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inside april 2013

wildlifeA Leafcutter Ant Playlist

Who knew songs by Aretha Franklin, The Police, and other stars could so perfectly explain the mysteries of a leafcutter ant colony?

Ghosts of the Forest: Tree Kangaroos

When it comes to living in the treetops, these marsupials can certainly hop to it.

Little Lion Men: Pygmy MarmosetsThese miniature monkeys pack a punch—of cuteness and cleverness, that is!

Daredevil Diva Toys with AdventureOur petite primate monkeys around with hippos—and has a grand time doing it.

conservationConservation “Carrion” Condors to the Next Level

For the first time in decades, there are more California condors in the wild than in zoos or breeding centers.

moreChairman’s Note

Through the Lens

Save the Date

You Said It

What’s in Store

Support

From the Archives

on the cover and this page: Leafcutter ants Atta cephalotes

© Ken Bohn, SDZG Photographer

Members get up closeFREE all year long!

Start your membership today. Call 619-718-3000 or visit sandiegozoo.org

chairman’s note

Fun for Our Youngest Guests

The Zoo and Safari Park are wonderful places for families. Some people may not realize, however, all we have to offer that is de-signed for young children. For parents and grandparents taking tod-dlers out for a morning or an afternoon, there are many activities that they will find enjoyable.

At the Safari Park, there are several options in Nairobi Village that are easy to walk or take a stroller to. Mombasa Lagoon is always a high-light, where kids can feed the ducks, see how far they can jump in com-parison to a frog, and crawl into a replica of a weaver bird nest. Head to nearby Nairobi Station, and kids can see animal presentations and talk to a zebra—our digital, animated Robert the Zebra, who interacts with visitors. Visit the Petting Kraal to groom the goats, and stop by the Village Playground to play the drums, take apart and build a boma corral, and see how far kids can carry a bowl of water on their head. More playtime can be found in Samburu Playground near Benbough Amphitheater, while the adults enjoy the sweeping view of the Park.

At the Zoo, the Fisher-Price™ Discovery Playground in Discovery Outpost gives kids the opportunity to climb, swing, crawl, and slide like their favorite animals. They can then see some of these animals in the nearby exhibits, which are designed lower to the ground for child viewing. We are adding a new 4-D theater experience here, as well: the Rio Rainforest Adventure, which opens this July. Take the Skyfari across the Zoo, and the Ice Age 4-D movie can be found there, as well as the large storybooks, ice cave, and climb-in helicopter that kids can interact with at Polar Bear Plunge. A walk through Elephant Odyssey gives children a good look at lions, jaguars, elephants, and condors, among other species, while they can also play on the animal sculptures and try out the activities in the Pleistocene Playground.

With some advance planning, you can also take advantage of special programs we offer that are designed with young children in mind. At the Park, there are safari adventures just right for youngsters, including the Kids Caravan Safari, the Junior Roar & Snore overnight, and the Behind-the-Scenes Safari: Junior Explorers. The Zoo’s KinderTots is great for children ages 18 months to 3 years, and ages 3 to 6 will enjoy the KinderNights program to visit the Zoo after hours. The Zoo also offers the Mommy Meetup program Monday through Friday, in which moms and their children ages 5 and younger can meet at 8:45 a.m. to socialize and explore different areas of the Zoo together.

This is just a sampling of activities for younger children. If you have young ones in your life, I encourage you to explore the grounds and enjoy the experiences that are right for them. You can find out more on our website, and programs can be booked online. Spring is here and summer is right around the corner, so it’s a great time for a little adventure.

Rick GulleyChairman

Call 619-718-3000 to make reservations today!

Calling All Girl Scouts!Bring your troop to the Safari Park for a super sleepover that they won’t soon forget. Designed especially for Girl Scouts ages five and older and their troop leaders or adult chaperones, this special Roar & Snore offers a look at the Safari Park that you can only get at night! Reserve your troop’s spot for 2013: available April 26; May 18 and 24; June 1, 7, and 14; October 5, 11, 19, and 25. Visit sdzsafaripark.org for more details.

Isn’t San Diego glorious in the spring? I love seeing green on the hillsides, along with wildflowers and blossom-

ing trees. The Zoo and Safari Park are feeling the joys of spring as well, and you have another week, until April 7, to enjoy

Butterfly Jungle at the Park and Play Days at the Zoo. This month also brings us Earth Day and Arbor Day, so it’s a great time to celebrate wildlife—although around here, of course, that happens all year long. Come for a stroll around the grounds to appreciate your favorite animals and plants!

Douglas G. MeyersExecutive Director

Springtime Revels

April 1–7 Butterfly Jungle at the Safari Park

April 1–7 Play Days at the Zoo

April 6, 13, 20 KinderTots: Counting Galápagos Tortoises at the Zoo

April 6, 27 Roar & Snore Safari: Amazing Animals at the Park

April 12, 19, 26 KinderNights: The Nose Knows at the Zoo

April 13 Africa Tram Comedy Tour Dinner at the Park

April 19 Plant Day and Orchid Odyssey at the Zoo

April 19, 26 Twilight Trek tours at the Zoo

April 20 Albert’s Spring Winemaker Dinner at the Zoo

save the date

Call 619-718-3000 to make your reservations today!

Looking for something special to do for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day this year—or a special gift for the parents in your life? We have just the thing: sleepovers at the Zoo’s Camp Timbuktu! Unique, memorable, and a grand good time, the different Mother’s Day and Father’s Day options are a great way to honor the leaders of your pack. Visit sandiegozoo.org for more information.

