“Who Killed My Goat?” (30-45 min) Background Information: Whether we are talking about grey wolves in Yellowstone or cheetahs in Namibia, human-wildlife conflict can present real challenges to wildlife conservation efforts. Predators play an important role in keeping their ecosystem healthy by culling the weaker members of the local prey populations. This helps keep the prey populations full of healthy individuals and help keep prey population size in check. As with any predator-prey relationship, however, changes in habitat, increases in human populations, and prey availability can lead to human-wildlife conflicts. One area where these conflicts can arise is in the killing and consumption of livestock by the native predators to a habitat. The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden has a long history of collaborating with organizations in Africa to help support coexistence in these complex relationships between livestock farmers and native predators. One of the organizations with which the Zoo has partnered is the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) in Namibia. Namibia is home to a quarter of the world’s cheetahs. Their numbers, combined with their diurnal (awake during the daytime) nature, make them more visible than many of the other predators native to that region. It is easy to see why, when a livestock animal such as a goat is killed, the cheetah is often the scapegoat. To help reduce retaliatory killing and increasing tolerance of wild cheetahs on or near farmers’ lands, the CCF has developed farmer training programs. These programs are aimed at improving farming practices, explaining the role and value of predators in the ecosystem, and teaching better livestock protection techniques. These programs include an activity called “Kill ID” that teaches farmers how, in the event of a livestock kill, to identify the predator responsible by looking for predator-specific clues on the carcass. Each predator leaves a “calling card” of sorts in the manner in which they kill and feed on their prey. These clues are more reliable than tracks/footprints alone as more than one species may leave tracks while investigating (and/or feeding on) a carcass. This Kill ID training is very important in helping change a famer’s mindset about the threat of posed by different predators on their land. It can also help them identify threats to their livestock and inform them about which techniques would be most effective in protecting them from future predation. Techniques such as using guard dogs or herders, keeping herds in corrals with thornbush barriers at night, locating corrals near human activity, as well as other methods (techniques that are not promoted by CCF are poison collars on livestock, sight and sound repellants, and shock collars). The most effective techniques may also change during calving season, when predation on calves (or goat kids) is more likely to occur as calves under three months of age are most vulnerable to predation. These techniques may include daily monitoring of herds, synchronizing births, increasing herd density, keeping donkeys, bulls, or additional cows with horns in with calving females, clearing brush and bush around calving areas to reduce cover for predators, corralling herds at night (and/or keeping calves in roofed corrals) and keeping them with a herder during the day, or a combination of these techniques. Two members of the Education Department led a graduate program in Namibia and got to witness the success of the Kill ID aspect of the farmer training programs first-hand. When they returned, they shared the Kill ID program with the rest of the department and we decided to


update our African Predator Prowl overnight program to include this activity we are calling, “Who Killed My Goat.” That is where NA instructors come in. As of Summer 2016, all African Predator Prowl overnight groups (4th grade and older) and all Twiga Tented Camp Overnights (4th grade and older) will get a chance to experience this hands-on, “Who Killed My Goat,” activity. We hope that it not only enhances their overnight experience, but also helps make connections between the concepts covered in this program and real-world applications, building a deeper level of understanding regarding the complexities and challenges that humans face when it comes to coexistence with predators that may pose a real or perceived threat to their livelihood. Please, be kind to the goat models that are part of this activity. Nikki Masucci of the Zoo’s Graphics Department spent months, painstakingly sculpting, painting, and transforming springbok taxidermy forms into goat that are works of, albeit gory, art. The end result is a one-of-a-kind (at least outside of Namibia) educational experience that is sure to be memorable and impactful for our program participants. Please honor her work with your care of these important teaching tools.

Doing the Activity

Materials (see pictures at the end of this activity’s description): Goat models, attached bags of parts, attached set up example from each goat, laminated predator identification guides on clipboards and washable markers. You will also need a bag and 2 sets of wooden numbers (one set to draw from the bag and one set to mark the goats).

Goal/Focus: Learn how the Goat ID program in Namibia is training farmers in Africa to see what animal might have killed their livestock by stepping into the shoes of the farmer (or CCF employee) who must identify “Who killed my goat?” and choosing the appropriate action to take to prevent future losses.

