Archive for July 2010

Jul
17

Road Trip! Chimps on Their Way to the Houston Zoo

Posted by in African Forest,Behind the Scenes,Chimpanzees

Last Sunday we flew to Sacramento, California to assist with the transport of our chimpanzees. We got our rental vehicle, stocked up on road trip essentials and headed to the hotel for a good night’s rest. At 8am we met our team:

  • Dr. Maryanne, Houston Zoo veterinarian
  • Sharon, Houston Zoo VP of Animal Operations
  • Dr. Andrea,  Oakland Zoo veterinarian
  • Dennis and Roger, our drivers
  • Greg and Carol, the owners of the chimps
  • Me, Houston Zoo Curator of Primates and Carnivores

Once the trailer was in position, we began loading the chimps into crates.

A/C, some hay to lie in, and plenty of bananas

All of us were on the road by early afternoon and had a long trip ahead of us. In order to minimize the amount of time the chimps were on the truck we drove straight through, for a total of 42 hours, arriving at the zoo about 11am Wednesday morning. We stopped every few hours at truck stops to check the chimps and feed them. Overall, they seemed to enjoy the trip and I suppose we did too, except for being a bit sleep-deprived.

so good to be home!

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Jul
16

Baby Flamingos Arrive at the Houston Zoo

Posted by in Animal Info,Behind the Scenes,Birds,Featured

Flamingo flock at the Houston Zoo

For over 40 years, Chilean Flamingos (Phoenicopterus chilensis)  have called the Houston Zoo home.  Our flock has 41 birds; 20 males and 21 females.  We have been hoping to increase the size of our flamingo flock as flamingos generally like large crowds; but unfortunately our flamingos do not breed and raise chicks every year. 

Transporting adult flamingos from one zoo to another can be tricky; with their long necks and long legs, they can easily get too confined and injure themselves.  This makes our normal method of flying birds to other zoos harder than most shipments (the flight is via airplane - wouldn’t it be great if we could just give them flight directions to their new zoo home and they could find their own way?) 

Cory Leboff, Houston Zoo bird keeper, arriving from Atlanta with 10 Chilean Flamingo eggs.

About a month ago, Zoo Atlanta sent out word that they would have extra Chilean Flamingo eggs that would be available to other zoos. So we signed up to get some in order to increase our flock.

On June 30, 2010, Cory Leboff, Houston Zoo bird keeper, drove to Atlanta to pick up 10 Chilean Flamingo eggs.  Because eggs are fragile during incubation (excessive jarring or roughness can harm the developing embryo), it is best to transport them as late in incubation as possible.  The first egg was due July 2, 2010.

To transport eggs, we use a specially modified cooler – it has a heater inside and the temperature can be regulated (see pictures below).  When Cory was at the Atlanta Zoo, he filled the brooder (the transport cooler) with foam rubber to protect the eggs and set the temperature at 94 º to keep the developing flamingos warm and healthy.

After a 13 hour drive from Atlanta, the 10 flamingo eggs arrived at the Houston Zoo at 7 PM on July 1, 2010.

Keep checking back to this blog as we will be posting new updates on the egg hatchings and the flamingo babies growth.

Written by Hannah Bailey, Houston Zoo Bird Curator

 
 

The eggs were transported in a specially modified cooler – it has a heater inside and the temperature can be regulated.

The temperature is set at around 94 º to keep the developing flamingos warm and healthy.

Help with the care and feeding of our baby flamingos by adopting them today! Your adoption also supports important education and conservation programs at the Houston Zoo.

Jul
14

Raven’s Beguiling

Posted by in Animal Info,Behind the Scenes,Birds,Natural Encounters

Raven has settled in nicely after the long flight from Alaska and has certainly beguiled us all into smiling in short order!  The 30 day quarantine period is always difficult for keepers who are eagerly awaiting their new charges.  The clinic keepers are primarily responsible for the care of the animals during this quarantine time, but because Raven requires a great deal of handling, the Natural Encounters staff has been visiting at the end of their shifts to offer some more hands on time.  As you can see, Raven is happy to see just about anyone that will offer food, and has quickly learned to step up onto our hands for a treat or a scratch.