AustrAliAn OutbAck instAgrAm chAllengeDocument your experience at our new Conrad Prebys Australian Outback exhibit (opening May 24, 2013) on Instagram and tag your photos with #sdzoutback for a chance to win a behind-the-scenes experience for four. Go to sandiegozoo.org/koalafornia for more info.

you said itAnd I’m going to credit these weekly @sandiegozoo trips in helping me lose 9 lbs this month. You walk those hills and see what happens.

@BigBaldMark

Love the Frequent Flyers bird show at the Safari Park. Chanel Boucher

Thank you everyone who has posted pics. It certainly adds to my panda addiction. Speaking of that, I think it’s time to hold another Pandaholics Anonymous meeting ;-)

Anonymous

My students LOVE the pandas but when we found the new link to the Koala Cam they squealed!

@J_Tubb

I have to laugh. When I was in high school (50 years ago) I hated science. I was more into history. And yet…here I sat and read this entire article absolutely enthralled with the details of a cheetah’s hormones. I love the Internet!!

Jan in Richmond, VA

Love [little gorilla] Monroe’s Mohawk hairdo. Just too cute. Mike Tripp

You SDZ peeps have the best jobs in the world! If I had my life to live over I think I would study to be able to work there too. Lucky you!!

Maggie

Forget Disneyland; the Safari Park is the happiest place on Earth <3@CactusWren75

through the lens

Greater one-horned rhinoceros Rhinoceros unicornis

PhOTO By KeN BOhN, SDZG PhOTOGrAPher

A Leafcutter AntPlaylist

Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves”—I heard this Annie Len-nox/Aretha Franklin tune the other day, and it immediately made me think of our leafcutter ants, Atta cephalotes. It’s a great theme song for a self-organized, sister-run superorgan-ism with a royal figurehead—a song from the “Queen of Soul,”

naturally. It made me wonder what other vintage song titles might help describe the organization of these highly complex insects. I searched my memory, iPod, and record collection for inspiration for my “Atta girl!” playlist. Music is for sharing, but you will probably never look at your musical library the same way again!

“Super Bad”Leafcutter ants were dubbed “the ultimate superorganism” by legend-ary myrmecologists (ant biologists) E.O. Wilson and Bert Holldobler.

By Paige howorthANiMAL CAre MANAGer, eNTOMOLOGy

Photos by Ken BohnSDZG PhOTOGrAPher

Snipping a bit of leaf is just the first step. Back in the nest, the piece will be processed by other ants.

Collectively, they have studied ants for about a century, so their be-stowing a title like this is telling—these ants represent something extraordinary among the higher insects of the world.

Leafcutter ant colonies are complex, disciplined, and capable of stag-gering acts of self-organization and communication—but they are much more than the sum of their parts. They work together to simu-late the functions of a whole body, including organs like the brain and functions like reproduction. It all happens organically yet efficiently, without leaders and with individual brain power on the order of, well, a tiny insect. “Super Bad” is just one way to describe it—“We Are the Champions” comes to mind, too.

A leafcutter vibrates its body as it works. This adds “oompf” to the effort and draws other nestmates that pick up on the vibrations.

These ants have a vital, close relationship with a particular fungus, which they tend in their subterranean nest chambers.

“Living for the City”Ever poke a stick down the entrance to an ant nest? If so, you know what happens—deployment for war! These ants are actively cruising for battle, and a bite from a soldier ant is a bloody affair. You may kill the ant, but you will definitely think twice about getting close to that nest—and that worker’s kin—again! The risk the ants take to challenge intruders trumps concern for their own survival. But survival is the ul-timate goal for any animal—right? When it comes to ants, individual workers in an Atta colony do not reproduce, so their money is on the queen and the colony to contribute their genetic material. They take the risk to protect the colony and pre-

serve the genes that they all share. For ants, it’s clear that there is benefit in “living just enough for the city.”

“Synchronicity I”…and II Leafcutter ants are the top herbivore in the Neo-tropics, but they never eat leaves. In reality, they are farmers—and they figured out how to do it tens of millions of years before we did.

These ants have a close relationship with a par-ticular fungus, which they tend in their subterra-nean nest chambers. All the leaves they cut disap-pear below to be cleaned, fertilized, and integrated into a network of fluffy fungus “gardens.” The fun-gus digests the leaf fragments, and the ants eat the white, sprouting tips of the fungus.

This relationship is called mutualism, because both species benefit from it. Unfortunately, a third player exists: a parasitic microfungus. And

A bite from a soldier ant is a

bloody affair.

three’s a crowd! Left unchecked, this mold will decimate the fungus gardens in a matter of days. As quickly as the ants weed it out, it grows back.

In addition, the ants harbor bacteria on their body that work as an antibiotic against the parasite. This allows them to keep the fungus healthy. The constant struggle is sometimes referred to as an “evolu-tionary arms race.” If the colony and its allies remain in synchrony, the ants keep the advantage, and an abundant food source is the prize.

“Call Me”One of the most remarkable features of any ant colony is the leader-less communication that regulates the nest. Leafcutters rely chiefly on chemical signals called pheromones that are specific to their species. The ants possess specialized glands to secrete these chemicals and a pair of antennae to detect and decode them. Some of the many uses of ant pheromones are to facilitate assembly, sound an alarm, or commu-nicate the richness of a food source.

The potency of the chemicals in these pheromones is epic in scale. It has been calculated that one milligram of trail pheromone would be enough to lead Atta cephalotes workers around the circumference of the Earth—three times over! Thus, even a faint “call” travels far.

