Keeper Connection: Opportunities, Barriers, and Suggestions for Orangutan Rehabilitation and Re-Introduction Centers in Indonesia.

In the fall of 2017 I visited Indonesia to expand on my Masters of Science theses titled Implementing Best Practice Guidelines: Opportunities, Barriers, and Suggestions for Orangutan Rehabilitation and Re-Introduction Centers in Indonesia.

While in Indonesia I visited three primate rehabilitation and re-introduction centers: The Aspinall Foundation in Java, Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Program in Sumatra, and International Animal Rescue in Kalimantan, Borneo. 
 
The Aspinall Foundation rehabilitates and re-introduces Javan gibbons to the wild, langurs and various other primate species that may be surrendered or rescued. International Animal Rescue focuses mainly on Bornean Orangutan re-habilitation and re-introduction into the wild. The primate species within these centers are victims of mass habitat deforestation for agriculture or the wild primate pet trade. 
 
My main focus was to determine whether the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Best Practice Guidelines for the Re-Introduction of Great Apes was in need of an updated version since it was first published in 2007. Orangutan and other Indonesian primate rehabilitation centers have seen a dramatic increase in number of orangutans in need due to the continued deforestation of their habitats in order to grow palm oil. Because of the increase of individuals and the decrease of wild habitat to re-introduce them into, the practices that were once standard in the past have now changed.

My project aims were based on a theme:

1. To determine the applicability of the IUCN Best Practice Guidelines for the Re-Introduction of Great  Apes to orangutan rehabilitation and re-introduction practitioners;

2. To determine the major difficulties practitioners face in implementing the IUCN guidelines; and

3. To determine the potential need for an updated best practice guideline containing in-depth orangutan-specific rehabilitation and re-introduction practices. 

 
I obtained my data from interviews with practitioners and questionnaires handed out to those willing to participate. The questions asked pertained to the project aims.
 
The quantitative results from the questionnaire determined that the majority of practitioners felt that the IUCN guidelines for great ape re-introduction lack orangutan-specific information with a need to update sections regarding policies and protocol for guideline compliance and post-release monitoring. 

– Zoo Keeper Clare Beldin-Walker

 

Resources for orangutan conservation:

How Zoos are Helping Researchers Improve Wild Snow Leopard Population Counts – Guest Blog by Snow Leopard Trust

This guest essay contributed by by Jen Snell Rullman, Senior Philanthropy Manager at Snow Leopard Trust, first appeared in our April 2023 edition of ZooNooz

Snow leopards are famously elusive, making them challenging to observe and study. We rely on technology like research cameras to be our window into their wild lives. Take a good look at the two photos on the following page of snow leopards. Is it the same cat or two different ones? Now imagine the wind blowing the fur in different directions, snowflakes obscuring the rosette pattern, or maybe half the cat is hidden behind a rock. Would you be able to know with 100% certainty if it’s the same cat?


Welcome to the world of snow leopard research.

 

The use of motion-activated research cameras to survey “hard to-count” species has grown over the last decades. Researchers use them to estimate populations of many species, including tree kangaroos, wolverines, bears, and many species of cats. But how accurate are the resulting population estimates? There is a widespread assumption that when looking at research camera images, scientists can readily identify individual animals from one another based on their unique characteristics. We’re testing that assumption to ensure we get the most accurate population counts.

Snow Leopard Trust has launched a robust study to better understand how well we identify one cat from another and how the errors influence the population estimates, allowing us to take that into account when developing our own population estimates of wild snow leopards. To do this, we need research camera photos of animals with known identities.

This is where zoo animal ambassadors get the opportunity to help their wild counterparts. Our scientists are working with experts from over 40 zoos, including Seneca Park Zoo, to deploy the same kind of research cameras we use in the field to capture photos of each individual cat species in the study: amur tiger, lynx, amur leopard and snow leopard. Why all four cats? Snow Leopard Trust scientists will examine how identification error rates may vary according to different fur types in wild animals by comparing data from four species of cats with contrasting patterns. 

amur tiger = stripes and short fur lynx = small spots and long fur amur leopard = large spots and short fur snow leopard = large spots and long fur

Snow Leopard Photos Courtesy of: SLCF-Mongolia/SLT

It’s relatively easy to tell these four different species apart. But how did you do on the ID test on the above? Did you know it’s the same snow leopard in both photos? If you didn’t, you could have overestimated the population, skewing conservation strategies for snow leopard protection.