Natural Encounters Keeper Kamryn offering a very vocal Raven a get-to-know-you scratch

Natural Encounters Supervisor, PJ....clearly beguiled!

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Jul
12

Meet the Staff: Phyllis Pietrucha-Mays

Posted by in Behind the Scenes,Commissary,Featured,Keepers,Meet the Staff

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Section: Commissary- Commissary Supervisor
Quote: “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.”-Charles Darwin. 
Special Interests/ Hobbies:
Anything outside. I like being active, working out and hiking around our property looking for herps. 
Interesting Facts:
In the 1980’s I had a job where I’d dress up in costume and go to grocery stores to hand out free samples.  I’ve dressed up as a lobster, Mr. Keebler, Twinkie the Kid and the Cookie Monster.  I even dressed as a Gorilla once for Zoo Ball.  

Favorite Animal:
Turtles and tortoises, I have about 30 at my house.  One of my favorites was named Tank, a Sulcata tortoise.  Someone had found him at the Galena Park dump and we brought him home.     

How long have you worked at the Houston Zoo?
I have been here 26 years!  I worked as a docent volunteer before I became a keeper.  When I was hired on, I worked in animal departments for 5 years including the Reptile building, Hoofstock, Primates and the Small Mammal building (now Natural Encounters).  I worked on the Houston Toad Project when it was first established in the early 1980’s.  I have now worked in the commissary 21 years.    

Phyllis loads grain in one of the zoo's expansive walk in freezers.

What made you want to become a zookeeper?
As a child I had an interest in anything having to do with animals and I was always picking up strays.  After working as a keeper for awhile, I moved on to the commissary and really got to see the business side of the zoo.   

How would you describe your job duties?
I am in charge of the staff that prepares food for the animals.  I order food for all the animals from our vendors and also have to drive to various places to pick up special food items.  I also manage the diet changes for the animals to make sure we have enough food in stock.   

What is a typical day like working in the commissary?
Each day is different.  The animals eat different things every day, so the diet preparation changes every day.       

What is your education, training, and previous institution(s) you attended before coming to the Houston Zoo?
I have a 2 year certification from Houston Community College’s Veterinary Technician program.      

What sort of advice would you give to anyone wanting to enter the zoo field?
Start as a volunteer, even as a teenager.  I have hired a lot of former volunteers.      

What is your favorite animal story?
When the zoo used to have koalas our supplier for eucalyptus was in Phoenix, Arizona.  Usually the eucalyptus was flown to the zoo.  Soon after September 11, 2001 all flights were grounded, but the koalas needed their eucalyptus! Our supplier was kind enough to meet us halfway, so I drove to El Paso, TX to pick it up! That was the longest drive I have had to take  to pick up food for our animals.      

To learn more about volunteering at the Houston Zoo visit http://www.houstonzoo.org/volunteer/!
There are numerous career paths to choose from at the Houston Zoo!  To learn more about non-keeper careers, visit Leigh’s blog or the Houston Zoo’s Career page!    

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Jul
10

Chimp Building Update: Finishing Touches

Posted by in African Forest,Behind the Scenes,Chimpanzees

The building is almost done. There’s a bit more work to do and then its up to us to get everything cleaned up and ready for the chimps. I say “we” in the general sense, I’m  leaving all this up to Judy, our newest supervisor, because tomorrow morning I fly to California to pick up the chimps.

almost there...

We’ve talked about where zoos get their animals but have you ever wondered how? The answer depends on the animal – some we ship cargo on commercial airlines or FedEx, others come on land via a professional animal shipper or we just go pick them up ourselves. This shipment is a bit unusual and we’re using a combination of methods. Three Houston Zoo staff, including me, are flying to California, where we will rent a vehicle and meet a professional animal shipper. All of us, plus Greg and Carol, who owned the chimps, will then load them up Monday morning and we’ll all drive to Houston.