“Brick House”The colony is doomed if the queen dies, but it’s not because she’s the boss—it’s because she’s the mom. Higher ants like Atta cephalotes are extremely specialized. It’s evident in their communication and social organization but also in the mechanics of their bodies. The queens are huge compared to their daughters, and the workers lack the equipment

to sustain the colony in the event of her death. As a result of forgoing their own reproduction, their bodies have changed.

However, winged “virgin” queens and males are produced season-ally in mature colonies, including here at the Zoo. It is these winged “alates” that are capable of reproduction, not the other ants, so it is in the workers’ best interest to produce as many as possible.

Leafcutter queens are special and built to last. They have a large ab-domen to produce eggs, which are fertilized by the more than 300 million sperm a queen collected on her nuptial flight and stored in a special structure called a spermatheca. A queen doles out the sperm over her 10 or more years as the sole reproductive member of the colo-ny. Fertilized eggs become females that comprise the worker force, and unfertilized eggs become males with a special job of their own.

Winged “virgin” queens and males are the only colony members able to reproduce.

“Papa Was a Rolling Stone”There were lots of choices for this spot about males on the playlist, but this verse decided it for me:

“Papa was a rolling stoneWherever he laid his hat, was his homeAnd when he died, all he left us was alone.”

Once Atta males are produced, they never per-form any work and are a burden on the colony until the moment of the nuptial flight. When the flight begins, they scramble to find an avail-able queen, grapple her to the ground, and mate with her (just-mated queens are fair game, too; queens mate with three to five males). Males die within hours, but not before at least some of them get their genes—and those of the col-ony that reared them—back into the game.

For the sisters that reared them, it’s business as usual after the males fly. And the males’ future “daughters” in the new colony will never know them. The inseminated queens, however, have a huge task ahead—their actions from this point forward mean life or death for a new colony. So roll on, Papa, roll on….

“Little Queen”Nuptial flight sounds kind of dreamy, right? Almost as if a gentle breeze lifts the ants to the air, where they find their soulmate and live happily ever after.

Sorry, but no! The reality is that a nuptial flight is no wedding dance; rather, it’s a perilous sprint for survival. The huge reproductive ants are a tasty target for all manner of predators, from invertebrate to primate, and the queens that survive face stiff competition for a suitable nest site to begin digging.

For dig they must—and quickly. The young queen methodically tears off her large, delicate flight wings, since they will only hinder her fu-ture underground. She digs a tunnel terminating in a small cavity, and then she seals the entrance and makes her stand. She will not leave the nest again.

The queen then spits out a precious parcel that she secured inside her mouthparts before she left the home nest. This tiny wad of fungus

is critical to the success of the new colony, and she cleans, fertilizes, and tends it herself in these tenuous early stages. She also lays a small, hopeful group of eggs.

While the larvae develop, the queen survives on the breakdown of her wing muscles and infertile eggs to sustain them all. Once the new work-ers develop into adults, they assume management of the fungus gardens and brood, and the queen permanently limits her role to that of repro-duction.

Survival rates of newly founded colonies are somewhere between 2 and 10 percent within a few months of the nuptial flight. The path to survival is plagued with predators, competition, and just plain bad luck. The “crown” may be heavy indeed for these “little queens,” but the reward for survival is sweet.

“Maybe I’m Amazed”This glimpse of the complexity of life in a leafcutter ant colony shows it is one of the most organized and advanced groups of insects on Earth. We have a beautiful new leafcutter ant exhibit in the Insect House* at the Zoo, and the ants can be seen daily in all their superorganism—and “Super Bad”—glory. Bring your headphones and play along, because everything is better with music! n

The Leafcutter Ant Playlist“Sisters Are Doing it for Themselves” —Aretha Franklin/Annie Lennox“Super Bad” —James Brown“Living for the City” —Stevie Wonder“Synchronicity i” and “Synchronicity ii” —The Police“Papa Was a rolling Stone” —The Temptations“Little Queen” —heart“Maybe i’m Amazed” —Paul McCartney

*The Spineless Marvels Insect House was made possible thanks to the generosity of Dan and Vi McKinney.

GhoStS of the foReSt:

tree Kangaroos

In forests of towering trees covered in moss and ferns lives an elusive and remarkable animal: the tree kangaroo. Locals call it the “ghost of the forest” because it is so hard to find and moves so quickly. No one is exactly sure when this small marsupial in the kangaroo family took to the trees, but it is clearly well

adapted for life on high, with long, bark-gripping claws, strong limbs for climbing, and a long tail for balance. These are good traits to have for a species that spends most of its time 100 feet or more above the ground, nibbling ferns and orchids and looking out at dizzying views over the forest canopy.

By Karen e. WorleyMANAGiNG eDiTOr

Photos by Ken BohnSDZG PhOTOGrAPher

Tree kangaroos are quick, agile, and perfectly adapted for life in the treetops.

Have Tree, Will ClimbThere are 12 tree kangaroo species: 7 in Papua New Guinea, 3 in West Papua, and 2 in Australia. They are only found in dense rain forests, where they travel rapidly from tree to tree, sometimes leaping as much as 30 feet down into the branches of another tree. If threatened, they even take what looks like a death-defying leap out of a tree to the ground—sometimes 60 feet or more. It’s a spectacular, gasp-inducing drop to watch, but the dense, springy un-dergrowth of the forest floor seems to cushion their landing. They get right up and amble off, with a hint of a hop that shows their family con-nection to other kangaroos.