The research cameras in zoos will take photos of both sides of the cat where there is 100% certainty of its identity. We will send these photos to scientists who normally ID the species of interest in the wild (lynx photos to lynx researchers and so on) through research camera studies. Researchers involved in the project will not know how many cats are in the database, which cat is which, or where it is from. Only our lead scientist knows the true identities. The researchers will ID the cats in the zoo photos. We can then assess how accurate they are at identifying individual cats because we are certain of the true identities of the zoo animals.

We can also evaluate the types of errors that most commonly occur. For example, if it is more common to say that photos of the same cat are of two different cats, that leads to an overestimation of the population. In contrast, if it is more common to classify two photos of different cats as the same cat, that will lead to an underestimation of the population.

“We could not learn the answer to this vital question about ID accuracy without these known cats and the generous conservation partnership of Seneca Park Zoo in this study. Once we have the final results, we hope to have a clearer understanding of the margin of error. We can then incorporate that into our research findings to better analyze and estimate snow leopard populations. This will help us take another leap forward in securing a future for wild felids. And we have zoo cats to thank for their part in it.” – Marissa Niranjan, Deputy Director of Snow Leopard Trust. 

Snow Leopard Photos Courtesy of: SLCF-Mongolia/SLT

Seneca Park Zoo has partnered with Snow Leopard Trust for over a decade, contributing to our conservation programs in myriad ways – inspiring zoo visitors to take action on behalf of wild snow leopards and increasing awareness of the importance of local and indigenous communities in snow leopard conservation. In 2021, Seneca Park Zoo support helped build multiple predator-proof corrals in Mongolia and Pakistan, protecting livestock from attack and decreasing negative interactions between wild snow leopards and herders.

You may be surprised to learn that Seneca Park Zoo’s conservation efforts also help snow leopards by supporting a growing beekeeping livelihood-improvement project in Pakistan. This initiative increases the economic resilience of high-altitude communities who share their land with snow leopards and promotes coexistence with this threatened cat. (Check out how Seneca Park Zoo is also making a difference for pollinators in the Rochester area on the zoo website.)

Seneca Park Zoo and the larger global snow leopard community are empowering Snow Leopard Trust to reach new conservation milestones for the magnificent ghost of the mountains. Thank you for turning inspiration into action!

“Seneca Park Zoo and the larger global snow leopard community are empowering Snow Leopard Trust to reach new conservation milestones for the magnificent ghost of the mountains.”

– Jen Snell Rullman, Senior Philanthropy Manager

Reproductive Evaluations & Research with Lions in Our Care

Zuri is trained to allow us to collect vaginal swabs for reproductive evaluations and research. This process is not painful and only takes a few seconds. Zuri is allowed to leave if she chooses, but she often stays put even after we are done! The swabs are then rolled on glass slides to transfer any cells onto the slide. 

These are used for cytology – evaluation of the cells under a microscope. The slides are sent to the Lindner Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW). This organization performs important research regarding the protection and conservation of endangered species. They also have educational programs to help spread knowledge and engage the public to help save endangered species.

This research is important for many of the species that we work with in zoos because many wild populations are faced with the threat of extinction. Lions are listed as a vulnerable species by IUCN, which is one-step below endangered, meaning that wild populations are declining and they are facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. 

Knowing more about their reproductive physiology helps to increase success of breeding in zoos, which helps zoos to maintain healthy and genetically diverse populations. 

Reproductive research also helps us to understand how animals reproduce in the wild and what factors could disrupt or help to increase reproductive success. This knowledge is an important component of conservation strategies.

