Category: Keeper Notes

In celebration of Mother’s Day, we’re recognizing our many animal moms at the Zoo.  Hear a little bit about each of them from their keepers!

California Sea Lions

James Weinpress

With Mother’s Day right around the corner, I wanted to share some fun facts about Lily, Seneca Park Zoo’s resident California sea lion mom, and how her species raises pups to survive the rigors of life on rocky coasts of the Pacific Ocean!

California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) are found on the west coast of the U.S. from British Columbia to Baja, California. During their breeding season, typically May to August, females head south to warmer climates to give birth to a single pup before breeding with the strongest male within their territory.

Quickly after birth, mother and pup learn to identify one another through vocalizations and their unique scents. This allows for the mother to identify their own pup from dozens of other pups scattered along a beach when returning from foraging at sea. As the pup grows, the mom will spend longer time away hunting to replenish her energy and milk supply.

Lily arrived at the Seneca Park Zoo in 1997 as a pup, after rehabilitation from a gunshot injury to her right front flipper. She was deemed non-releasable due to the severity of her injury and her young age. Lily is our oldest sea lion at approximately 10 years old; she is a calm and patient animal that her keepers very much enjoy working with!

As an accredited institution of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Seneca Park Zoo participates in the Species Survival Plan (SSP) for California sea lions. This conservation program sends out breeding recommendations to zoological facilities across the country, and ensures the sea lion population under human care is healthy and genetically diverse.

To everyone’s delight, Lily became a first time mother in June 2017 when she gave birth to Bob. Bob has grown quickly and, at approximately 200 pounds, is already almost as heavy as Lily! As a mature male, he may grow to weigh anywhere between 500 to 700 pounds.

On Mother’s Day this year, think about the ways you can support Lily and her wild counterparts along the coast. We share our love of seafood with sea lions, so purchasing sustainably sourced seafood ensures that there will be healthy populations of fish for both humans and sea lions for generations to come. Check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program to learn which are the best seafood choices.

Olive baboons

Jenna Bovee

Does anyone know how many moms we have in our baboon troop? We have five! Pimiento, Pearl, Peperella, Olive Oil, and Sabina. Pearl is also a grandmother to Peperella’s son, Pico de Limon. Although these females aren’t recent mothers, their role as one still remains. Being incredibly social beings, just like human families, they comfort and support each other, and squabble and fight!

Females typically stay with their natal troop their entire lives. They are born into their position within the troop, and if they are high-ranking, they will hand their position on to their daughters. Mothers form strong bonds of friendship, tending to stick together to give each other support and share child-care duties. Sound familiar to all of you moms out there?

As their youngsters have aged into adults, these mothers continue to share behaviors with their offspring such as grooming, protecting them during spats with others and because they are such vocal creatures, they even have become someone to chat about life with.  During your next Zoo visit, look for those that have paired off to groom and sleep together. They are probably our moms with their offspring!Snow Leopards

Heidi Beifus

Do you ever wonder what it’s like to be a snow leopard mother? This is snow leopard Timila’s first “official” Mother’s Day. Last year at this time, she was presumed pregnant, and expecting to give birth by mid-June. The average gestation period for snow leopards is approximately one hundred days, with about a two week window. The snow leopard breeding season is typically January through April, so females usually give birth from April to August. Timila gave birth on May 27, 2019, to a boy, later to be named Silver. She had just turned 3 years old herself, only three days before that, on May 24th. What a birthday present that was!

Even though she was a young first-time mom, her motherly instincts kicked right in. From that point on, Timila and her cub spent the next two months inside their private maternity den, which contained a specially designed nest box just for them. Timila spent all of her time nursing him, and cleaning him, and keeping him safe and warm. It is during this time period that cubs ears and eyes open, and they learn to crawl and walk. She only left that area just long enough to get food and go to the bathroom.While Timila was secured separately in the adjoining room eating, she let her keepers do a quick cub check, which she allowed because of the trust they had built with each other. Timila began forming her relationship with her keepers in March of 2018, when they picked her up from the Metro Richmond Zoo in Virginia. It is that same bond that enabled her keepers to observe all of Silver’s next milestones with her.

At about eight weeks old, snow leopard cubs start venturing outside of the nest box, and he was no exception. Timila spent the next two months supervising him, as he learned how to follow her, eat solid foods (meat), run, jump, climb, maneuver through all the inside rooms, and then traverse the outside yard in back.

