Third zebra arrives at the Zoo

November 28, 2018

Last week, Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo and Seneca Park Zoo officials announced that a third zebra, a five-year-old female named Lydia from Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, has arrived at the Zoo. Lydia was born September 18, 2013 and has lived at Columbus Zoo since she was a month old. She joins two other female zebras, Liberty and Dottie.

In a related move, female ostrich, Echo, moved to Columbus Zoo to join their flock. Lydia’s arrival in Rochester created the perfect opportunity to place Echo with other ostriches. We will miss Echo, but we know this is in the best interest of her overall welfare.

Featured image from L-R: Lydia, Liberty, and Dottie.

Read the Official Press ReleaseCheck out the local news coverage below.

WHAM: New zebra arrives, ostrich leaves Seneca Park Zoo

WHAM1180: Five-Year-Old Zebra Coming to Seneca Park Zoo

WROC: New zebra arrives at Seneca Park Zoo

Democrat & Chronicle: Remaining ostrich departs zoo; zebra arrives

Rochester Business Journal: Zoo welcomes a new zebra

Join Us: Trophy Movie Screening & Discussion with Craig Packer

November 27, 2018

Lions are one of Africa’s most iconic predators. Over the past century, the population of this incredible animal has plummeted from over 200,000 to an estimate of about 20,000 today. Conservation of this species is very complex, with one recent report estimating a cost of over 1 billion dollars per year to save this important apex predator. Population decline, habitat loss, poisoning, and hunting are all problems that need to be addressed. These multi-faceted problems require elaborate processes and collaborations between governments, NGO’s and private citizens to amend.

Dr. Craig Packer, renowned author and director of the University of Minnesota’s Lion Research Center, is one of the world’s leading lion researchers and ecologists and has dealt with these problems first-hand. On Saturday, December 1, Craig will be present at The Little Theater in Rochester for a screening of the documentary Trophy, which begins at 2:00 p.m. The screening will be followed by an open discussion with Dr. Packer about the African hunting industry and complexities of wildlife conservation. The ZooShop also has copies of Dr. Packer’s book Lions in the Balance: Man-Eaters, Manes, and Men with Guns.As Africa continues to grow in both population and agriculture, there is a need to protect people from the dangerous animals that inhabit the continent while also protecting natural habitat for the animals to thrive in. As humans encroach into lion territory, natural prey species are depleting which leads lions to seek out livestock as a source of food. Since rural people depend heavily on their livestock, lions are killed in retaliation or even pre-emptively because of the perceived threat.

In an attempt to create a mutually-beneficial solution, many reserves have fenced their boundaries. Although this may sound like an easy solution, fencing in habitat can produce an array of its own problems. Fences help keep lions in the reserve but also cut off the potential of new genetics being introduced to the existing populations.Fenced reserves also demand a higher level of human monitoring to maintain the balance in the ecosystem, which is especially challenging in a time that conservation funding is virtually non-existent in many African countries.

Another growing threat to lions is the unsustainable hunting industry. Trophy hunting is a controversial concept that if done correctly, can strengthen lion populations and fund conservation. However, working with government agencies and NGO’s for lion conservation becomes complex when there are often competing purposes. And that is what the film Trophy conveys – the complex issues surrounding trophy hunting.With all the threats facing the African lion, it is impossible to find a single solution to solve every problem. However, in protected areas where human pressure has been reduced, lion populations are bouncing back. To secure the future of the African lion, research must be done to find the best way to manage protected areas. Seneca Park Zoo partners with the Lion Research Center by supporting SnapshotSafari, a camera trap initiative that relies on volunteers to classify thousands of images. Researchers then use these images to find which reserves have balanced ecosystems and implement conservation strategies from those areas into unbalanced reserves.

Learn more and be a part of the solution by visiting snapshotsafari.org.

– Annie Wheeler, Lead Zoo Naturalist for Programs
Tickets for the screening

Solo: A Rattlesnake Conservation Story

November 14, 2018

On October 11, 2018, I received a surprising and unexpected call on my phone, “We have at least one baby Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake!” Wow! This is something that hasn’t happened at Seneca Park Zoo since 1997, and something we (well, actually the snakes …) have been working to achieve for over 10 years.

The mother, Braveheart, was born at the Buffalo Zoo on July 8, 2013. She is named for the small heart shaped pattern on both of her parietal scales on top of her head. The father, Striker, came from the Toronto Zoo and is approximately four years old. He is aptly named for obvious reasons.In natural range, Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnakes (EMR’s) breed in the spring/summer and give birth the next summer. Females usually give birth every other season and sometimes in three-year cycles. A typical litter may consist of anywhere between 3-19 baby snakes (neonates), but smaller liters are more common. This gives EMR’s a really low biotic potential when it comes to reproduction. Paired with other threats, EMR’s have become federally threatened and Endangered in New York State.

After receiving the radio call, I decided to move Striker into another habitat with a lone male, Molson, to give Mom a break. This way she could continue to give birth. The following day, I came in to find that we had one neonate EMR and four undeveloped ova. We often refer to these as slugs – or eggs that were never fertilized. Mom and baby were seen laying together (see image above). Although rattlesnakes do not provide care to their young, it is common for them to spend time together after giving birth. Sometimes it can last up to a week.We named this new snake Solo, a fitting title since it was born without brothers and sisters, and it is the first Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake born at any AZA-accredited zoo this year! This snake will be residing off exhibit as it grows and possibly moves to another recommended AZA institution. Once we determine the sex, it will be recommended to be paired with another EMR by the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake Species Survival Plan (SSP).

Every birth of an endangered species is a step forward towards a sustainable future for their counterparts in nature. Learn more about the Zoo’s work in the field for EMRs here.

– John Adamski, Assistant Curator

Demolition of Antiquated Main Building Begins

November 5, 2018

This morning, Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo joined Seneca Park Zoo officials to kick-off demolition of the antiquated Main Zoo Building. This demolition marks culmination of the County’s first phase of Master Plan improvements at the Zoo, which included the new Cold Asia habitats, Animals of the Savanna expansion, and Zoo Tram.

The building was decommissioned over the summer with all resident Zoo animals being relocated to other areas of Seneca Park Zoo or to other zoos around the country. Removal of the outdated 1931 structure makes way for a second phase of Master Plan improvements, to include a new Tropics Complex featuring animals from the ecosystems of Borneo, Congo, and Madagascar.

Demolition of the Main Building is expected to wrap-up before the end of this year. Upon its conclusion, the footprint it once occupied will graded and planted with grass, for the time being. Planning and design of the new Tropics Complex and entryway improvements will begin in 2019, with construction commencing in 2020 and an anticipated opening date of 2022.

Check out the local news coverage below!

WHAM: Demolition of main building underway at Seneca Park Zoo

WHAM 1180: Demolition Underway at Seneca Park Zoo’s Former Main Building

WROC: Seneca Park Zoo begins demolition of main building to make way for new exhibit

Rochester Business Journal: Demolition at zoo prepares for new Tropics ComplexRead the Official Press Release