– Dr. Chris McKinney (DVM / Zoo Veterinarian)

Zoos Support Polar Bear Conservation Research in the Wild – Guest Blog

This guest essay contributed by Dr. Thea Bechshoft, Conservation Programs Associate and Staff Scientist Polar Bears International, first appeared in our January 2023 edition of ZooNooz

It’s a little known fact that zoos can play an essential role in conducting research that helps polar bears in the wild. Many of the zoos and aquariums taking part in such efforts, including Seneca Park Zoo, are part of Polar Bears International’s Arctic Ambassador Center network. They work with us collaboratively on research, education, and advocacy programs that address the challenges polar bears face in a warming Arctic.

Research

 

Studying polar bears in the high Arctic can be logistically demanding and even dangerous. And some essential research would be impossible to conduct with polar bears in the wild. Also, it’s extremely rare for field researchers to handle the same wild bear multiple times during any given year, meaning that field data often gives us a precious but single snapshot in time of what is happening with an individual bear.

Modern zoos and aquariums present a unique ability to help fill such knowledge gaps by having their bears take part in studies that can only be conducted in zoo settings. These studies are made possible partly because the highly skilled caretakers and vets at these institutions have the ability to train the animals to allow the collection of voluntary samples, but also because the animals in their care can be accessed multiple times over a longer duration. Both of these factors are immensely helpful, especially in studies that aim to enhance our understanding of polar bear physiology and behavior, and in developing and calibrating new research methods and technologies before they are deployed in the field.

KT Miller / Polar Bears International

Several such studies are underway as we speak. For example, voluntary blood samples are being used to study how the bear’s reproductive hormones fluctuate across the entire calendar year. In addition, polar bears in zoos are helping us develop pregnancy tests, and voluntary hair samples are helping researchers understand the timing of hair growth on different body parts of the animal, which can provide insights into their diet and health. And recently, zoo bears have been helping us develop and test new attachment techniques for small tracking devices that will help us understand the movement patterns of polar bears in the wild. Earlier studies provided insights into the energy requirements of polar bears when swimming or walking and also helped solve the puzzle of how polar bears find mates on the vastness of the sea ice.

But how do zoos and aquariums prioritize research on polar bears and forge collaborations with field biologists? In 2018, Polar Bears International supported the efforts of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in forming the Polar Bear Research Council (PBRC). Composed of zoo professionals and polar bear researchers, the council helps ensure zoo projects answer key scientific questions related to polar bears in the wild. The projects fall within four main areas – Field Techniques, Health and Welfare, Physiology and Behavioral Ecology, and Reproductive Physiology – and members can find them in the PBRC Research Masterplan, a living document that is revised regularly. (The latest version, released in January 2022, can be found on the Polar Bears International website).

BJ-Kirschhoffer-B0020848
BJ Kirschhoffer / Polar Bears International
Kt-Miller-1088597
KT Miller / Polar Bears International

Funding

Polar bear fieldwork is often a financially challenging undertaking, even though most researchers are willing to live on a stone if that’s what it takes to be able to afford Arctic conservation projects. However, the unavoidable cost of transporting people and equipment in these remote regions can quickly max out any budget – especially when it comes to helicopters, which are essential to many projects. The high costs are true for any in-field polar bear researcher, including those working at and with Polar Bears International on our many projects around the circumpolar Arctic. Outside funding is essential to our ability to collect the data on wild polar bears that allows managers and policy makers to make science-based decisions on how to best protect these amazing animals.

Seneca Park Zoo has supported Polar Bears International’s maternal den study in Svalbard over multiple years as one of our generous sponsors. This study uses solar-powered trail cams to study polar bear moms and cubs non-invasively during this sensitive time in their life cycle. Our team arrives in late winter to set up the cameras on snowy mountain slopes in Svalbard, just ahead of the emergence of moms and cubs. The findings will help managers and policymakers establish the best possible guidelines to protect denning families. It will also help scientists understand the impact of climate warming on the survival rates of denning cubs and provide insights into the den-selection process.