Unlike their ground-dwelling cousins, however, tree kangaroos have distinct features that suit their arboreal lifestyle. They have longer forelimbs and shorter, broader hind feet, and the pads of their paws and feet are spongy to help grip branch-es. They are also the only kanga-roos that can move their back legs independently of one another and move backward, which is how they climb down a tree. When going up, they wrap their arms around the tree and plant their back feet against it, then scale the trunk by sliding their arms up and hopping, pushing with the hind feet. Per-haps that’s how they got the name “tree hare,” which is what their ge-nus name, Dendrolagus, means.

Unlike their ground-dwelling cousins, however, tree

kangaroos have distinct features that suit their

arboreal lifestyle.

The pads of a tree kangaroo’s feet are spongy, which helps with gripping and traction in the trees.

Tree kangaroo mothers are very patient and attentive with their youngsters.

Your Range or Mine?Tree kangaroos are largely sol-itary, except for mothers with young and pairs during breed-ing. Because they are so hard to spot, their social life is not com-pletely documented, but they appear to live in loosely struc-tured “harems.” An adult male lives in a home range of about 10 acres, which overlaps with the smaller home ranges of 2 to 4 adult females. The females rarely have contact, and if they should happen across one an-other, they tend to ignore each other. The resident male trav-els throughout his range and “visits” the females every few days. Even then, he keeps his distance unless a female is in estrus—courtship then takes place, and if she’s amenable, breeding occurs.

Like other kangaroos, female tree kangaroos usually give birth to one very tiny, undeveloped joey, which crawls into the mother’s pouch, latches onto a teat, and stays put as it grows. Tree ‘roos have a longer gestation, at about 44 days, than other kangaroo species. The joey be-gins to emerge from the pouch at about 5 to 6 months of age and is not independent and ready to make its own way in the forest until it is about 1½ to 2 years old.

Leaves, PleaseMost kangaroos and wallabies are grazers, clipping grasses with their teeth as they roam the Australian savanna. Tree kangaroos, however, eat what’s handy for them: leaves, flowers, ferns, moss, and the occa-sional incidental insect. However, unlike those other leaf-eating mar-supials, the koalas, tree kangaroos are “foregut fermenters,” breaking down their food in the upper part of the stomach instead of the lower

Once they emerge from the pouch, young tree kangaroos are playful and curious.

gut, and they lack the bacteria that koalas have to digest eucalyptus leaves. Tree kangaroos favor the leaves of trees like silkwood, laurel, beech, and walnut.

This leafy diet does require time to digest, so tree kangaroos sleep quite a bit. They wedge against branches and drop their head onto their chest and snooze away. They have woolly fur that acts as a built-in rain-coat to shed water from the frequent rain showers in their habitat, and they even have a whorl of fur on the back of the neck that redirects water and keeps it from dripping onto their face during naps.

‘Roos in Our TreesWhen you visit the new Conrad Prebys Australian Outback exhibit at the Zoo this summer, koalas won’t be the only marsupials hanging out in the forest canopy. Keep an eye out for our Matschie’s and Buergers’ tree kangaroos as well, as they show off their agility leaping from branch to branch and shimmying up and down tree trunks. With their beautiful gold-and-red fur, rounded noses, and long, pendulous tails, they are sure to garner their own attention as wonders from Down Under. n

LiTTLe LiON MeNPyGMy MArMOSeTS

Stroll by a certain exhibit along Tiger Trail sometime and you’ll discover that some of the smallest denizens at the Zoo garner some of the biggest “oohs” and “awws.” From their perches among the tree branches in their enclosure, Julio, José, and

Rico, three male pygmy marmosets Callithrix pygmaea, survey their human audience. “Guests love them,” says senior keeper Aimee Gold-camp. “But the marmosets—I call them the ‘little men’—especially José, always want to watch the people put on a show. It’s their reality TV.” And while the trio apparently never wants to miss an episode, the feeling seems to be mutual. It’s hard to get enough of these charismatic little characters.

Marvelous Miniature MonkeysPygmy marmosets are the smallest monkey but not the smallest primate (that big—or tiny—honor rests on the slight shoulders of the mouse le-mur). Still, the pygmy marmoset is even too small to be called pint-size,

By Peggy ScottASSOCiATe eDiTOr

Photos by Ken BohnSDZG PhOTOGrAPher

The marmoset’s beautiful coat is an orangish brown and each hair has stripes of brown and black, which is called agouti coloring.

Pygmy marmosets communicate through a variety of vocalizations.

The WOrD “MArMOSeT” COMeS FrOM The FreNCh WOrD mARmouset, MeANiNG “ShriMP” Or “DWArF.”

weighing only three to five ounces at adulthood, with its body measuring up to six inches in length and another six to nine inches added for its im-pressive tail. The mixed colors of the pygmy mar-moset’s coat gives them good camouflage in the branches and leaves of the rain forest. A mane of hair often covers the ears, framing an inquisitive little face highlighted by golden eyes that flit from sight to sight, never resting long.

The marmoset’s flexible neck allows the head to swivel backward to spot predators—a handy skill when you are bite sized. Nicknames that have been bestowed upon this little species—mono de bolsillo (pocket monkey) and leoncito (little lion)—are nods to the pygmy marmoset’s ap-pearance and diminutive dimensions. The word marmoset comes from the French word mar-mouset, meaning “shrimp” or “dwarf.” Because they are so small, Aimee explains, they have to be careful—but quick.