The shipper has a large climate controlled trailer with 10 comfortable crates for the chimps. We’ll be driving straight through but will stop regularly to check on the chimps and provide food and water. We expect the trip to take about 40 hours, and if weather and traffic cooperate and should get to the zoo Wednesday morning.

For more updates from the road next week, follow @HZIChimps on Twitter.

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Jul
08

Meet the Staff: Judy McAuliffe

Posted by in Behind the Scenes,Chimpanzees,Featured,Keepers,Meet the Staff,Primates

It is easy to see that this office belongs to a primate keeper! Judy is surrounded by orangutan paintings in her office.

Hometown: Tacoma, WA
Section: Primates- Chimpanzee Supervisor
Quote: “Never believe anything you read.”
Special Interests/ Hobbies:
Horseback riding and reading.
Interesting Facts:
I’ve know nearly 200 chimps during my career and lived in 6 different states in 4 different time zones.
  

What made you want to become a zookeeper?
I spent summers with my aunt, uncle and cousins, and they took us to the Sealife park in Galveston when I was 13 years old.  I used to want to be a dolphin trainer, but then I saw my first chimp and it was all over. 

  

What is your education, training, and previous institution(s) you attended before coming to the Houston Zoo?
I started volunteering at the Santa Barbara Zoo in 1988. I attended Moorpark College for Exotic Animal Training and Management, graduating in 1991.  I have worked at the Primate Foundation of Arizona and the Riverside Zoo in Nebraska caring for chimpanzees.  I also worked at Disney with primates and elephants, and in Bastrop, Texas at MD Anderson caring for their chimpanzees.  I have been here at the Houston Zoo since this April.   

What sort of advice would you give to anyone wanting to enter the zoo field?
Be prepared to do anything.  Volunteer and be patient. Don’t expect to get your dream job right away. You might have to work with animals that aren’t on the top of your list before you can work with animals that are your first choice.    

What is your favorite animal story?
My favorite chimp I ever worked with was named Pani.  Pani was 36 years old and had never had a baby of her own, although she had been an “auntie” a few times and really liked babies and young chimps.  Riverside Zoo (where I was working at the time) took in an orphaned infant chimp from Sedgewick County Zoo named Imara.  We introduced Imara to Pani and Pani was unbelievably patient and kind and soon won over Imara (he had been scared of her at first) and she became his mother for the next 6 years.   

To see the latest update on the Chimp building construction, visit the Official Houston Zoo Blog.   

To learn more about Chimpanzees visit http://www.houstonzoo.org/chimpanzee/   

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Jul
07

Chimp Building Update: Furniture

Posted by in Behind the Scenes,Chimpanzees

So last week we headed over to IKEA to pick out furniture for the chimps – OK, not really. All of the furniture in the chimp building is custom-built and is quite heavy-duty, as you see in this photo.

7 bedroom, 1 bath, large living room, and 1/2 acre backyard - must see!

This is the largest room in the building (about 1000 square feet and over 20 feet tall) and its filled with benches for chimps to sit and sleep on. There are also steel nests (in the upper right) that they can fill with hay and nap in. The posts and walls have steel rings anchored to the to attach ropes and hammocks too. Eventually this room will be filled with 30 inches of pine bark mulch, creating a natural, soft floor indoors.

Before you are too harsh about our decorating skills, let me explain that the first rule of animal exhibit design is function first. Concrete is easy to clean and paint has a tendency to chip under the strain of everyday cleaning and chimps with time on their hands. All of the caging is galvanized steel, which won’t rust after repeated washings (and other chimp bodily fluids I won’t mention here). Once we hang some toys and hammocks the room will be much more colorful, which is actually important to chimps since they see the same color spectrum we do.

Chimps arrive one week from today!