“Zoo bears are perfect candidates to help with polar bear research because they already participate in many health-care behaviors voluntarily and seem to find those experiences enriching,” says Amy Cutting, Vice President of Conservation at Polar Bears International. “In addition to inspiring guests to take action on behalf of polar bears, zoos are helping conservationists find ways to save a species facing very serious threats to its survival. I am really proud of how the zoo community has come together over the last decade to make significant contributions to polar bear conservation science – and the Seneca Park Zoo has played an important role in that effort.”

Ways you can help polar bears:

  • Use educated consumerism – buy local products, follow the Seafood Watch Guide.
  • Turn off lights when not in use. Replace old light bulbs with energy-efficient bulbs.
  • Use proper trash receptacles for things that can’t be recycled. Don’t litter!
  • Eliminate Styrofoam – it doesn’t decompose!6. Walk, cycle, carpool, or take public transportation.
  • Save water by turning off taps when not in use and take shorter showers.
  • Unplug appliances (toaster, hair dryer, laptop, etc.) when not in use.
  • Turn off vehicles while waiting rather than idling.
  • Turn your thermostat two degrees down in the winter and two degrees up in the summer.
  • Avoid the dryer and hang your clothes to dry.
  • Donate to the Zoo’s conservation partner, Polar Bears International.
  • Assist in a community recycling event.
  • Avoid single-use plastics such as straws, grocery bags, utensils, water bottles, and to-go drink lids.
  • Plant a tree or garden. Your participation helps save polar bears!
  • Come out to Polar Bear Awareness Weekend at the Zoo (Feb. 25 & 26) and/or Defend the Ice Night at the Rochester Amerks! 

Estimating the Importance of Land-Based, Human-Provisioned Foods in Polar Bears Affected by Sea Ice Loss (Guest Blog)

Below is a summary of the study we are currently taking part in with Anoki by Dr. Karyn Rode, Research Wildlife Biologist with U.S. Geological Survey – Alaska Science Center

 

Estimating the Importance of Land-Based, Human-Provisioned Foods in Polar Bears Affected by Sea Ice Loss

The Arctic is warming faster than anywhere else in the world leading to substantial declines in summer sea ice extent.  In the southern Beaufort Sea of Alaska, bears have historically spent most of their life out on the sea ice hunting for ringed and bearded seals, their primary prey.  But over the past three decades, declines in summer sea ice extent have been associated with a greater proportion of bears in the population summering on land and spending more time there. 

Three communities on the north coast of Alaska also harvest bowhead whales during the time that bears are onshore. The remains left by hunters attract large numbers of bears and also provides a food source during a period when there is little to no sea ice off the northern coast of Alaska.  However, bears also are attracted to areas close to human settlement creating the potential for increased bear-human conflict. Answering the question of how best to manage whale remains depends on better understanding their nutritional importance to polar bears in the population.

 
 

A collaboration between the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and European and U.S. zoos seeks to answer this question by pairing data collected on wild bears with data from bears in zoos.  In nature, collars fit on bears provide information on how much time bears spend where whale remains are deposited.  Direct observations at the carcass can provide information on how much time bears spend feeding.  But estimating how much food they are getting, requires better understanding the size of bears mouths and how much they consume while feeding – a question that can only be addressed in a zoo setting.

US Fish and Wildlife Service Polar Bear program

Determining the energetic contribution of whale carcasses will help inform decisions on the management of whale remains which can provide a supplementary and diversionary food resource during the ice-free period but also lead to bear-human conflict.  This partnership addresses a question important to managing and conserving polar bears in the United States but the data collected from zoos will help inform feeding ecology of polar bears throughout their range.

 
Karyn D. Rode, PhD Research Wildlife Biologist U.S. Geological Survey – Alaska Science Center

Videos of female (top) and male (below) polar bears eating blubber in nature. Footage provided by US Fish and Wildlife Service Polar Bear Program.

