Wild Conservation - A Houston Zoo Blog

Year of the Tiger: Siberian (Amur)Tigers

Peter — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:00:00 +0000

We thought we would catch you up on the 6 living Tiger species over the next week so check back daily for a new Tiger Blog.

Siberian (Amur) Tiger, Panthera tigris altaica

Also known today as Amur Tigers, this species can be found in the Southeast corner of Russia in the Sikhote-Alin mountain range east of the Amur River. Their former range included northeastern China and the Korean Peninsula, and as far west as Mongolia. Amurs are the largest living species of Tiger weighing in between 500 and 600+ lbs.

Critically Endangered, this is a population in decline: It is believed that only 320-400 Amur Tigers exist today in the wild, mostly in Russia with perhaps 10-20 in China. There are close to 450 Amur Tigers in accreditated zoos today including North America’s Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the European Association of Zoos and Aquariua (EAZA)

In the early 1900’s, this population had dropped below 50 individuals as hunting (for sport as well as due to human-wildlife confilct) took a toll on this population until the 1940’s when the Soviet Union banned hunting of the species. Poaching still continues to this day due as Tiger’s are marketed for purported medicinal purposes.

For a more detailed account on this species:

1) http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/15956/0

2) http://www.savethetigerfund.org

10 Days Until Pongos!

Peter — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:00:05 +0000

Pongos Helping Pongos:
Paintings by Orangutans, for Orangutans
Pongos Helping Pongos Art Auction and event
March 27th, 2010 G Gallery in the Heights 6:00-8:00 p.m.
301 East 11th Street, Houston, Texas

The Houston Zoo’s 4th Pongos Helping Pongos Art Event will be held at the
G Gallery beginning at 6pm on March 27th. This very special evening will feature over 40 individual paintings done by our orangutans, elephants, siamangs, babirusa and clouded leopards. Each painting will be professionally framed thanks to our partners at YolArt Fine Arts and accompanied by conservation information and an animal artist biography.

The paintings will be displayed at G Gallery in the Heights for a single night in a fine arts setting, including a wine and hors d’ouevre reception and photographic portraits of the featured artists (but taken by humans). Professional photographs of wild orangutans and Bornean elephants will also be available for sale thanks to Houston photographer Paul Swen.

The auction event concludes at 8:00 p.m. Pongos Helping Pongos has raised over $100,000 for the Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Project and Elephant Conservation Program in Sukau, Sabah, Malaysia and $20,000 in support of field conservation efforts at Indonesia’s Gunung Palung National Park.

http://www.houstonzoo.org/php/

Prairie Chicken #3: Attwater’s Prairie Chicken Courtship

Peter — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:00:02 +0000

A captive breeding program was developed for the Attwater’s Prairie Chicken in 1992 in hopes to help boost the amount of prairie chickens in the wild. The Houston Zoo developed a holding and breeding area on grounds called “Boomtown” for the Attwater’s Prairie Chickens, which served as their home until 2006. Due to further development of the Zoo, it was determined that the prairie chickens needed a more natural, quieter, and more secluded home. Through a partnership with NASA’s Johnson Space Center, the Houston Zoo was able to build large holding pens specifically designed for breeding.

The Attwater’s mating ritual consists of courtship display, called booming, that takes place in a lek, or booming ground. The males inflate the bright orange air sacs on their necks, extend their pinnae and tail feathers upward, and then drop their heads creating an “oo-la-woo” sound as they rapidly stomp their feet. Courtship begins in January and mating occurs between from February through mid-May.

Attwater Prairie Chicken post #2 was on 3/2/2010

The Wealth of Nature

Peter — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:54:09 +0000

Limited pre-sale of The Wealth of Nature now available online for pickup at the March 25th Lecture Event.

The Wealth of Nature, produced by The International League of Conservation Photographers with partners Conservation International (CI), IUCN, The WILD Foundation and CEMEX. CI’s President and legendary conservationist, Dr. Russell A. Mittermeier, and ILCP’s founder and President, Cristina Mittermeier, examines ideas on how to integrate the real value of important services – fertile soil, fresh water, breathable air, and a moderate climate – into traditional economic systems to benefit all of Nature, including humans.