When Silver was about four months old, they were ready to make their big debut, so in September of 2019, for the very first time, Timila and her son went out on the main exhibit together. All Zoo staff, volunteers, and guests alike got the rare opportunity to celebrate the first snow leopard cub born at our Zoo in over 20 years. What a special mother our snow leopard is! Today, we honor her, her mother, and all of the moms out there, who all do it 24/7, like Timila.

April 28, 2020

Spring seems to finally be here at Seneca Park Zoo. Although spring is not the same without all of our wonderful guests. This year it will just be the keepers celebrating one of the Zoo’s most beloved residents, African Elephant Lilac, who will be turning 42 this May. Over the last 40 years, Lilac has served as an ambassador animal for the Seneca Park Zoo, representing her African elephant counterparts in nature.

Elephants are the largest land animal in the world, with the African elephant being slightly larger than the Asian elephant. African elephants weigh from 6,000 pounds for a small female to 14,000 pounds for a large bull, and can grow to be 10 feet tall. African elephants’ median life expectancy is 38 years old. They’re found throughout Africa and are currently listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Lilac came to Seneca Park Zoo in 1979 as an orphan from Kruger National Park with Genny C (42). Moki (37) joined the herd in 2015. All three elephants, although geriatric, are doing very well. Lilac continues to have a very spunky personality. The staff frequently jokes that she looks and acts much younger than her age.

You can tell Lilac apart from Genny C and Moki by her smaller stature and the hole in her left ear, which was from an injury she arrived at the Zoo with. Her favorite activities range from standing on anything she can find to chasing frisbees, blowing raspberries, and painting. She loves to problem solve and takes great pride in figuring out difficult tasks asked by her keepers. Her favorite treats are watermelons, pumpkins, and cabbages.

Lilac is patiently waiting for visitors to return to the Zoo but in the meantime, she continues to keep her keepers on their toes. We are looking forward to celebrating her birthday with you all in any way we can, this May. Stay tuned for more updates from Seneca Park Zoo!

– Jenna Bovee, Zoologist

February 25, 2020

Winter is upon us, here at Seneca Park Zoo. Since the animals in our care spend most of their time outside, guests often wonder what they do in the winter, and many are surprised to learn that the Zoo is open all year round. Many of the animals, even those from warmer climates, will choose to spend at least some time outside even on the coldest Rochester days, but they are always able to choose a warmer option inside. The animals who can’t spend as much time outside during these cold, snowy months, like the African elephants, have a large barn to keep them safe and warm. During this time, we make sure the fun for Genny C (42), Liliac (41), and Moki (37) continues inside! The elephant care staff works especially hard to keep the elephants energetic and active while indoors. This is called enrichment.Enrichment is a valuable husbandry principle with equal importance to that of nutrition, record keeping and veterinary care. The goal of the Seneca Park Zoo Animal Enrichment Program is to create animal environments and husbandry practices that increase the animals’ behavioral choices and encourages species-specific behaviors. Enrichment promotes overall well-being through physical and mental stimulation by increasing an animal’s sense of choice and control over their environment and introducing novel stimuli into their daily routines.

The elephant care staff utilizes this concept to create a variety of stimulating opportunities for our three African elephants all year round. Because of an elephant’s size, one would be correct in assuming that elephants love to eat all day long! So how do we accommodate this? We create multiple feeding opportunities, scatter feedings around the habitat, and vary the presentation of their diet and novel food items. Using devises such as an automated hay feeder, we can set a timer to release hay at any time of the day or night. This keeps the elephants guessing when that next snack will fall instead of relying on their keepers to provide all 120+ pounds of food for them each and every day.Novel items are also a great way for the elephants to use their minds to problem solve, manipulate, and have some fun! We offer items such as yoga balls for pushing and kicking, tambourines for playing, batons for catching, frisbees for fetching, and even a giant beach ball for well, popping! You don’t need to wait for summer to visit the Zoo. Come visit us in the warm elephant atrium to see what other cool things these girls can do!