Ways you can help polar bears:

  • Use educated consumerism – buy local products, follow the Seafood Watch Guide.
  • Turn off lights when not in use. Replace old light bulbs with energy-efficient bulbs.
  • Use proper trash receptacles for things that can’t be recycled. Don’t litter!
  • Eliminate Styrofoam – it doesn’t decompose!6. Walk, cycle, carpool, or take public transportation.
  • Save water by turning off taps when not in use and take shorter showers.
  • Unplug appliances (toaster, hair dryer, laptop, etc.) when not in use.
  • Turn off vehicles while waiting rather than idling.
  • Turn your thermostat two degrees down in the winter and two degrees up in the summer.
  • Avoid the dryer and hang your clothes to dry.
  • Donate to the Zoo’s conservation partner, Polar Bears International.
  • Assist in a community recycling event.
  • Avoid single-use plastics such as straws, grocery bags, utensils, water bottles, and to-go drink lids.
  • Plant a tree or garden. Your participation helps save polar bears!
  • Come out to Polar Bear Awareness Weekend at the Zoo (Feb. 25 & 26) and/or Defend the Ice Night at the Rochester Amerks! 

Our White-Headed Buffalo Weaver Breeding Journey

The white-headed buffalo weaver is a passerine species of bird that is endemic to east African countries. It resides in savanna/shrub habitat and feeds on a variety of fruits, insects, and seeds. Pairs build elaborate nests made of small sticks and twigs.

White-headed buffalo weavers have been in zoos for more than a century. As of 2021, there were just over 100 birds in 33 AZA-accredited institutions. The first recorded hatch in a zoo was in 1980, and zoo population then grew due to importation and continued breeding successes, reaching a peak of 130 weavers in 2016. Since 2016, the population has been declining due to an aging population and fewer hatches. Recommendations were made to improve husbandry, increase hatches, and increase space in institutions to compensate for the decrease in the population.

Day 1 - Note the yolk sac (and first fecal sac).
Day 1 - Note the yolk sac (and first fecal sac).
Day 2 - Sleepy chick with very little strength.
Day 2 - Sleepy chick with very little strength.
Day 3 - Note egg tooth at the tip of beak. This will start to disappear from this day forward.
Day 3 - Note egg tooth at the tip of beak. This will start to disappear from this day forward.
Day 4 - Pin feathers popping out along spine.
Day 4 - Pin feathers popping out along spine.
Day 5 - Eyes are just starting to open here. Pin feathers protruding from wings.
Day 5 - Eyes are just starting to open here. Pin feathers protruding from wings.
Day 10 - Yellow tail feathers coming in. Eyes are starting to open. Maxilla (top side of beak) darkening.
Day 10 - Yellow tail feathers coming in. Eyes are starting to open. Maxilla (top side of beak) darkening.

In fall 2020, animal care staff paired our buffalo weavers Simon and Edie. White-headed buffalo weavers usually lay 2-3 eggs with a very short gestation period of 12 to 14 days. Although they did begin to breed and lay eggs, none made it to the point of successfully fledging, despite diligent care from the zoo keepers. Simon and Edie simply weren’t providing the parental care a hatchling needed. A call was made to the Species Survival Plan coordinator for white-headed buffalo weavers, who suggested we investigate hand-rearing this species.

Discussions with a curator at a zoo successful in hand-rearing white-headed buffalo weavers were key to our subsequent success, as we adopted many parts of that zoo’s protocol into our own. Virtual meetings allowed our team to ask questions about husbandry techniques and milestones to look for. We re-purposed one of the Animal Health department’s incubators as a chick brooder and ordered a special matting recommended to form a nest cup for raising chicks. Having this network and community available to us was a game changer as we went into uncharted territory. 

On October 30, 2022, a chick hatched, and we put the new protocols in motion. Keeper staff monitored parental behavior to determine the right time to pull a newly hatched chick from the parents. As there is no easy way to look directly into the complicated woven weaver nest, observing parental behavior is key.

At 5 grams, this little weaver had a lot of growing to do! A small group of staff tag-teamed feeding the little bird. We shared husbandry techniques and developmental milestones after each feeding, keeping detailed notes.

Using the same small team for each feeding was key to rearing the chick. The chick was fed seven times daily (every two hours from 6 a.m. to  6 p.m.) for the first 12 days. In November, the chick grew from 6 to  80 grams.