“In the trees in the rain forest of South Ameri-ca where they live, pygmy marmosets have to be very deliberate about their movements to avoid drawing the attention of predators,” she says. “But when they need to move, they are fast.” They can leap several feet through the trees to avoid the animals that would like to make a meal out of them, such as cats, harpy eagles, hawks, and even snakes. Their long tail, while not prehensile, acts like a rudder and helps them keep their bal-ance as they dash from one safe spot to the next. Their specialized nails, called tegulae, are curved like claws to help them climb up and down tree trunks.

They’re Tree Eaters, By Gum!Pygmy marmosets not only live in trees but also depend on them as their first choice for dining. At mealtime, they scamper up and down trees

A grape looks like a big meal in a pygmy marmoset’s tiny hands.

headfirst, clinging to the side of a trunk and gouging a hole in the bark with their sharp lower teeth, using an up-and-down sawing motion. When the sap puddles in the hole, the pygmy marmosets lap it up with their tongue. They also eat insects, especially butterflies, which are at-tracted to the sap, as well as some nectar and fruit. At the Zoo, Julio, José, and Rico eat worms, crickets, a specialized callitrichid (marmoset) diet, veggies, fruit, and hard-boiled eggs. Everything is carefully mea-sured, Aimee notes. “They don’t even receive food for enrichment,” she explains. “With an animal this tiny, even the smallest dietary change can make a huge difference.”

With those dietary restrictions in mind, Aimee and the other keepers have to be extra creative with other methods of enrichment. She notes that the three “little men” like it when she rearranges the furniture in the exhibit, puts shavings in the gourd houses, and scents their exhibit with perfumes and spices. “José and Julio also really like checking themselves out in mirrors we’ll put in the enclosure,” Aimee adds.

Specialized nails make climbing up and down trees easier.

A Modern FamilyBehind the scenes at the Zoo’s “marmosetry,” the next generation of pygmy marmosets is thriving. Under the care of senior keeper Dustin Black, a bonded pair, male Fuerte and female Picante, has produced two sets of twins. The first twins, now adolescents, are a boy, Sol, and a girl, Mono. It’s hoped that Mono may someday have a family of her own with one of the three males from the exhibit on Tiger Trail.

“They are really good parents,” Dustin says of Fuerte and Picante. “He is protective, and she pays attention to her babies. And, like pyg-my marmosets do, the teenage kids help take care of younger siblings.”

Baby marmosets catch a ride on the back of a family member.

Dustin notes that he sees similarities between the sets of twins, with the girls being bolder than their brothers, as well as their hair being frizzier than that of their slicker male siblings. “It makes it easier to tell them apart,” Dustin says.

The family members give their enclosure a workout, jumping from climbing structure to climbing structure, exploring the sleeping boxes and other cubbyholes Dustin has put in place for them. “The best thing I can do is move their stuff around for them,” he says. “It keeps things interesting.”

The pygmy marmosets chatter busily, spreading the word about some-thing. “They talk a lot—to me and each other,” Dustin says. Pygmy mar-mosets communicate via high-pitched vocalizations such as squeaks, clicks, whistles, and trills. They can make noises that are so high in pitch that humans can’t hear them. They have their own language, with certain squeaks and calls expressing danger or other urgent monkey messages.

NOT a Pet ProjectWith their tiny size, cuddly appearance, and appealing face, it’s clear that pygmy marmosets have a double helping of cuteness. This, unfor-tunately, can be a curse. “I can’t count how many times I hear ‘I want one,’” Aimee says. “And I have to say, nicely, that these are primates, and primates don’t make good pets. Humans are primates. Would you want a person as a pet? And then they seem to understand.” These monkeys require a specialized diet, and, as wild animals, they bite, scratch, and cannot be housebroken, making them very inconvenient, to say the least.

Besides, given that Julio, José, and Rico are always waiting for visi-tors and the next episode of their favorite “show,” you’ve got your own marmosets right here at the Zoo. Come see them any time! n

6.0’

3.0’

3–5”

SiZiNG

ThiN

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The pygmy marmoset is even too small to be called pint-size, weighing only three to five ounces at adulthood.

DareDevil Diva Toys wiTh aDvenTure

Brazen and bewitching don’t begin to cover it, although she is cer-tainly both. The pint-sized primate named Amara is ferociously fearless in her capers throughout the exhibit she shares with two

pygmy hippos, Elgon and Francesca (Franny), and her older brother, Dru. Their pool is also home to dozens of tilapia fish, which nibble on and clean the skin of the hippos. This multi-species exhibit in Lost Forest at the Zoo resembles the layers in the forest, from primates in the trees to hippos on the beach to fish in the pond. They all get along fine—usually.

The big showstopper is the little Wolf’s guenon, Amara, with her col-orful coat, pointy ear tufts, sunny brown eyes, and energetic acrobat-ics. When she’s wound up, which is most of the time, watch out! “She’s sassy on and off exhibit,” said senior keeper Melinda Wittmayer of the mini-monkey. “She had to be hand-raised by keepers, so she calls to us

By Karyl CarmignaniSTAFF WriTer

Photos by Ken BohnSDZG PhOTOGrAPher

Never one to miss a photo opp, Amara interacts with “her public” whenever possible.

when she sees us nearby. If I’m not careful, she’ll have me trained to her beck and call!”

