It is often hard to believe that species discoveries are still being made in this day and age, but new species keep miraculously revealing themselves in places like Madagascar.  Last month there was yet another exciting addition to the lemur family.  This month’s Call of the Wild speaker, Dr. Jonah Ratsimbazafy, a Malagasy primatologist, was one of the scientists to find it.  Come and be the first to hear about this brand new species on Feb. 15th at 7:00 pm at the Houston Zoo.  CLICK HERE to purchase your tickets.

Do you want to see lemurs in the wild?  Join the Houston zoo on our trip to Madagascar in 2013. CLICK HERE for more information. 

By: Rachel Godambe, Natural Encounters Keeper

Painted Dog Conservation (PDC) is a very good community-based conservation project in Zimbabwe that hires over 60 locals to help run their various conservation programs.  Their efforts have had tremendous results, but they often struggled to promote and share the successes effectivley with their supporters.   To that end, last month we sent social media specialist Molly Feltner, communications officer for the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project, to PDC to help them with their external communications. During her time she was able to record audio interviews with all the project’s management staff, which will be used to rewrite text for the website and produce a multimedia video. Staff were taught how to edit photos for the web and how to make the best use of social media through Facebook.

Molly documented aspects of the project in order to create a complete hi-res photo archive for PDC staff to use in publicity.  She photographed the children’s education program(the Bush Camp), conservation club classes, the community projects funded by PDC (such as bore holes, community gardens, and projects with the health clinics), the captive painted dogs housed at the rehabilitation center and the wild packs living around the center.  She got footage of the anti-poaching unit activity and the Iganyana art center and artisans that create the snare wire sculptures. She also helped redesign the newsletter that is sent out to the PDC’s supporters on a monthly basis. 

We will continue to assist PDC with this effort, but we are happy to report that many of PDC’s staff are better equipped to share the good news coming from Zimbabwe!

We just got back from another camping trip in the Crocker Mountain Range here in Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia and Houston Zoo summer intern Lyndsey went with us this time. It was just a two day and one night trip. We collected photos from 4 different sites and each site has at least two cameras with a few having four. When we go to the camera site we change batteries, clean the cameras, put new silica gel to absorb the moisture and download the pictures. The last camera site we were going to heck took 6 hours for us to get to in some very steep and slippery terrain only to find that someone had stolen the cameras. All of the data was lost along with $1000 worth of Reconyx cameras.

On the second day the entire day was uphill including a few nearly vertical climb on very wet soil. We climbed from 600 meters above sea level to 1400 at our highest point. The gps is acting up a bit so sometimes we are not getting accurate readings where we are. When we got home today we looked at the photos and there was a clouded leopard on one of them! This makes 4 sites and a total of 5 clouded leopard photos which is pretty impressive considering there has not been much luck with getting photos in this region for these species.

After looking closely at the pictures we have determined it is the same male clouded leopard we have seen at all sites so there is at least 1 in the area. The carnivores seem to prefer traveling the ridge lines of the mountains which is a lot easier to travel than up and down the sides of the mountains but the hunters also like to use these same ridge lines.

So far we have photos of hose’s civet, clouded leopard, marbled cat, Malay civet, pangolin, common palm civet, banded palm civet, masked palm civet, linsang, binturong, Malay weasel, yellow throated Martin, short tailed mongoose, Malay badger,sun bear, leopard cat, bearded pig, red and yellow muntjac, sambar deer, mouse deer, great argus pheasant, pitta, tree shrew, moon rat, squirrels, and hornbill. We have also heard orangutans and Bornean gibbons, grey leafed monkey and a possible sun bear. It has been a great trip but exhausting.

Leopard Cat

We are going to Sepilok tomorrow to visit the Borneo Sun Bear Conservation Centre and then I will be home in about a week!

In case you were curious about what a Borneo Sun Bear looked like. Photo from Danau Girang Field Centre 2010

Just a quick update from our partners at Cheetah Conservation Botswana (CCB).

CCB has been engaged by the government Wildlife department to do training in Northern conflict hot spot areas and set up demonstrations of ideal kraals and livestock guarding dogs in the wildlife rich areas of theOkavango, Makgadikgadi Pans and Chobe. This is an exciting initiative which if successful has the potential to be replicated elsewhere in Botswana.

CCB further expanded its farmer training program, with the assistance of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. In August, CCB ran its first 5 day farmer training course at the new Tiisano Education Centre. The course aimed to provide training on best practices in range, livestock and wildlife management and increase local capacity to reduce cheetah and other predator conflicts. Certain farmers in the region will also be selected for direct support to improve their methods and be monitored.