This is an important milestone for Seneca Park Zoo, and we are proud to contribute to bolstering the white-headed buffalo weaver population in AZA zoos. 

– Assistant Curator John Adamski

Buffalo Weaver chick - November 2022 - John Adamski 3
Day 12 - Starting to stand! Eyes open and aware.
Day 12 - Starting to stand! Eyes open and aware.
Day 17 - Approaching fledge date.
Day 17 - Approaching fledge date.
Day 19 - Fledge day!
Day 19 - Fledge day!
Day 30 - November 29, 2022 - a real weaver bird!
Day 30 - November 29, 2022 - a real weaver bird!

This is an important milestone for Seneca Park Zoo, and we are proud to contribute to bolstering the whiteheaded buffalo weaver population in AZA zoos.

Wildlife Action Crew: Rhinos and Poaching

Rhinos are a fascinating species. There are five species of rhinos still walking the Earth today. The five rhinos are the white rhino, black rhino, greater one-horned rhino, Sumatran rhino, and Javan rhino. 

The most endangered of the five rhinos is the Javan Rhino. The Javan Rhino inhabits Java, Indonesia. The smallest rhino species is the Sumatran Rhino which weigh 1,870 pounds. The greater one-horned rhino lives in parts of India. They have a singular horn that is not very large. The Sumatran and the Javan rhino have tusks. The black rhino is a browser. This means that they have a prehensile lip that they use to pluck their food. The white rhino is the largest of the rhinos and the second largest land mammal. They are grazers meaning they have a wide mouth with only molars which they use to grind their food down. 

 

All five species of rhinos are endangered. The most endangered is the northern white rhino which is functionally extinct. This is because there are only two of them left and they are both females. The biggest threat to rhinos is illegal poaching. The cause for the massive poaching effort is because the people that poach these rhinos are generally poor. They see rhino horn as a paycheck as the horns generally bring in more money than having a traditional job like farming. 

The reason for this is because of the large demand for rhino horn for traditional medicines in China. This medicine has no proven benefit, but many people believe it works. To prevent the illegal poaching of rhinos we need to start educating the people in that area and teach them of the effect illegal poaching has on the future of rhinos. 

If you want to help rhinos, you can donate to organizations like the International Rhino Foundation. The money that goes to IRF positively affects rhinos. They do this by funding things like research projects, anti-poaching efforts, and habitat conservation.

Thank you to our Wildlife Action Crew teens for researching and writing this blog along with the other great content shared this week!

Keeper Connection: Why Don’t the Penguins Swim… Or Do They?

If you’ve spent any time at the penguin exhibit over the last 20 years or so, you’ve probably asked why our penguins never swim. It is, after all, the number one question asked when it comes to the penguins. But to answer that question would require one to get inside the tiny brain of a penguin. Something we’ve never quite been able to accomplish.
 
But things have changed in 2022! Guests that have gotten to the Zoo bright and early have been greeted by something long dreamed of by staff and guests alike: A pool full of swimming penguins.
 
So what has changed? While we have tried a number of tactics over the years, the final solution may ultimately be a combination of factors coming together. It’s also important to note that in conservation care, just like in their natural range, individual penguins take their cues from the rest of the colony. If there is a sense of danger, individuals are less likely to act on their own. In nature, this danger might be a nearby shark or a cape fur seal. In our habitat, the perceived danger may be our guests themselves.

The turnaround may have begun back in 2020, when the Zoo was closed for several months, due to covid. As guests returned, we roped off the area around the penguin glass for guest protection, as it’s a high-touch area. This “buffer zone” seems to have offered a bit of comfort, but again, only the penguins know for sure. 

Another factor may be that we’ve started handling our younger birds more, making them more comfortable around their keepers and more trusting of humans, in general. This seems to be reinforced by the fact that they are more likely to swim with a keeper “lifeguard” on duty. 

However, the most important move likely came when we brought in 8 new penguins from several other facilities. These penguins were “known swimmers” and did not have the same fears that our colony had developed over the years. Over time, their eagerness to swim has become contagious, first with our younger birds and then to the parents. To date, nearly half of our 34 penguins have been observed swimming with sometimes a dozen at a time.

