Archive for May 2010

May
30

Otterly Mad Week! Asian Small Clawed Otter

Posted by in Animal Origins & Fun Facts,Featured,What You Can Do

Join the Houston Zoo as we unite with zoos across the country to celebrate Otterly Mad Week Sunday, May 30 through Saturday, June 5

Started last year by the International Otter Survival Fund, Otterly Mad Week aims to educate people around the world about otters and their importance in the environment. 

There are 13 different species of otters in the world, and two of them can be found at the Houston Zoo!

Asian Small Clawed Otters

Asian small-clawed otters are found in Southern India, southern China, southeast Asia, Indonesia, Philippines and are seen in rivers, creeks, lakes, rice fields, coastal mangroves and along seashores.

Their diet mainly consists of crabs, clams, mollusks, frogs and fish. Asian small-clawed otters capture their food with their forepaws, probing in mud and under rocks in shallow water for their prey.  This is unlike most other otter species that catch prey with their mouths. They are the only mammals besides primates capable of using hands with human-like proficiency. They are very tactile and love to explore new things by touching them.

These otters live in extended family groups of 4-12 individuals.  Breeding pairs are monogamous and both parents help raise young. They are very social animals and have a vocabulary of at least 12 calls for alarm, greeting and mating. 
 
Asian small-clawed otters will nest in burrows along riverbanks or in paddy fields. When not hunting for food, they can be found lounging in the side of a riverbank or shoreline.Keeping fur in a good condition is important so otters spend a lot of time grooming. If their fur gets matted, it can damage their ability to hunt for food or stay warm. Because of their acute sensitivity to pollution and habitat loss they are a reliable measure of the world’s wetlands.

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May
29

Dinosaurs! at the Houston Zoo

Posted by in amphibians,Endangered Species,Featured,Field Research,What You Can Do

Visit our Dinosaurs! exhibit all summer long at the Houston Zoo.

We are opening a seasonal Dinosaur exhibit this weekend here at the zoo. Many millions of years ago (before 1960 for you kids out there), dinosaurs were the predominat species here on Planet Earth. But, alas, they have all gone extinct. Thankfully, millions of people are still fascinated with them and we get our basic dino education from Natural History Museums and Discover Channel shows. You can learn about Dinosaurs and get an up close view of what they may have looked like; from the mighty T-Rex and plated Stegosaurus to the massive Brachiosaurus and horned Triceratops and others.

The dinosaurs were part of what is know as the fifth mass extinction – a mass extinction is when there is a sharp decrease in the diversity (animal and plant species) in a geologically short period of time. 65 millions years ago there was a mass extinction called the Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event. It is believed this was caused by a mass meteorite event and ended reptilian dominance (i.e., dinosaurs) on Earth.

It is believed we are now in the stage of the 6th Mass Extinction event and amphibian losses are part of the crisis – some notes from our conservation team:

Did you know we are facing the next great mass extinction?
Sadly, it is estimated that half of the planet’s amphibian species are threatened with extinction.

These amphibians have seen the dinosaurs come and go, but millions of years on this planet are still no match for pollution, habitat loss, the pet trade, and disease.

Amphibians hold the answers to future biomedicines, they control the insect population, and they are an important food source for many other animals on the planet and yet many of them will not survive.

The Houston Zoo is helping to restore the Houston toad here in the Lone Star State, a native toad in which only 200-300 animals are left in the wild.

In Panama, we have rescued a number of species from the spread of a deadly disease that is wiping out amphibians all over the world. Many of the species, some now extinct in the wild, will live and breed only in captivity until scientists can find a cure for this disease.

Every time you visit the Houston Zoo, a portion of your ticket sale or membership goes back to fund the important work we are doing to help amphibians in the wild. Thank you!

For more information about our amphibian projects visit http://www.houstonzoo.org/conservation/

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May
28

Spotlight on South America

Posted by in Carnivores,community-based conservation,Field Research,South America

A message from the Houston Zoo’s carnivore department:  

Jaguar

There will be a Spotlight on South America event this weekend (May 29 and 30, 2010) at the Zoo.  The event is designed to foster awareness and appreciation of some of our beautiful animals from that region.  The proceeds earned from this event will go to supporting two community based conservation projects that work tirelessly to ensure the survival of South American species in the wild.  