Description: The “Who killed my goat?” activity is something that the Cheetah Conservation Fund uses in Africa in collaboration with farmers. They re-create real crime scenes and guide the farmers into being able to determine what predator killed their goat. In Africa, many farmers believe that cheetahs are solely responsible for eating their goats, but many times there are other animals responsible. With the proper information, farmers can prevent their livestock from being as preyed upon in the future. For this activity at the zoo, there will be goats that have been “preyed upon” laying all over the yard. This helps resemble what farmers deal with in Africa when their goats have been killed. The goal for the participants is to use the guide and clues left by the predator to identify who killed their goat and then decide what to do to prevent further loss.

To set up activity: This is something that needs to be done ahead of time by either instructors or the AC. Each goat has a bag of supplies and a picture to help ensure that it is set up properly (see pictures at the end of these instructions). When placing the goats around the Africa exhibit (the backyard or theater can be used in case of a conflicting Group Sales event or inclement weather), make


sure all parts are in their proper place. Follow the guide, and make sure to look at all the details as some goats must be placed in trees, under bushes, etc. If you do not follow the guide properly the participants may not be able to identify the correct predator for the goat. Make sure that you are familiar with the animal guide so that you can help lead the participants in the right direction if they get stuck.

Directions on how to play: 1. Bring your group to the Africa exhibit. Split them into smaller groups, with 3-5 people per

group. Hand each group a “Kill ID chart.” Explain how to read the chart: Predators are listed on the left and listed next to each predator are the clues they leave

on and around the body that tell us who they are. Different symbols mean different things:

o means that the predator left evidence of chewing on the small bones such as the ribs

o means that the predator left the large bones intact

o means that the predator left evidence that it had strong enough jaw muscles to break large bones

o black = missing/consumed, white = present/intact They should match the clues on or around the goat to the chart to identify the predator

of each goat. There are also measurements on the side of the guide to help measure bite width.

2. Once they are clear on their groups and the chart, have each group pick a numbered wood disc from a bag. Each number represents a goat.

3. The groups will have to search around the path to find the goat that is labeled with the number they pulled. The searching aspect resembles what farmers have to deal with on their farms to find their missing goats.

4. Once they have located their goat, they will then use the guide to figure out what predator may have killed their goat. There are measurements on the side of the guide to help direct this process. There are also many indicating clues listed on the guide as well to help direct them.

5. Once they have made a guess using their observations on what animal killed their goat, they should note the number of their goat in the space under the predator’s letter on the left. Then, they should bring their chart back to you to check and see if they are correct.

6. Once they have successfully identified who killed their goat, you may let the group pick another number. This process will continue until you run out of time or goats. The participants can identify as many goats in the time allotted, it all depends on how quickly they move through the activity. Please ensure they don’t inspect the same goat twice.

7. Powwow about the activity with the group afterwards. Have a serious discussion about what these goats represent to their owner. These goats are their livelihood. They are like money in the bank. How would you feel if someone stole money from you? Pick a predated goat and share some of the information about the predator’s natural history from the laminated Predator Profile cards. Ask them who identified this goat and, based on the information we


now know about this animal, what would/could they do to prevent future losses (Build a fence? Have a guard dog?)? Use the “Effective Predator Mitigation Techniques” section on the laminated Predator Profile cards to help you to suggest or guide their thought process. What should happen to the animal that caused the damage (Nothing? Find it and kill it? Report it?)? Do this again with at least one more predated goat (Have the last predator be a domestic dog). Do solutions change? Does one solution fit every situation (i.e. Do some predators dig? What if the predator was YOUR dog?)? These are the same questions that farmers must answer. Through the Farmer Training Program, CCF can help them to prepare to make these decisions if and when a predation incident arises.

Once you are finished: The removal of the goats and the goat pieces from the Africa pathway needs to be very organized to ensure that you put all of the goat accessories back into the proper bag for each goat. Please follow the photo guides attached to each goat bag (and below) to ensure that all pieces are accounted for and with the proper goat. Wipe the wax pencil off the Kill ID charts so they are clean for the next group. Kill ID Chart:


Loose pieces needed for: (see below) Domestic Dog: Intestines, 2 pieces of fur, 2 front legs, 2 back legs

Caracal: 1 Bone, 3 pieces of fur, intestines


Jackal: 2 front legs, intestines, 1 bone

Cheetah: Intestines,1 bone, 1 piece of fur, 1 back leg


Leopard: 3 pieces of fur, 1 back leg, intestines

Brown Hyena: 2 pieces of fur, pool of blood, broken bones


Spotted Hyena: Intestine pieces, 2 sets of broken bones, blood stain

Lion: Messy torso chunk (with claw marks), bloodstain


African Wild (Painted) Dog: Messy torso chunk (NO claw marks), bloodstain

Predator Profile Cards:


FIND YOUR FOOD SCENT SCAVENGER HUNT (30-45 MIN) Materials: Scent jars, clues, space to play, wax pencil and laminated clue record sheet, coffee scent “cleansing” jars (optional)

Goal/Focus: Do a fun scent-based scavenger hunt to mimic a predator following the scent trail of their prey in order to stalk and catch their meal. Doing the Activity: Have the AC place the scent jars and clues around the game space. Bring your group to their designated area, split them into family groups and hand out the one scent jar to each group. Their goal is to follow the “scent trail” of their group, gathering clues at each stop about the identity of the animal that they are stalking. When you say, “go,” have them sniff their jar and then go hunt for the other 3 that match their group’s scent. Each jar will have a clue on it. They will use the Clue Record Sheet to jot down the clues that they find for their designated scent (LEAVE THE JAR WHERE YOU FOUND IT). The clues will all combine to tell them what kind of animal they are stalking. Once they have gathered the clues, they should work together to figure out their animal. If the clues don’t add up, perhaps they misidentified one smell. Go back and check again. If they think they know their animal, they should check in with the instructor to see if they got it right. They should only check with the instructor after they have gathered all 3 clues!

FOR INSTRUCTOR INFO ONLY – the six prey animals and clues are below: o Meerkat

1) We live in large groups in underground burrows that we build ourselves. 2) We can communicate with vocalizations. A shrill call is a warning to take cover while a

purring sound helps us work together when hunting for food. 3) We forage for food such as insects, lizards, birds, and fruit as a group so that we can

take turns watching for predators such as hawks, eagles, and snakes.

o Zebra 1) Communication is important and is usually done through visual (ear position, showing

teeth, etc) or sound (brays, whoops/“barking,” snorts, etc) cues. 2) Our patterns are as unique as fingerprints and make it hard for predators such as lions

and hyenas to look at our herd and tell where one of us ends and another begins. 3) We live in herds with one “boss” male and many females and young

o Thomson’s gazelle 1) We live in grazing herds of as few as ten or as many as several hundred individuals. 2) We can run up to 40mph to avoid predators. This is a good thing for us because we are

small and are popular prey for many animals such as cheetah. 3) We have a tan coat with black and white accent stripes, a white rump, and ridged horns.


o Warthog 1) With a large, flat head covered in protective bumps called “warts” and four large tusks, I

might look fierce, but I am actually an herbivore. 2) I kneel down on my calloused, hairy, padded knees to eat short grass and use my snout

to dig or "root" for roots or bulbs. 3) When startled or frightened, I can turn tail and sprint away at up to 30mph!

o Ostrich

1) Long legs and a powerful kick keep most predators away from me 2) Multiple females lay in a group nest and the male incubates and guards them and babies

once they hatch. 3) My biggest predators are humans, cheetahs, lions, leopards, painted dogs, and spotted

hyena

o Termites 1) My brothers, sisters and I communicate through touch and vibrations and are ruled by

our queen who is also the mother of all of us. 2) We are best known for building giant earth mounds. Each colony’s nest is found inside

the base of these mounds. 3) We eat fungus from gardens inside our nest and are eaten by predators such as

aardwolves, aardvarks, meerkats, and even some species of ants!

Resources: http://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/ostrich http://www.waza.org/en/zoo/choose-a-species/invertebrates/insects-and-millipedes/macrotermes-sp. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/the-animal-house-the-incredible-termite-mound/7222/ http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/07/140731-termites-mounds-insects-entomology-science/ http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/meerkat/ http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/zebra/ http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Equus_zebra/ http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/gazelle/ http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/warthog/ http://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/warthog

http://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/ostrich

http://www.waza.org/en/zoo/choose-a-species/invertebrates/insects-and-millipedes/macrotermes-sp

http://www.waza.org/en/zoo/choose-a-species/invertebrates/insects-and-millipedes/macrotermes-sp

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/the-animal-house-the-incredible-termite-mound/7222/

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/07/140731-termites-mounds-insects-entomology-science/

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/07/140731-termites-mounds-insects-entomology-science/

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/meerkat/

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/zebra/

http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Equus_zebra/

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/gazelle/

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/warthog/

http://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/warthog


Find Your Food

Clue Record

We have followed our prey by smelling and reading the clues that they left behind.

Below is a summary of the written clues we have found:

Clue #1: ____________________________________________________

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Clue #2: ____________________________________________________

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Clue #3: ____________________________________________________

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From these clues, we think that the prey animal we are stalking is a(n):

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nocturnal adventures: africa predator prowl...

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