Now I know that there will be some long-time members who read this with skepticism so we’ve included a little video evidence. My suggestion would be to come out and see them yourself! The best time is when they first come out first thing in the morning at roughly 10 A.M.

Better hurry though, the snow is coming and these are warm-climate penguins!

– Zoo Keeper Kevin Blakely

 

Ways you can help African penguins:

  • Adopt a penguin at SANCCOB – Adopt an African penguin or penguin egg that will be rehabilitated and released or adopt a ‘Home Pen’ bird that lives permanently at SANCCOB. Funds help to provide incubation, food, and veterinary treatment.
  • Donate to SANCCOB – Whether you donate your time or money, you can make a difference in the survival of endangered African penguins and other seabirds in distress. For more information, visit sancob.co.za.
  • Visit the Zoo to learn more about African penguins and the threats they face in nature through keeper chats, special experiences, and more.
  • Purchase sustainably sourced seafood – Purchase seafood caught or farmed in ways that support a healthy ocean. Ask your local grocer if they sell sustainable seafood and visit seafoodwatch.org to learn more about eco-friendly options.

Penguin Genetics & Breeding in Conservation Care

African penguins are in danger of extinction. Wild colonies along the coast of South Africa and Namibia are being depleted due to overfishing, climate change, and pollution. Seneca Park Zoo currently houses 34 African penguins, and we are doing all we can to ensure proper care, which includes maintaining a successful breeding program.

We participate in the Species Survival Plan (SSP), which involves Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited institutions throughout North America that also have African penguins.  Every three years, Institutional Representatives (IR’s) from accredited zoos gather to discuss African penguin populations. These meetings are led by expert advisors, and we all work together to maximize genetic diversity, manage demographic distribution, and long-term sustainability of the population.

The genealogy of each African penguin born in the SSP is known and they are ranked bases on how genetically valuable they are. At these meetings, we use the rankings to decide who would make the best pairings. Sometimes the two penguins are at the same institution, but other times we may need to send birds to other places.

This year the meeting was hosted by Cincinnati Zoo and IR’s from zoos all over came to discuss the 1128 penguins, in 51 AZA accredited institutions. There are currently 600 males, 525 females, and 3 unknown sex.

Before the meeting itself, we are all sent a Wants and Needs Survey, where we talk about if we would like to grow our colony, if we need to move out birds, how many birds we would like to bring in, or if there are any birds that shouldn’t be included in breeding over the next 3 years. Exclusions could be due to things like, medical conditions or age.

Once we arrive at the meeting, it is kind of run like a football draft, and we are all trying to make the best possible matches for our colony based on genetics. We utilize tools such as a MateRx, and this tells us if a paring is genetically valuable or not. The goal for the African penguin SSP is to grow the population to 1503 penguins, which means, we as a group need to hatch 68-74 chicks this year.

When looking at the MateRx 1, 2, & 3 are highly recommended and they would like to see 4 chicks produced from that pair. If a pair is a 4, they can produce up to 2 chicks. If a bird is a 5 or 6, we do not breed. This year we have 2 different pairs that are able to produce 2 chicks each. Here is a sample MateRx, so that you can get an idea of what we reference during the planning period. This has been my second meeting that I have attended, and look forward to assisting the Penguin SSP in the future.

This was a very brief overview, but I hope this answers some of the questions I often get about why we sent a penguin to another zoo, or why we decided to hatch chicks from one pair and not another. Also, did you know there are nearly 500 other SSP’s? That means this process is happening for other species as well. African penguin IR’s will tell you that their SSP is the best though! 