The first is the Bigal River Biological Reserve, it is a 1000 hectare preserve in Ecuador.  This area is community owned and is home to a variety of species of plants and animals (including Jaguars).  It is part of a much larger track of tropical rain forest along the eastern slopes of the Ecuadorian Andes.  The Reserve extends both inside and outside of the Sumaco National Park (which is 190,562 hectares and is one of 3 Biosphere Reserves found in Ecuador).  Approximately 6 km of the Reserve comes in direct contact with the National Park and acts as a buffer zone.  

The Bigal River Conservation Project was created to help better understand the conservation status of the endangered species present in the area and to find solutions that will ensure their long term survival.  The four main goals of the project are:  1) to create an environmental awareness and encourage protection of local biodiversity within the local communities through education, 2) to facilitate community participation in actions oriented towards natural resources management and biodiversity’s data recollection process, 3) to generate long lasting incomes for the members of the communities from environmentally friendly activities and 4) to protect the Reserve and what is left of the tropical rain forest in the area.  These goals will be accomplished through education, scientific research and surveillance and monitoring of both the Reserve and Park. 

Maned wolf

The second is the Maned Wolf Conservation Project, which also combines research, conservation and education.  It was started in 2001 to improve the conservation of Maned Wolves by assessing the changing landscapes of the species survival.  It is located in the Serra da Canastra, a mountainous region in the Minas Gerais State in southeastern Brazil which contains a variety of Savannah habitats.  The Serra da Canastra National Park encompasses a total of 200,000 hectares, 1/3 of which is regulated and managed by the Brazilian government.  The remaining 2/3 is still under private ownership.  

The project captures and monitors (via radio collars) Maned Wolves year round.  To date they have captured 43 individuals in the study area.  The goal is to gather as much information as possible about Maned Wolves in order to establish conservation actions such as habitat restoration, creation of corridors and management of maned wolf populations.  In addition to studying the wolves, the project also strives to educate the people living in communities in the area about the species and how to live peacefully with them.  The group also mediates conflicts between wolves and farmers to help improve attitudes towards the species.  One way the project is doing this is to provide a prototypes of chicken coops designed to keep out wolves to a dozen farms.  Since the initiation of this project, economic losses have been reduced, chicken production has improved, and many farmers are now advocates for the wolves. 

Come and join us this weekend, and don’t miss the ”Carnivore Store” where a variety of paintings of assorted sizes, magnets, photos, and more will be available.  There will also be docents and keepers presenting interesting biofacts to look at and touch in our events area located in front of our newly renovated Jaguar exhibit.  Click here for more details about this event.

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May
25

Sea turtles nest on upper Texas coast!

Posted by in Endangered Species,Field Research,Sea Turtles,Texas,Uncategorized

Fabulous news people.

6 Kemps ridley sea turtle nests have been detected on the upper Texas coast and a total of 82 nests statewide!

The first four nests from our neck of the woods came last Wednesday, 3 female ridleys were subsequently satellite tagged and released back in the Gulf.

Do you want to hear even more fabulous news?

After many patrols over the last several years and sand in really weird places, all of the patience & grittiness finally paid off…

ONE OF THE SEA TURTLES WAS FOUND ON MY PATROL!!!!!! Sorry, could not hold it in any longer. :)

Below is a picture of the beautiful girl found on Surfside beach! She did attempt to evade me of course. About 1 hour after I passed this area on my ATV, she crawled out of the water and two beachgoers watched her crawl up to the dunes, dig a hole, and begin to nest. They did the right thing and called 1-866-TURTLE5 and I was contacted by a NOAA biologist to respond- I flew like I have never flew before and came upon a most delightful sight, one of the most magnificent and endagered sea turtles on the planet. Everyone on the beach that day was awe-struck and thankful to be in the right place, at the right time and to be able to sneak a peek at such an amazing wild animal.