Limited quantities available. Book signing by Cristina Mittermeier the evening of March 25th. Order yours today at http://www.houstonzoo.org/lectureseries/

New Chelonian Visitor Center opens in Cuc Phuong National Park

Peter — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:00:20 +0000

NEW CHELONIAN VISITOR CENTER PROMOTES CONSERVATION OF VIETNAM’S TORTOISES AND FRESHWATER TURTLES

Hanoi, March 10, 2010 – Cuc Phuong National Park opened the doors to the region’s first visitor interpretation center focused exclusively on the conservation and protection of tortoises and freshwater turtles.

Located on the grounds of the park’s Turtle Conservation Center (TCC), the new educational facilities incorporate a range of interpretive displays and exhibits including underwater viewing tanks, a turtle egg incubation and hatchling room, and a mock hunting camp and forest trail.

This new educational component of the park’s turtle conservation center was developed to promote efforts to protect turtles amongst the park’s approximately 80,000 annual visitors.

“We hope the new Chelonian Interpretation Center will help the public understand more about turtles and the crisis our turtles face as a result of hunting and trade,” says Bui Dang Phong, Vice Director of Wildlife Conservation and Rescue Centers at Cuc Phuong National Park. “Vietnam’s turtles are being hunted to the point of extinction. Many species’ survival may be contingent upon getting the public to understand the problem and actively becoming involved in their protection.”

ENV also marks the opening of the center with the release of two new important resources intended to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts to reduce the illegal trade of turtles. A short film produced by ENV on the Asian turtle crisis provides forest rangers and park managers with an introduction to turtles and an overview of the threats they face, as well as some basic information on dealing with confiscations.

ENV is also distributing a new electronic identification guide to tortoises and freshwater turtles of Vietnam for law enforcement agencies which includes photos and identification indicators for all 25 native species as well as other important information such as “alerts” prescribing recommended actions for the most critically endangered species if observed or confiscated from the trade.

Vietnam is considered one of the most important hotspots for turtle diversity in Asia with 25 different native species of tortoise and freshwater turtles including five soft-shell species and 20 other hard-shell turtle species. Vietnam also is home to at least two endemic species of turtles that are found nowhere else in the world, as well as the legendary Hoan Kiem turtle, Rafetus swinhoei, one of the most famous and rarest turtles in the world.

The Chelonian Visitor Interpretation Center was developed by the park in partnership with Education for Nature – Vietnam (ENV). Technical support was provided by the Asian Turtle Conservation Program of the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

Financial support was provided by a host of international organizations and institutions including the Auckland Zoo, Taronga Zoo, Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA), Houston Zoo, Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Gardens of Hong Kong, Perth Zoo, Melbourne Zoo, the Humane Society International, and the Dutch Tortoise Society.

About the Turtle Conservation Center (TCC): The larger Turtle Conservation Center was established in 1999 and currently holds more than 1000 turtles representing 20 native species that were either rescued from the illegal trade or born at the center as part of several conservation breeding programs that have been established for some of the most endangered species. The TCC also focuses on training young scientists and forest rangers, and research.

About Education for Nature – Vietnam: Education for Nature-Vietnam (ENV) was established in 2000 as Vietnam’s first non-governmental organization focused on conservation of nature and the environment. Our mission is to foster greater understanding amongst the Vietnamese public about environmental issues of local, national and global significance, ranging from protection of wildlife and natural ecosystems to climate change. We employ creative and innovative strategies to influence attitudes and behavior, not only highlighting the need to protect Vietnam’s rich natural heritage and the living world around us, but also encouraging greater public participation in achieving this important and challenging task.

Artwork Auction to Benefit Haiti Recovery

Peter — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:33:00 +0000

Nebula by By Houston Zoo Elephants: Thai, Methai, Shanti, Tess and Tucker

Our orangs and elephants have created 2 unique, beautiful paintings which we are auctioning off on eBay. All proceeds from this painting will go to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund.

Previous zoo art sales have raised money for victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, in which more than 200,000 people died, and for wildlife conservation.

To bid on these items, go to:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260561583318

or

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260561586452

Check out the Houston Chronicle March 10th article by Allan Turner at http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6907358.html

Return from Rwanda

Peter — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:00:29 +0000

I just returned from a short visit to Musanze, Rwanda and the Art of Conservation program. While there, we taught in both the Rushubi Primary School and Nyange Primary Schools 5th grade classes.

Arts and Crafts projhect are part of the teaching experience in the Rushubi Primary School class. Photo by Molly Feltner.