– Kellee Wolowitz, Assistant Curator – Carnivores 

Ways you can help African penguins:

  • Adopt a penguin at SANCCOB – Adopt an African penguin or penguin egg that will be rehabilitated and released or adopt a ‘Home Pen’ bird that lives permanently at SANCCOB. Funds help to provide incubation, food, and veterinary treatment.
  • Donate to SANCCOB – Whether you donate your time or money, you can make a difference in the survival of endangered African penguins and other seabirds in distress. For more information, visit sancob.co.za.
  • Visit the Zoo to learn more about African penguins and the threats they face in nature through keeper chats, special experiences, and more.
  • Purchase sustainably sourced seafood – Purchase seafood caught or farmed in ways that support a healthy ocean. Ask your local grocer if they sell sustainable seafood and visit seafoodwatch.org to learn more about eco-friendly options.

Seneca Park Zoo’s Original Seven Penguins

In April of 1997, the Rocky Coast Exhibit at the Seneca Park Zoo opened.  This brand new, state of the art exhibit displayed habitats for polar bears, California sea lions, reindeer, Arctic fox, and African penguins.  This was a very exciting time as it was the first time our Zoo had housed penguins.
 
A few months prior to the opening of the Rocky Coast we received our first 7 penguins from the Baltimore Zoo.  They were all between 1 and 2 years old when they arrived.  Their names were Blanca, Sydney, Rollo, Herbie, Newman, Chumly and Rocco.
 
Blanca is the only penguin that is still living here at the Seneca Park Zoo.  He is 26 years old and enjoys spending his days with his mate Twiggy.  Blanca and Twiggy are the parents to our most recent chick, Tonka.  Throughout the years Blanca has had 8 offspring.  These penguins now reside at the Erie Zoo, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Denver Zoo, Caldwell Zoo and Seneca Park Zoo.  Blanca is adored by all of his keepers.  He is sweet and sassy and you never know which one you’re going to get!  Blanca always keeps us on our toes!
 
Blanca
Sydney
Rollo
Herbie
Newman
Chumly
Rocco
Previous slide
Next slide

Sydney lived his life at SPZ. He had 4 offspring with his longtime mate, Calista.  These penguins reside at Fort Worth Zoo, Lowry Park Zoo and New York Aquarium.  Sydney was euthanized in August of 2022.  He was a favorite of the keepers for his laid back disposition and is deeply missed.

Rollo is currently 28 years old and resides at the San Diego Zoo.  In 2002 he left SPZ for the Toledo Zoo, where he lived until 2012 when he went to the Pueblo Zoo.  He has been at the San Diego Zoo since 2017.  Rollo did not have any offspring.

Herbie currently resides at Jenkinson’s Aquarium in New Jersey. H is 27 years old and lived at SPZ until 2019.  He went to Jenkinson’s Aquarium on a breeding recommendation from the Species Survival Plan.  He and his new mate are very genetically valuable but have yet to have any offspring.

Newman lived at the Seneca Park Zoo until 2016 when he passed away at the age of 22.  He had no offspring.  Chumley and Rocco are also deceased.  Chumly went to the Toledo Zoo in 2002 and was euthanized there in 2009.  Rocco passed away at the Montgomery Zoo in 2009 where he lived for 4 years after leaving SPZ in 2005.  Neither Rocco nor Chumly had any offspring.

Since the opening of the penguin exhibit in 1997, the Seneca Park Zoo has had one of the most successful breeding programs for African Penguins in the nation.  114 penguin chicks have hatched here!  And to think it all started with these 7 penguins!!!

– Zoologist Sue Rea 

 

Ways you can help African penguins:

  • Adopt a penguin at SANCCOB – Adopt an African penguin or penguin egg that will be rehabilitated and released or adopt a ‘Home Pen’ bird that lives permanently at SANCCOB. Funds help to provide incubation, food, and veterinary treatment.
  • Donate to SANCCOB – Whether you donate your time or money, you can make a difference in the survival of endangered African penguins and other seabirds in distress. For more information, visit sancob.co.za.
  • Visit the Zoo to learn more about African penguins and the threats they face in nature through keeper chats, special experiences, and more.
  • Purchase sustainably sourced seafood – Purchase seafood caught or farmed in ways that support a healthy ocean. Ask your local grocer if they sell sustainable seafood and visit seafoodwatch.org to learn more about eco-friendly options.