CCB Ambassador Cheetah at Mokolodi Nature Reserve

A livestock guarding dog clinic was held in the region in collaboration with Maun Animal Welfare Service, with 41 dogs receiving sterilization and vaccinations. After this a bush camp for Kalahari schools took place at the Education Centre and the children learnt about wildlife, the environment and conservation. The new Centre is becoming a great resource for CCB and is an ideal training site for many audiences. Thanks must go to the CCB Ghanzi team and our neighbors for holding back the recent bush fires for over 3 days and preventing all our hard work go up in flames!

Livestock Guarding Dogs at CCB's Ghanzi location

As for cheetah! We have recently collared a female with 3 cubs residing on the game farm next to CCB’s Kalahari base. This will be the first female we have collared in the area which is great news as it will significantly add to our understanding of cheetah movements and ecology in the area. The coalition of males collared earlier in the year are from the same area and their movements continue to be monitored. Please visit their News section by linking here

All photos courtesy Houston Zoo

Sumatran Rhinoceros "Tam". Borneo Rhino Sanctuary, Tabin Wildlife Reserve. Photo by Paul Swen.

So, at best guess, no more than 25 animals are living on Borneo in a completely fragmented habitat and it is believed that none of these have reproduced for nearly four years. A recent editorial in Malaysia’s New Strait Times paper by John Payne, a world renowned conservationist who has lived in Sabah, Borneo since the 1970′s notes that open discussions need to take place with both government and non-government organizations or we will be witness to the disappearance of yet another iconic mammal.

Too many species disappear not only from habitat loss and poaching but from the failure of organizations, with apparently the best interest of the animal in mind, to not be able to cooperate with each other. Hopefully, the Sabah Wildlife Department and partners will be able to make a difference for this species.

Sumatran Rhino, Borneo 2008

A last-ditch effort to save the species, the Borneo Rhino Sanctuary programme, is under way in Sabah, a government programme implemented by the Sabah Wildlife Department with support from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Borneo Rhino Alliance and Yayasan Sime Darby and World Wildlife Fund.

Read more: Last ditch bid to save the rhinos – Columnist – New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnist/last-ditch-bid-to-save-the-rhinos-1.8370#ixzz1eLlVMScQ

Camera trap photo of Clouded Leopard in Kinabatangan floodplain. This is what the project is hoping to find in the Crocker Mountain Range

Kevin is in Borneo now, enjoy his description of his first few days with the project.

So, I discovered today I am clearly out of shape.  Just for reference, Crocker is nearly 6,000 feet above sea level – Houston is 50 feet above sea level. Therefore my body has not figured out the 5,950 foot difference just yet.

Our group split in to two groups; one went on a three day hike and ours did just one long day. We set up two camera traps and cleared some forest trails to funnel animals towards it. We only went a total of about 5k if you were to measure in a straight line but with going up and down mountains repeatedly my legs and lungs will argue that it was much more.  I pulled 36 leeches off of me this evening and my pant legs were pink from the blood.  Hopefully I will acclimate to this altitude soon so I don’t slow the group down too much.  We saw a rhinoceros hornbill and we heard orangutans, argus pheasant, and sambar deer.  They have only seen 4 mammals total up in this region on this project so far so things are much more difficult to find than in the Kinabatagan River floodplain where animals are drawn to the open spaces near the river. Does not mean they are not here, just much harder to see and the wildlife are not as accustomed to seeing people wandering around their forests.  We also came across a hunters poaching camp and we went to talk with them but they we’re not there.  We are having trouble with the hunters stealing some of the camera traps which is unfortunately common on some projects, even a past effort I was part of in Texas in the Big Thicket. Otherwise all is great, just waiting on my body to catch up. More to come from Crocker National Park in Sabah, Malaysia…

To learn more about the Houston Zoo’s efforts in Borneo – link here

For more on the Bornean Clouded Leopard Programme – link here

Have you ever asked yourself: What are all these broken cell phones doing in the  drawer?  And then your “other” voice says:  They are not really in the way, I’ll throw them out later.

I had a friend bring me a bag of 6 phones and chargers last week. They were in a box in his garage for 2 years. 6 phones? There are 2 people in his family! We cannot keep up with the cell phone revolution and our landfills should not have to either. To make matters worse, every phone not recovered and recycled is equal to minerals and resources coming directly out of the African Congo. Everyone says – “What can we do?”. Here is what you can do and it really makes a difference.

Bring your cell phone to the zoo for recycling and help save wildlfe, and people, in Africa. Civil wars and rebel groups thrive on the illegal trade in the resources which make our phones,  laptops, digital cameras, and video games run. There is a mineral in our phones called coltan and it acts as a capacitor in your phone. Armed groups in eastern Congo that control minerals, mines and trading routes generate an estimated $180 million each year by trading four main minerals: tin, tantalum (colton), tungsten, and gold.