– Jenna Bovee, Zoologist

January 28, 2020

If you’ve been to Seneca Park Zoo any time since 1979, chances are you’ve seen African elephant Genny C, who recently celebrated her 42nd birthday. Seneca Park Zoo is now home to three female African elephants – Genny C, Lilac (42), and Moki (37) – lovingly referred to as the Golden Girls, as they have all reached the median life expectancy of African elephants in AZA-accredited zoos. Genny C has shown signs of degenerative joint disease – similar to osteoarthritis in people – for over 10 years. It’s most obvious in her carpi, or “wrists,” but likely affects her knees as well, causing stiffness and pain in the joints. Last summer, Genny C also developed issues in two of the nails in her front feet, caused by a combination of factors, including altered weight bearing because of her degenerative joint disease.Recently, Genny C has had more significant episodes of pain and difficulty walking. Her overall attitude from her appetite to interactions with her herd mates and keepers have stayed normal, but there is no doubt that Genny C is aging. Keepers and veterinary staff are managing Genny C’s comfort using a combination of therapies. She receives glucosamine and omega fatty acids as part of her diet. She also receives an anti-inflammatory (phenylbutazone) and an analgesic (gabapentin) daily, with additional pain medications administered when needed. To supplement this traditional approach, veterinary staff are also using laser therapy and medical acupuncture to provide additional pain management. Veterinary staff are monitoring her organ function, nutritional status, and immune system through frequent bloodwork. Equally important, the elephant care staff has implemented management strategies to make sure Genny C is comfortable. For example, they created a hill in the barn to give her the opportunity to lie down more easily. Keepers are ensuring that she has access to soft substrates, high quality food, and positive social interactions with Lilac and Moki.While Genny C’s behavior is normal in many ways, veterinary staff are concerned about the level of pain she is experiencing. In the last couple of weeks, Genny C has begun walking at a much slower pace with decreased range of motion in her wrists, and keepers have at times observed unsteadiness in her back legs, which may indicate more significant arthritis in her knees. There is no cure for degenerative joint disease, and the condition will progress. Several of Genny C’s caregivers have known her for over 20 years, so they are attuned to any behavioral changes, and veterinary staff will continue to adjust Genny C’s care as needed.

At 42 years old, Genny C and Lilac are among Seneca Park Zoo’s longest residents, and they have inspired generations in our community to care for elephants and to conserve them in nature. Accepting that Genny C and Lilac have already lived long lives is difficult, but it allows us to provide the best care possible in their senior years. We will continue to closely monitor Genny C, and all the elephants, and share updates as they become available.

November 4, 2019

Animal care professionals who work with aging animals face special challenges as they strive to give the animals the best care possible. We closely observe all our animals but even more so as they get older. We watch how they move, how they eat, how often and where they sleep, and all other bodily functions.

Putting ourselves in their place gives us the perspective needed to evaluate their comfort level and ask ourselves, “Can we improve their habitats to make them more comfortable and more active?”, and if so, “How?”.Our raccoons, Buffy and Willow, are a good example. At 12 years old, they are 2 of the oldest raccoons in any North American zoo. Watching their habits, how they get to Point A from Point B, where do they like to sleep, and the rest of their activity patterns showed me how we could improve their habitat to improve their lives.

Using a basic philosophy of keeping them active, but comfortably active, I watch them walk up and down the various logs and branches to see what they use, what they don’t, and if they show any signs of struggle when using them. Some logs we’ve replaced with ramps, and some have been repositioned to get the girls where they want to go. The goal is to encourage them to move more frequently by making it easier for them to do so.Winter brings a whole new set of challenges. The raccoons have a wooden box they like to sleep in, and keepers use straw as insulation and provide blankets for them, which they love to snuggle under. (We accept donations!) This year we enhanced their night quarters by adding commercial insulation to the sides, top, and bottom, as well as covering the floor with the same thick rubber used for horse stall mats.

On chilly, sunny days, Buffy and Willow lay on a small bench at the front of their enclosure that gets plenty of sun. To make that experience better for them, keepers installed a larger bench with a rubber mat to lay on and a piece of plexiglass on one side to provide a windbreak. Tarps are effectively placed around the enclosure wherever necessary for the same purpose.These are just some examples of what steps the keeper staff take to help make our animals, geriatric or not, live better and more comfortable lives.

– Zoologist Brian Sheets

July 24, 2019

Since their inception into American culture as a place to gaze at creatures of all shapes and sizes from around the world, zoos have been a destination for public recreation and wonder. In modern times, zoological institutions are leaders in education, public outreach, and conservation, annually generating millions of dollars for wildlife research and preservation. Just as Seneca Park Zoo has experienced this transformation, so has the role of the zoo keeper.I have been working as an animal care professional for over a decade and can personally attest to the multifaceted list of job responsibilities of a zoo keeper. On any given day we will scoop poop, train an animal for a voluntary injection, talk to a school group, repair machinery, cut up veggies for an animal’s diet, and help reunite a lost child with their parent. We are now more than ever interacting with and educating the public, in addition to our responsibilities to the animals in our care. This is because guests visiting the zoo do not simply want to see animals, they want to see animals that are well cared for and are interested in how zoo keepers accomplish that.While animal care professionals are now front and center in two different popular reality shows, there is still so much left for us to share with the guests who visit Seneca Park Zoo. To accommodate this, we have extensive summer programming, offering guests the opportunity to attend keeper chats, training and enrichment demonstrations, and even behind-the-scenes tours. It should not rest solely on the guests’ shoulders to seek out keepers to talk with. I make an effort to speak with guests outside of formal presentations and encourage fellow keepers to do the same.Some of the best interactions I’ve had with guests have been a result of a casual comment or question I’ve overheard as I pass by. Through these impromptu talks, I’ve learned that what we as keepers consider as typical work responsibilities is extraordinarily interesting to others! Did you know that if we need to collect a fecal sample from a specific animal living in a social group, we will place non-toxic glitter on their food so when it passes through their digestive track, we can identify the correct sample to collect? Or perhaps, that the entire animal care staff participates in live-action safety drills to ensure the safety of our guests? Or when provided different scents as enrichment, the African lions prefer spices like cumin and nutmeg to roll around in?

