Shelly the sturgeon’s success story

Seneca Park Zoo has been a long-time participant in the lake sturgeon reintroduction project into the Genesee River. Every year, along with USGS and DEC biologists, Zoo staff assist with the mark and recapture of sturgeon released into the Genesee River. Sturgeon are recovered from the river, weighed, measured, and identified using microchips and scute markings before being returned to the water.

On October 7, 2016, a 1.5 year-old sturgeon weighing only 96 grams was found unable to eat or swim by the team. This particular sturgeon was released in October 2015 as a 4-inch nursery-reared fish along with 1,000 other fingerling sturgeon. The sturgeon was brought to Seneca Park Zoo for a little TLC in the hopes that it would be returned to the river when stronger.

Unable to swim, it was placed inside a Genesee River mussel shell to maintain correct posture. Aptly named Shelly, she was tube-fed and then handfed for several weeks by Zoo staff.

As Shelly gained strength, her ability to swim returned slowly. Soon, she was gobbling down earthworms on her own and no longer had a need to stay inside her shell. Our exhibit sturgeon aquarium became the perfect home to wait out the cold because we couldn’t release Shelly during the winter months. She would join our three sturgeon also hatched in October 2015.

Over the winter, Shelly has continued to improve and grow. Weighing in at 236 grams, she has surpassed the weights of our other exhibited sturgeon.

This fall, all four of our exhibited sturgeon will be returned to USGS and DEC for release into the Genesee River. They will join the other 1,000 hatchery-reared sturgeon that will also be released.

The lake sturgeon, a protected species, disappeared from the Genesee River due to human activities from pollution to overfishing. Now, humans have brought them back. Since 2003, 6,000 sturgeon hatchlings have been released into the river.

It has been an honor for Seneca Park Zoo to rescue Shelly the sturgeon in 2016 and return her to the Genesee to enjoy her 150-year life!— Robin English, Veterinary Technician

My first six months as a Zoo Keeper

IMG_20161231_094308442webBeing a zoo keeper is my dream job, and something I’ve worked hard for my whole life. Before becoming a zoo keeper six months ago, I was a volunteer for Seneca Park Zoo for more than four years and have worked for the Zoo Society in Education and Interpretation. These past six months have flown by. I have learned so much and worked with so many animals and many amazing keepers in my short tenure as a keeper. I’ve learned that a zoo keeper is responsible for many different roles, and more than just the fun stuff.

A zoo keeper spends plenty of time shoveling snow, cleaning holding areas, waiting for animals to switch from inside to outside habitats, and preparing diets and enrichment before she has the time to observe the animals. To me, the best part is seeing the animals under my care involved and engaged in their environment. I try to put a lot of effort into enrichment, because the animals benefit from mental and physical stimulation.

Even though I have the best job in the entire world, there are difficult things we encounter, including the passing of beloved animals. But the difference between this job and every other job I’ve had is that this doesn’t feel like work to me. I feel like this is what I’m supposed to do.

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Nicole worked as an educational interpreter prior to becoming a zoo keeper.

And I feel like I am part of a family. Zoo keepers rely on one another. Every time I need advice, have questions, need help with a project, or want to bounce an idea off of another person, I go to some of my very best friends, other keepers, and ask them. Chances are they’ve been through what I am experiencing in their many years of experience and are the first people to lend a hand when I need help. Being a zoo keeper is about more than just relationships with the animals: it requires solid relationships between people, too. I feel so honored to work beside such talented people.

Here are just a few of the countless things I’ve learned in my first six months as a zoo keeper:

  • The penguins peck harder than you think (even though they’re cute)!
  • The baboons are always active, so keeping them occupied can be a challenge. Eventually you learn what they enjoy most.
  • Standing where four elephants passed through just a couple of minutes ago is very humbling.
  • Scratching a rhino is the best part of your day.
  • Getting a chuff back from a snow leopard, tiger, or otter is enough to make your heart melt.
  • Other zoo keepers are the ones who will always be there for you when you need a hand.

A special thanks to all of the people—keepers, friends, and family—who helped support me to get to where I am today: a part of the Seneca Park Zoo keeper family.Nicole McEvily, Zoo Keeper