Truly a once and a lifetime experience!

We covered her with wet towels to keep her nice and cool until students from Texas A&M Galveston came to excavate her eggs and tag her.

102 eggs were excavated from her nest. Good mamma!

Release of the three Kemps ridley sea turtles. I bet it felt great to be back in the water.

You can track the movement of tagged ridley turtles by visiting the following link. The ladies tagged last week should be up soon.

REMEMBER, IF YOU ARE ON THE BEACH AND SEE A LIVE OR DEAD SEA TURTLE, HATCHLINGS, OR A NEST CALL 1-866-TURTLE5

May
22

World Environment Day June 5th

Posted by in community-based conservation,Gorilla,What You Can Do

We tend to hear quite a bit about Earth Day here in the US, but we rarely promote World Environment Day.

The theme of World Environment Day 2010 is “Many Species. One Planet. One Future.” It echoes the urgent call to conserve the diversity of life on our planet.  A world without biodiversity is a very bleak prospect. Millions of people and millions of species all share the same planet, and only together can we enjoy a safer and more prosperous future.

Take a look at this short video: http://www.unep.org/wed/2010/english/infomaterials/videos/

This years “Global Host Country” is Rwanda, home to the endangered Mountain Gorilla and the World Environment Day Organizaers are asking everyone, everywhere to Take A Stand for the Gorillas! Let us come together to support the protection and conservation of gorillas in Rwanda. For every activity or positive environmental action organized and registered on the WED website, $10 will go toward gorilla protection. Their target is to reach a minimum donation of $50,000USD.

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May
21

Bornean Orangutan update

Posted by in community-based conservation,Endangered Species,Field Research,orangutan

Bornean Orangutan photo by KOCP

Our partners at the Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Project (KOCP) are developing a new website focused on their activities. Now, instead of waiting for me to randomly toss out an wild orangutan or elephant update, you can visit them anytime you like at this site: http://www.hutan.org.my/Orangutans.html

 The work carried out by KOCP in Sukau marked a landmark in the scope of orang-utan research. It was the first time that orang-utan research was carried out in secondary (that had been previously logged or disturbed) forest. The conventional thinking among primatologists studying orang-utan in the wild was that they could only live and survive in primarily (un-logged or disturbed) forest.

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May
19

Keep Texas Wild!

Posted by in Texas,Travel,What You Can Do

Many of us drive. At least while the human carrying flying dragons are on strike, we need to drive. So here is something which takes little effort and will help Keep Texas Wild.

State of Texas Conservation License Plates! 

Show your support for wildlife! Put a Horned Lizard plate on your vehicle, trailer or motorcycle and help conserve wildlife diversity by funding a vast array of projects that help protect native species such as the state’s official reptile, the Horned Lizard. All projects funded by this plate are used to implement the Texas Wildlife Action Plan. That and you have always wanted that state’s official reptile on your license plate anyway so what is keeping you from doing this?

Go to http://www.conservation-plate.org/index.phtml and apply now for one of the state’s specialty plates to protect wildlife.

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May
18

Let’s Talk About Rhinos

Posted by in Africa,Endangered Species,Featured

The Rhino is truly a species on the edge. Zoos, conservation organizations, and field researchers have worked together for many years to help fight for their survival. It is difficult to protect a species whose numbers have plummeted so quickly but when you consider the 25,000 rhinos worldwide are spilt between 5 species, it makes the challenge of recovery all that more daunting.

Two of the world’s five rhinoceros species are found in Africa, the white rhino and the black rhino. Both are victims of illegal hunting, which is done for the sole purpose of obtaining their horns. Rhino horn is used to concoct traditional medicines in Asia and to produce ceremonial dagger handles in certain Middle Eastern countries. At the beginning of the 20th Century, the white rhino was perhaps the most endangered of the five rhino species, having been reduced to only a handful of animals, but its numbers have rebounded incredibly to a population of nearly 17,000, thanks to successful conservation efforts both in captivity and in the wild, and the species is no longer considered endangered. The black rhino, by comparison, has been seriously reduced in numbers to only a few thousand individuals in Africa’s.