The extra love from keepers in her formative years apparently instilled in her a lack of fear, which she exercises daily with her “roomies.” Ama-ra started out nimbly hopping atop Franny’s back for a free ride—like a miniature “Queen of the Nile.” But over time, she has become much bolder. “I have seen her pulling on Franny’s lips and leaping from her nose,” said Kim Livingstone, lead primate keeper. “When she’s really on a roll, Amara will even run through Franny’s gaping mouth!” Both

Amara loves to experience life at break-neck speed!

hippos seem to take the teasing in stride. “It’s enrichment for them.” Amara’s talents don’t end there, as Melinda explained. “She’s also a

cliff diver and loves to take a dip in the afternoon. She’ll do the breast-stroke underwater right alongside the hippos!” That is unusual among monkeys. Visitors might also be treated to the little sprite’s madcap sprinting, tightrope walking, hammock swinging, puzzlefeeder solv-ing, or fingerpainting designs on the glass. “Amara loves life,” said Me-linda. “We probably couldn’t put her anywhere else, as I doubt other animals would be as forgiving as Elgon and Franny.” With her own beach, pool, trees swaying in the breeze, and good-natured friends, what more could a primate ask for? n

The antics never cease! Pygmy hippos are Amara’s nice, big “toys” to play with.The little Wolf’s guenon Amara was handraised (and adored) by her keepers.

Conservation “Carrion” Condors to the Next Level

Things are looking up for the California condor. Largely due to an intensive, international, multi-organizational, collaborative effort, this regal bird now numbers 402 individuals. For the first time since the inception of the California Condor Recovery Program, there are more condors in the wild than in zoos and breeding cen-

ters. San Diego Zoo Global has played a key role in the species’ recovery, and since 1982, 13 condors have hatched at the Zoo (1983 to 1985) and 180 have hatched at the Park (including this year’s hatchlings). Last year, for the first time, people were able to observe two condor parents incu-bate and raise their offspring via the Condor Cam. “As Sisquoc and Sha-tash raised their chick, Saticoy, there were more than 600,000 visitors to

By Karyl CarmignaniSTAFF WriTer

Photos by Ken BohnSDZG PhOTOGrAPher

With a nine-foot wingspan, California condors are magnificent to see in flight.

the San Diego Zoo Global Wildlife Conservancy website,” said Michael Mace, curator of birds at the Safari Park. “We are excited to share this rare behind-the-scenes activity with condor fans again this year.” So far, three eggs have hatched in the 2013 season from three different pairs.

Almost Three Decades of the CondorListed as an endangered species in 1967, the California condor Gymn-ogyps californianus population continued to nose dive, reaching a criti-cal low of 22 birds. Its dramatic decline was attributed to shooting, poi-soning, electric power lines, egg collecting, and habitat loss. By 1987, all the free-flying birds were collected, and the condor breeding program was established at the Safari Park and the Los Angeles Zoo. Birds were carefully paired (as they continue to be) to maximize genetic diversi-ty, and through patience, diligence, and double clutching, the species slowly rebounded.

Condors can form strong pair bonds. Both parents tend to their young.

Beginning in 1992, condors were released in their former range in Southern California, and by 1996, they were released in Arizona, near the Grand Canyon. The following year, birds were released on Califor-nia’s Big Sur coast; one pair was found nesting in a coast redwood tree cavity in Northern California. In 2003, Pinnacles National Monument in Central California joined the recovery effort and now manages 32 free-flying condors. Condors have been released throughout their his-toric range in five different areas: three sites in California, one in Ari-zona, and one in Baja California, Mexico.

Puppet-raised chicks will go on to form bonds with other condors.

There are three additional breeding centers for California condor recovery: The Peregrine Fund’s World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho, the Los Angeles Zoo, and the Oregon Zoo. The program is implemented by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and zoos and gov-ernment agencies in the United States and Mexico.

Fledging Your BetsCalifornia condors are slow to hatch, ma-ture, and reproduce, which can impede their population recovery given lingering external pressures on them. Condors do not breed until they are five to eight years old, and females typically lay only one egg every two years (they will lay a second or

Condor chicks are fed with a condor-looking puppet so they don’t imprint on humans.Keepers keep a close eye on the birds.The public can watch the birds on the Condor Cam from anywhere in the world.

third egg a month later if an egg is lost to predation). Incubation is about 52 days, which is longer than most other bird species. Fortunately, both condor parents take turns incubating the egg. At the Park, condor eggs are pulled and replaced with an artificial egg so the parents will continue their natural nesting behavior. Eggs are kept in an incubator and “can-dled” to detect vascular development that indicates the egg is fertile. If it is, it will remain in the incubator until it is time to hatch, then it will be placed back in the nest so the parents can oversee the pipping process (the chick breaking out of the egg) and tend to the youngster. Condors usually form monogamous pair bonds, but if they have too many unsuc-cessful breeding attempts, one may seek out a new mate.

Back from the BrinkAlthough the California condor is flying high in some ways, the spe-cies still requires intensive management, even after release. “The con-servation playing field changes over time, and we have to be ready to respond,” said Michael, referring to the emergence of West Nile virus in 1999. “We now have to administer vaccinations to the birds for this

Free-flying condors can still require care, like this bird having glass removed.

often-fatal disease.” When field biologists examine condor chicks, they also opportunistically inoculate the chick and its family against the vi-rus and inspect the nest and surrounding area for any microtrash that may get picked up by the adult birds. Smaller than a quarter, microtrash includes bottle caps, pull tabs, broken glass, plastic bits, tape, and other human-made litter. This material often ends up in less populated areas where condors like to fly and play; being curious animals, they pick up the trash and bring it back to the nest where it can be accidentally ingested by chicks, leading to gastrointestinal illness and even death.