Art of Conservation, Inc. educates Rwandans about conservation and the importance of maintaining a healthy environment for both people and animals while instilling them with an understanding and respect for themselves, their peers, and the natural world. AoC is led by Julie Ghrist and her team, Valerie Akuredusenge, Eric Mutabazi, Innocent Uwizeye, Olivier Habimana, and Fahad Ndangiza.

Showing photos of endangered animals from around the world to the students. Photo by Molly Feltner.

The visit gave us the opportunity to interact with the Art of Conservation and their students to see how the Houston Zoo could help with the development of their program.

We are looking forward to working with The Art of Conservation and their students. Check back for more information on this effort in the coming weeks ahead.

East Texas Black Bear Educator Workshop a Success!

Peter — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:55:28 +0000

Several months in the making-on February 27th we held our first ever regional Black Bear Teacher Workshop. The workshop was a joint effort between the Houston Zoo and the National Park Service Big Thicket National Preserve. We had an outstanding 85 teachers and wildlife educators in attendance representing 7 different school districts in the East Texas region and several Houston ISD teachers as well. Individuals from the Caldwell Zoo in Tyler as well as several NGO’s, Texas Master Naturalists, state and federal agency representatives were participants in the workshop as well.

Educators were given packets including the Houston Zoo’s Educators Guide to the Black Bears of East Texas, as well as many other resources and educational materials pertaining to black bears. Presentations were given by both Houston Zoo and National Park Service staff. Participants learned about the ecology, history and present status of black bears in Texas, participated in activities that can be duplicated in their classrooms and integrated into wildlife education programs. They also earned 3 credit hours of state education continuing credit hours. The morning was rounded out with a leisurely walk in the Preserve lead by park service staff. Pre and Post evaluation surveys were conducted on participant’s attitudes and misconceptions about black bears and their return to Texas.

There were 13 black bear sightings in Texas in 2009 and already a handful in 2010. Education and outreach is the key to the successful return of this charismatic, yet often misunderstood important animal back to our proud state.

Wildlife of Africa in Bronze and Art

Peter — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:00:20 +0000

The Wildlife of Africa with Wildlife Sculptor Rob Glen and Artist Sue Stolberger, Kenya and Tanzania’s Ruaha National Park

April 22- 29, 2010, Houston Zoo’s Brown Education Center

Please join the Houston Zoo for a special exhibition as we welcome Sculptor Robert Glen and Artist Sue Stolberger for a weeklong event: The Wildlife of Africa

Both Robert and Sue hold a special place in their hearts for Ruaha National Park, Tanzania. As their home for many years, this vast area of virtually untouched wilderness teems with wildlife and stunning scenery, providing endless inspiration and motivation for the artists.

Robert Glen Sculptures in Bronze http://www.robertglen.com/

African Art by Sue Stolberger http://www.suestolberger.com/

Prairie Chicken #2: History of the Attwater’s Prairie Chicken

Peter — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:00:18 +0000

The Attwater’s Prairie Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido attwateri) is a species of grouse that once numbered at least a million along millions of acres of the coastal prairies of Texas and Louisiana. As people became more and more industrialized, more and more native grasslands were plowed for crops and pastures. By 1919, the Attwater’s prairie chicken had vanished from Louisiana and their numbers in Texas were dwindling. By 1937, hunting of the Attwater’s ended because only around 8,700 of the birds were left in Texas. In 1967, they were listed as endangered and in 1973 they were protected by the Endangered Species Act. Now these birds are down to just three small tracts of prairie land – The Attwater’s Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge (APCNWR), The Nature Conservancy’s Texas Prairie Preserve (TNC), and some private land near Goliad, Texas.

So few Attwater’s Prairie Chickens were left in the wild, that a captive breeding program had to be created to save the species. The program began in 1992 and the Houston Zoo joined the effort soon after that.

The Houston Zoo works in cooperation with five other zoological institutions as part of the Attwater’s Prairie Chicken Recovery Team: Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, San Antonio Zoo, Sea World of San Antonio, Caldwell Zoo, and Abilene Zoo. These facilities work in conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and The Nature Conservancy in order to help the Attwater’s Prairie Chicken population grow in the wild through captive breeding, rearing, and release into the wild.

Attwater Prairie Chicken Part #1 was posted 2/16/10