In response to the critical situation facing Africa’s black rhino, the Houston Zoo has joined with the International Rhino Foundation to support the return of this species to Botswana, a country in which it used to occur, but from which it has been extirpated. The long-term goal is to eventually translocate animals to protected areas in the Okavango Delta and the Mashatu Game Reserve, as well as support Rhino Protection Units in Zimbabwe to assist this species.

The Houston Zoo has pledged $100,000 to help launch this ambitious project. The funds will be used to repair fences that protect remaining black rhino populations in Zimbabwe and to better equip anti-poaching units in that country.

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May
17

Clouded Leopards

Posted by in Animal Origins & Fun Facts,Endangered Species

Few animals rival the beauty of the clouded leopard, one of nature’s most mysterious felines and a species which can be seen at the Houston Zoo.

Named for its cloud-shaped spots or “ellipses,” this nocturnal creature makes its home in the tropical rainforests and dry woodlands of Southeast Asia, and is considered one of the most acrobatic climbers in the cat family.  “Cloudeds” can leap from tree to tree, maneuver quite well both above and beneath branches, hang upside-down by their hind feet, and even race head-first down vertical trunks. The cat’s long tail, which can reach three feet and is equal in length to the body, helps the animal maintain its balance high up in the forest canopy. Another unique feature of this species is its long canines, which are longer in proportion to body size than those of any other living cats.  In a sense, the clouded leopard is a medium sized saber-toothed tiger designed for the treetops.

Bornean Clouded Leopard, photo Wilting&Mohamed, ConCaSa

Although widely distributed and found in Indonesia, Burma, Nepal, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Sumatra, southern China and Borneo, the clouded leopard is still categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.  Its numbers are believed to be declining throughout its range and the population on Taiwan was recently extirpated – that is, wiped out.  Being nocturnal and largely solitary in nature, this species has revealed little of its social behavior to even the most determined field researchers.  However, recent genetic studies suggest that what was once thought to be a single species is actually two; populations inhabiting the islands of Borneo and Sumatra are significantly distinct from those of the mainland.  This doesn’t come as a total surprise to evolutionary biologists, but it does give higher priority to conservation actions that target these isolated populations. The Houston Zoo currently supports several wildlife projects in the state of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo: orangutan field research, human-elephant conflict mitigation, and camera-trapping surveys for native cat species including the clouded leopard.    

For more information about clouded leopards, go to www.cloudedleopard.org.

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May
11

The Okapi Conservation Project

Posted by in Africa,community-based conservation,Field Research,Okapi

Okapi

The okapi is a secretive mammal found only in equatorial forests of the African Congo.   There are relatively few okapi in captivity, but the numbers are growing thanks to a program initiated by Florida’s White Oak Conservation Center. White Oak began to build a captive breeding stock two decades ago as a safeguard to ensure this species’ survival, and at the same time established an on-site conservation program  in Democratic Republic of Congo.  Today, all zoos that exhibit okapi from this project and participate in the international breeding program also support field programs of the Okapi Conservation Project.  The most important of these is the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, 8,500 square miles of tropical forest – about half the size of Yellowstone National Park – in which okapi are officially protected along with forest elephants, six species of duikers and 13 species of primates.

The White Oak Conservation Center Okapi Conservation Project, working closely with the Institute in the Congo for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN) is considered a model conservation partnership in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  The Project conservation teams are constantly in the field helping ICCN protect the Reserve and teaching the local communities about the importance of biodiversity and the sustainable use of natural resources.

In the last year the Project’s programs provided school curriculum’s in conservation for over 120 nearby schools and held meetings with the community customary chiefs to teach them about the Reserve and to listen and address their concerns.  The agro-forestry team is now working with over 400 farmers bringing them new and more efficient crop producing and reforestation methods for abandoned farmland.  The continued support of the ICCN wardens and rangers includes bonuses for time spent on patrol in the Reserve, technology and equipment including GPS, satellite communication phones, computers, and uniforms.  The Houston Zoo has been a supporter of the Okapi Conservation Project since 2005.

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