Condors also suffer from toxins in the environment, especially lead. As scavengers, the birds eat dead animals, including those that have been shot. This meat (or carrion) can contain harmful levels of lead from the ammunition used. “Recreational hunting is not an issue,” explained Michael. “The issue is toxins in the environment.” To ad-dress that, hunters are encouraged to use lead-free ammunition. “We’ve known for years that lead in products like paint and gasoline is harm-ful to humans, and it was removed from those products, so it’s sensible that alternative ammunitions are available.” Lead left behind in game is harmful to people as well as condors. Wild condors are tested regu-larly for lead poisoning and medically treated if needed.

Other lingering hazards have included collisions with power lines. An increase in wind farms could pose further danger to the condors, as it has been a concern for similar birds such as eagles. Though they can soar and glide up to 15,000 feet, flying closer to the ground can be hazardous. It is hoped that new technology can help solve this potential conflict. Human behavior can help solve the others. As Michael point-ed out, “It takes a collective effort from organizations and individuals to save a species from extinction.” Today, we are 402 beautiful birds farther away from that abyss. n

Visit our shops at the Zoo and Safari Park to purchase these featured items.

forever young

Items and prices may vary based on availability. Available in select stores. Store hours vary, please call prior to visiting. Zoo 619-231-1515, ext. 4335; Park 760-738-5055

what’s in store

Noodle Children’s Books $8.99 each

Mini Plush $7.99–$8.99

Child’s Ituri Babies T-shirt $16.95

8” Mini Lion Plush $8.99

Girls Koala All Over T-shirt $19.95

14” Penguin and Baby Plush $39.99

28” Giraffe Plush $39.99

When first talking with Bill Disher, a President’s Ambassador and 30-year member of President’s Club, you would never guess how far he has roamed: all 7 continents and count-

less trips over the past 40 years. While he is soft-spoken and unassum-ing, Bill is dedicated to wildlife conservation and has volunteered with conservation research programs all around the world. He is a special friend of the San Diego Zoo through his generosity and frequent visits that enable him to keep abreast of the latest animal news.

An Adventurous LifeBill’s adventures began when he joined the Marines at age 17, just out of high school, and served in the South Pacific during World War II. There was also a stint as a Marine embassy guard in parts of South America

By Mary Sekulovich

Senior editor, Development Department

Have Passport, Will Travel—For Wildlife!

support

BiLL Disher:

and the Middle East, when he was commis-sioned as an officer through the meritorious NCO (noncommissioned officers) program. When asked about his service, he is modest and prefers to talk about his love of animals, which started during his childhood in St. Louis. Bill often visited the zoo there after school, and he made friends with the staff, including a keeper who allowed him to ride the elephants.

Once in San Diego and retired from the Ma-rines after 30 years, Bill quickly became ac-quainted with our Zoo and made new friends with the keepers and other staff. For several years, he volunteered as a behavioral observer for Celebes macaques at the Zoo, as well as birds and antelope at the Safari Park. He remembers one humorous incident when he was observ-ing saddle-billed storks in an off-exhibit area at the Park. Each time, a staff member drove him there and returned to pick him up after a few hours—except the one time they forgot, and Bill had a long, hot walk back to the Park’s main office!

Travels on Behalf of Wildlife ConservationBill’s motto is “Have passport, will travel—on behalf of wildlife!” While Bill donates to sev-eral organizations, they are all connected to wildlife conservation, his great passion. He was the first volunteer for the University of Califor-nia, Berkeley’s University Research Expeditions Program (UREP). In fact, on its 10th anniver-sary brochure in 1992, he is pictured on the cover with one of the “little blues,” Australia’s fairy penguins, and is described as “the first UREPer.” Bill helped assess the health of the diminutive birds and is co-author on a paper written from data gathered on Phillip Island.

San Diego Zoo global

officerSRichard B. Gulley, Chairman

William H. May, Vice ChairmanSandra A. Brue, Secretary

Robert B. Horsman, Treasurer

boarD of TruSTeeSM. Javade Chaudhri

Berit N. DurlerClifford W. Hague

Nan C. KatonaPatricia L. RoscoeSteven G. Tappan

Judith A. WheatleyDavid S. Woodruff, Ph.D., D.Sc.

TruSTeeS emeriTiFrank C. Alexander

Kurt Benirschke, M.D. Weldon DonaldsonThompson Fetter

Bill L. FoxFrederick A. Frye, M.D.

George L. GildredYvonne W. LarsenJohn M. Thornton

Albert Eugene TrepteBetty Jo F. Williams

William E. Beamer, General Counsel

Douglas G. Myers, President/CEO

Charles L. Bieler, Executive Director Emeritus

The foundation of San Diego Zoo global

officerSJohn E. Gartman, Chair

Murray H. Hutchison, Vice ChairMargie Warner, Secretary

Maryanne C. Pfister, TreasurerMark A. Stuart, President

Richard B. Gulley, Ex officioDouglas G. Myers, Ex officio

boarD of DirecTorSChristine L. AndrewsRichard A. Baldwin

Joye D. BlountRick BregmanLisa S. Casey

Douglas Dawson Berit N. Durler, Ex officio

U. Bertram Ellis, Jr.Arthur E. Engel

Fran GoldenCraig L. Grosvenor

Judith C. HarrisRichard M. HillsCraig A. IrvingSusan B. Major

Susan N. McClellanMichael D. McKinnon

George A. RamirezJoyce Summers

Thomas Tull

One Earthwatch trip took him to Borneo to work with Biruté Gal-dikas, Ph.D., on her orangutan conservation program. On Bill’s first day in camp, a female orangutan with an infant and a toddler at her side approached him and showed very clearly that she was attracted to him—as Bill says, he had definite “orang appeal!”