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Jul
06

Raven’s Flight

Posted by in Behind the Scenes,Birds,Natural Encounters

It was a morning very dreary, and I was certainly quite weary as I waited during the pre-dawn hours in the cargo area at IAH  for a plane that was delayed thanks to hurricane Alex.  Perhaps it was fitting that this particular shipment was tempest tossed, but it only added to the usual worry that accompanies an animal transport.  This was a youngster , traveling for the first time.   Our new fledgling raven was arriving on an overnight flight from Alaska.  The new baby was barely four weeks old and we couldn’t wait to meet him, or her…Lord or Lady as Poe’s character mused in his famous poem. Not being a dimorphic species, we’ll have to wait for genetic testing to tell us if our new arrival be Lord or Lady.

The new "baby" raven!

Eventually my fretting over the transport was relieved when the porter brought me a crate addressed to the Houston Zoo.  My first peak inside, however, revealed more than I bargained for!  Our new ” baby” was not what one generally imagines when one thinks of a baby bird.  I felt what Poe’s character surely felt when a raven invited itself  into his chamber.  That being complete astonishment! This baby bird, at four weeks, is about a foot and a half tall and weighs close to a kilo!  It definitely won’t be nestling in the palm of our hand, although it’s not yet coordinated enough for perching on a bust of Pallas.

Aside from being the harbinger of the afterlife in the mind of Poe’s protagonist, Raven’s are famous for their problem solving abilities and sense of play. In fact, I had no sooner got Raven settled in the capable hands of our clinic staff in the quarantine area when the keeper called me wondering what I thought about transferring the raven to a bigger cage.  It had already completely explored the cage we thought would be a good home during quarantine, torn up all the paper and was looking for more to do. Raven will certainly be a fun and challenging new addition to the Natural Encounters area.

Follow our posts as we blog about getting to know our Raven and ravens in general in the coming weeks.

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Jul
02

Visit Liberty the Bald Eagle this 4th of July at the Houston Zoo!

Posted by in Birds,Children's Zoo,Featured,Holidays

Feeling patriotic?  What more perfect thing to do over the 4th of July weekend than to come to our McGovern’s Children’s Zoo to see, up close and without obstruction of mesh or glass, our striking national symbol — Liberty, the Southern Bald Eagle. 

Liberty, the Houston Zoo's majestic, dignified Southern Bald Eagle

Adapted as the official symbol when George Washington became the first President, the Eagle  appears on most of our gold and silver coins and as an emblem in many of official United States seals. It’s also used decoratively for many patriotic purposes.

The Bald Eagle was chosen for it’s appearance of strength and represents freedom. You might get a little choked up to see her. Our viewing deck is raised so you are often eye to eye. 

This weekend might be a little rainy, but it’s  a great thing to do throughout July.  Come to think of it, why not just make her part of your visit anytime of the year?

If you’ve seen Liberty yourself, are a fan of the Bald Eagle, or are feeling partiotic as we approach the weeken, please tell us and all your fellow readers about it in the comments section below.  It’s easy, and we’d love to hear from you!

Written by Rochelle Joseph

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Jul
01

Chimp Building Update: Doors and Windows

Posted by in African Forest,Behind the Scenes,Chimpanzees

Last fall, I made a trip to Arizona to pick out doors and cage mesh for our chimp building. This is perhaps the most important part of an animal building because the right choices will make a building safe for staff and comfortable for animals. Chimpanzees are large, potentially dangerous animals, so all of their doors must be operated remotely by keepers from outside the animal area.  Fortunately the contractor providing the doors and mesh had working mock-ups of all the doors at their shop so I could see everything in person and test it out.

Because the building is so large and complex it contains a total of 33 animal doors. Depending on the location, the door may open horizontally or vertically. Some handles are removable so they don’t get in the keepers’ way and others operate by turning a wheel or pulling a handle. Each door gets inspected and tested by the staff after installation. All of the caging is carefully inspected for rough edges.

cage mesh in the process of being installed

The mesh is fabricated in Arizona galvanized to prevent rusting, and then the panels shipped here for assembly and installation. This involves a lot of drilling and welding – every bolt inside the animal are must be welded so that the strong, dexterous chimps can’t undo them.

Safe for chimps? Check.

Safe for keepers? Check.

Functional? Check.

Soon it will be time to add the comforts of home.

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