And with these groups comes habitat destruction, illegal poaching and bushmeat, as well as the loss of human life due to the civil unrest. Something as simple as a cell phone has created a power struggle over resources. By recycling that resource so that it can be refurbished and re-used, we cut down on the amount of product imported, and hopefully slow down the trade.

Want to start a company wide collection program? Schools, Scout troops? Wildlife can use everyone’s help. Contact conservation@houstonzoo.org for more information.

Sept / Oct 2011

“After the loss of Bullseye, we were concerned about the future of the Kutanga females. In my last update I wrote about the search for Bullseye and finding him dead in a snare, plus the snare wound injury to Juliette, which required intervention and treatment. With Juliette now wearing a GPS collar, we at least felt confident that we could track the packs’ movements, no matter how far they roamed in their search for new males.

We were soon to learn how far this search had taken them when another pack, named the Sibindimalisa, turned up at our rehabilitation facility. The Sibindimalisa where originally identified by Greg early in the year and were previously found deep inside Hwange National Park. We were mystified by their appearing at the Rehab Center, but the download from Juliette’s collar gave the possible answer.
The Kutanga females had been all the way south into the Sibindimalisa territory and it seemed as though the Sibindimalisa chased or followed them out, all the way to our Rehab.

PDC employee, Ester responded as ever to my request for help and collared the alpha female and alpha male of the Sibindimalisa. This enables us to also monitor their movements.  It was, and is, rewarding having more dogs around, and perhaps it indicates a change for the better for the local dog population. But we are not celebrating yet.

There is a local expression that translates roughly as “It’s the clouds that bring rain.” Very appropriate, as the rainy season is now upon us. It brings to mind though, the trials and tribulations of the Ukusutha pack in Victoria Falls. We have been pinning our hopes on the three-year old male, Sithule, to lead the young pack through the difficult transition period to a full life back in the wild. He indeed
seemed to be up to this task and had been seen leading many hunts. But one day we were concerned to see him lying rather still, deathly still in fact. Greg approached and Sithule slowly got to his feet, but it was clear he was not well. Further examination through binoculars revealed a mark on his shoulder consistent with a kick. This was soon confirmed by staff at the nearby Stanley and Livingstone Hotel. They had seen the pack hunting a few days before and witnessed a zebra giving Sithule a severe kick. We suspected he had broken ribs and kept a closer-than-usual eye on him, ever anxious for his wellbeing. It soon became apparent that he was adding to our concerns by spending time with a lone female who was occupying the reserve as well, rather than devoting his attention to the Ukusutha
females. 

Named Bekezela, the lone female was in superb physical condition, although her presence created a certain amount of tension amongst the dogs. Sithule certainly liked the look of her but in his injured state he could not keep up with her.  The Ukusutha males seemed confused at best by her, while the Ukusutha females did not appreciate her being around at all!  Sithule seemed to be recovering when Jealous and Edward found his carcass. Lions had killed him. Perhaps he had been caught while venturing out on his own, moving between Bekezela and the Ukusutha, with his injury slowing him down. It wasn’t long before the Ukusutha males joined Bekezela. A positive move on the one hand, yet it left the Ukusutha females to fend for themselves. Their situation took another turn when they left the relative safety of the Vic Falls Private Game Reserve through an open gate.

With Ester again responding, we had three vehicles on the ground and a helicopter in the air, all to no avail, and as I write they are still missing.

Local Success in a Wildlife Quiz

In 2009 we introduced a wildlife quiz to the Iganyana Children’s Bush Camp curriculum. It’s been hugely popular with the children and resulted in a better retention of the concepts taught.

Such is the impact of the quiz that we decided to arrange for a competition amongst the schools that attend our Bush Camp and it was St Francis Xavier who emerged as the victors with Sir Roy Welensky Primary School coming a close second. News spread and the two schools were invited to attend the Wildlife and Environment Zimbabwe (WEZ) Provincial Quiz in Bulawayo. A trip to Bulawayo, which is a three-hour drive away, is in itself, quite a treat for most of the rural children in our area. Attending a high profile competition is quite another thing altogether. Competing as they would against seasoned schools like Carmel, Petra, Hillside, Dominican Convent and others from the afluent suburbs, in and around Bulawayo.

The children stepped up to the challenge and performed tremendously, with Sir Roy Welensky achieving fourth place. A lot of positive comments came from the WEZ team and other staff from schools that have been in the competition for more than 6 years. The Education Officers based in Hwange and the Provincial Education Director were so happy with the results and congratulated Painted Dog Conservation for their support towards education in the area.”