There was a trip to Tasmania to search for the Tasmanian wolf, con-sidered extinct since the 1930s, and another one to Patagonia with the Bronx Zoo for a Magellanic penguin project—but dipping just one toe in the water told him it was too cold for a swim. In Thai-land, Bill rode elephants many times while out looking for wild-life. In India, while on an elephant ride to spot tigers and rhinos, his group accidently wandered into a wild elephant herd, which wasn’t happy about the intrusion and quickly moved away from the tour-ist group. In Papua New Guinea, he studied small forest mammals, while primates were on the itinerary in Kenya. There was even a trip to Antarctica on a Russian icebreaker ship, which included sight-ings of orcas, penguins, and skuas, as well as six shore excursions.

30TH AnniversaryR•I•T•Z 2013

Saturday, June 15, 20136:30 p.m. until midnight

Honorary Chairs:Audrey S. Geisel and Dragon and Don Sherman

Co-Chairs:Jane Fetter, JJ Fetter, and Margi Fetter Graham

Tickets:$450 per guest

$900 per guest for R•I•T•Z Circle seating

For tickets, please contact Marilyn Neumann,R•I•T•Z reservation chair, at 619-287-5435

or sdzooritz@gmail.com.

Rendezvous In The zoo

R•I•T•Z 2013 ChallengeFor every dollar donated, our honorary chairs will match it three for one, up to $1.5 million to benefit lemurs and the Zoo’s new Madagascar exhibit.

A True Wildlife enthusiastPersonal trips have taken Bill to Rwanda and Uganda to see mountain gorillas. Once he had a chance to view gorillas on three consecutive days. When an hour had passed, which is all that’s allowed for tour-ist viewing, the gorilla troop calmly got up and walked off—time was up! In Uganda, Bill remembers staying at a zoo and having breakfast there when a baby chimpanzee ran to him, climbed onto his lap, and fell asleep—only to wake up later and pee there! Bill laughs over the incident, showing that a little discomfort never gets in the way of a true wildlife enthusiast.

We asked Bill if he ever felt fear on any of these trips, and he said “No!” He does recall his first trip with UC Berkeley, which took him to Cameroon as a “monkey watcher.” As they encountered poachers’ snares in the forest, they also noticed elephant tracks ahead of them, so they slowed down, not wanting to surprise the herd. One of their guides carried a shotgun, which seemed reassuring, but when they re-turned to camp, they learned he had no ammunition! Among his fa-vorite memories is an evening in Cameroon, as he was lying near his tent and listening to chimpanzees vocalizing: “And suddenly I thought to myself, ‘I’m really out in the bush. It’s just us and the elements.’”

Beyond these once-in-a-lifetime trips, Bill enjoys his daily visits to the Zoo, so don’t be surprised if you see him on grounds. After all these years, it’s still all about the wildlife for Bill. n

Where there’s a WILL there’s a WAY.To request a complimentary brochure about

including the Zoological Society of San Diego in your will or trust, please call 619-744-3352 or

visit www.zoolegacy.org.

To join one of the President’s clubs or to receive more information, please contact Nancy Howard at

619-685-3219 or nhoward@sandiegozoo.org or visit us at sandiegozoo.org/presidentsclubs.

from the archives

Dr. Harry’s JournalsFor a glimpse into the dedication, commitment, and perseverance that Dr. Harry Wegeforth poured into starting and developing the San Diego Zoo, one only needs to take a look at his journals. He kept de-tailed and meticulous records of all aspects of the Zoo, all written longhand on notebook paper. As Belle Benchley, a Zoo executive di-rector, once wrote: “He placed its interest ahead of his own, gave up all the small pleasures and hobbies. It has been his recreation and con-stant concern….He watches the condition of the individual animals and each one is of interest to him. He is conversant with the work of the Research Department and busy thinking about its problems. He often amazes me, when I think he has been oblivious of something go-ing on in the grounds, by speaking familiarly of all the details.” These journals, now yellowed and fragile, are carefully kept in the SDZG li-brary’s archive, and they speak volumes about what it took to start the San Diego Zoo—and the man who had the courage and vision to make it happen. n

published since 1926 April 2013 n vol.lxxxvi–no.4

San Diego Zoo HourS April 1–7: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ; April 8–30: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.San Diego Zoo Safari ParK HourS April 1–7: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; April 8–30: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information about our animals and events, visit sandiegozoo.org or call 619-231-1515.

The Zoological Society of San Diego was founded in Octo ber 1916 by Harry M. Wegeforth, M.D., as a private nonprofit corporation. The Zoological Society of San Diego does business as San Diego Zoo Global.The digiTal version of ZoonooZ® is currently published monthly and available for the iPad. Publisher is San Diego Zoo Global, at 2920 Zoo Drive, San Diego, CA 92103, 619-231-1515. Copyright® 2013 San Diego Zoo Global. All rights reserved. “ZOONOOZ” Reg. U.S. Pat. Office. All column and program titles are trademarks of San Diego Zoo Global.Annual Memberships: Dual $114, new; $99, renewal. Single $94, new; $82, renewal. Each membership includes unlimited entrance to the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

Managing eDitor KAREN E. WORlEy

aSSoCiate eDitorS PEGGy SCOTTDEbbiE ANDREEN

Staff writerS WENDy PERKiNSKARyl CARMiGNANi

San Diego Zoo global™ PHotograPHer KEN bOHN

Digital iMaging teCHniCian TAMMy SPRATT

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San Diego Zoo global™ viDeograPHerS lEE RiEbERMARiA bERNAl-SilvA