By Peter Blinston, Project Manager, PDC

Project Update July / Aug 2011:

“ Jealous and I watched the Ukusutha pack feeding on an impala, rather like proud parents watching their children achieve something special. This was the third kill the Ukusutha had made. Greg had enjoyed watching the first two kills and now this third kill provided evidence that they had, indeed, taken another huge step from being dependant on humans for their food. A fourth kill the following afternoon really sealed the deal! 

On the roller coaster of life of Painted Dog Conservation this was a high, a great moment to hold onto. We had made the decision two years ago to bring the dogs into our Rehab Facility, and with that decision came a lot of responsibility.  Raising them was never going to be the issue, as our resident dogs, Angela and Zenga, took up the role of foster parents. However, getting them back into the wild was always going to be challenging and witnessing them take such a huge step in that direction was tremendous. They are far from in the clear though. Life in the wild is never an easy ride and they still have much to learn. Their encounters with lions and hyenas on the reserve have so far gone well. Pack strength is working in their favour, allowing them to defend their kills from hyena and they have been seen chasing two lions away. We know there will be many more challenges for them though. 

As if to underline the struggle for life, my phone rang and brought me back to earth. Three dogs had been spotted and photographed by clients staying at The Hide Safari Camp. Closer examination of the photos revealed that one was carrying a snare around her neck. When we received the photos that afternoon we needed only a second to identify the dogs as the Kutanga females. Juliette had been snared and to make matters worse, Bullseye was missing. We needed to find the dogs and find them fast. I left Jealous in Vic Falls with Edward to watch over the Ukusutha and drove back to Hwange.  Foggie, PDC’s Assistant Manager is excellent in a crisis. During my two-hour drive from Vic Falls to PDC she had already organised a plane for the next day. 

I didn’t sleep well that night and got up early. After making coffee, I got into my Land Rover and drove into the bush. 

The signal from Juliette’s collar soon reached my ears— the familiar beep, beep beep, confirming she was close by. I frantically checked for the other collars. Alpha female Ester was there, as was the third female, named Shoulder Patch.  However, Alpha male Bullseye was still missing.  I followed the three females and managed to look at Juliette through my binoculours. I could see that the snare had not cut into her neck. She was lucky. She had a wound on the side of her mouth and another behind her left front leg. Neither looked too serious and my tension eased a little, but Bullseye was still missing and so the priority.   The plane arrived and after thirty minutes we had fixed the tracking equipment to the wing struts and were ready. A 20-minute flight was all it took to locate Bullseye, approximately 10 kilometres northeast of Ganda Lodge. The collars we fit onto the dogs have three signals: a moving, a resting and a mortality signal. The signal I was receiving from Bullseye’s collar suggested he was moving. We landed and quickly drove to the nearest point, picking up some anti- poaching scouts on the way. I was listening to the signal as we walked into the bush and it changed to a resting pulse. We hurried along and came across the brutal scenes of his death.  The remains of Bullseye’s body were still caught by the cruel snare. Vultures had been feeding on his carcass, creating the movement that had given rise to the false hope. I was devastated and dropped to my knees by his side. The snare, made from copper telephone wire, encircled his waist.   Witnessing these scenes does not get any easier no matter how many times you see it. The agony of his death is hard to imagine. My despair turned to anger as I surveyed the scene. We recovered 15 snares that had accounted for an elephant and an impala, as well as Bullseye.   Juliette was now the priority and two days of searching by Greg and me were frustratingly fruitless. Greg headed back out into the depths of Hwange NP, as we knew these females could and would cover 20 or more kilometres in a day. I concentrated on the local search. 

“MK” phoned me in the evening to report that the Kutanga females were at the rehab. I was more relaxed now, though determined as ever to help Juliette. I drove out at 5:00 am the next morning.  The dogs were still at the rehab but not in a position that would allow me to get close enough to dart Juliette. Happily they soon moved off and I followed, as they chased a small herd of sable with misplaced optimism rather than actual intent.  They soon came to a rest in the thick teak woodland and I had my chance to get close enough. I darted Juliette and she soon fell into a drug-induced sleep. With “MK” and Maria helping me, we soon cleaned up Juliette’s wounds, fitted her with a new GPS collar and returned her to her pack. A roller coaster ride one shared by all of you.

On another note, our extremely successful Children’s Bush Camp has now hosted 5,000 children and continues to inspire the kids that are the hope for the future. The extension of this work into the communities via our Conservation Clubs continues to be ever- popular and in July we ran another Nature Corner competition with Lupote School, again claiming first place. It was great to see Hankano, one of the smaller schools, claim second place and the judges’ overall comments being tremendously encouraging.”

By Peter Blinston, Project Manager, PDC