It’s a common occurrence for a guest to approach me and say, “Can I ask you a stupid question?” I like to reassure them their question is not stupid and has likely been asked by many people before. I look forward to hearing them because it demonstrates a sincere interest in how we provide quality care for the diverse collection of species at the Zoo. So please, ask us questions and I promise you, you’ll learn something quite surprising during your next trip to Seneca Park Zoo!

– Zoologist James Weinpress

Featured image: James interacting with a Zoo guest following a lion experience.

October 3, 2018

Seneca Park Zoo’s male spotted hyena Lou is 26 years old today, making him the oldest spotted hyena in human care. Lou was born at the Buffalo Zoo on October 3, 1992 and came to the Zoo with his mother, Drek, on July 6, 1999. Seneca Park Zoo’s animal care staff has experience in “elder care” hyena husbandry considering Lou’s age and that his mother Drek lived to be 27 years old. The average life expectancy for spotted hyenas is 22 years in human care, and less in natural range due to trapping, poisoning, and a decline in densities of prey.Lou’s longevity can be attributed to a few factors: good genetics, a low-stress lifestyle, as well as an excellent diet and veterinary care. The secret ingredient that I believe puts him above and beyond average health is the attention and care he receives from the entire Zoo staff. Every day Lou has positive reinforcement training. This form of training helps Lou develop strong relationships with his caregivers. This bond allows us to medically care for animals here at the Zoo because the animals choose to take part in their own health care.

Lou’s training is an enjoyable experience for him where he gets many meat treats and lots of praise. And we always make sure it’s fun. He even spins in excitement before, during, and after his training sessions. If Lou does something wrong during training, we won’t acknowledge it. We only acknowledge the behavior we want Lou to repeat, therefore calm behavior is the only behavior he displays.His favorite enrichment item is his straw bed. I feel myself relax when I see Lou lying on his side with the bright sun warming his body. The wind blows the soft tuft of hair on the top of his head and I know he is having a good day. During your next visit, spend time with Lou to see what a content hyena looks like.

Every day is a gift. We treat each day as one with Lou!

– Mary Ellen Ostrander, Zoologist

July 11, 2018

This spring, we welcomed red pandas to Seneca Park Zoo with the opening of the new Cold Asia area. Red pandas are small mammals with thick, reddish fur and long, bushy dark-ringed tails. Previously classified into the raccoon family, Procyonidae, red pandas are now in their own family, Ailuridae. They’re found in the very high altitudes of the Himalaya Mountains where the climate is temperate and cool. Their main diet consists primarily of bamboo leaves and shoots. The average life span of the red panda is 8-10 years in nature, compared to 10-12 years in human care. One of their most unique adaptations is a modified wrist bone that allows them to grasp food and climb down trees head first.Red pandas are the original pandas and were discovered long before giant pandas were. They share the same name because panda translates to the Nepali word for ‘bamboo eater’, which is the primary food source for both species.

Giant pandas are part of the bear family, are much larger in size, and are more dangerous than red pandas. With red pandas, zoo keepers can generally share the same space with them, while taking care to keep us both safe. Keeper staff is trained to read their behavior, and how to move around them in a safe manner.Seneca Park Zoo is home to two red pandas, a four-year-old male named Blaze and a one-year-old female named Starlight. Blaze was born on July 19, 2013 and Starlight was born on June 17, 2017. Blaze is lighter and more orange in color, and has longer whiskers and ear fur. Starlight on the other hand is darker and redder in color, and has shorter whiskers and ear fur. Blaze is shyer and tends to keep to himself, while Starlight is young, bold, and unusually curious.

Blaze’s favorite thing to do is take a long nap in a nice, quiet place way up high. Starlight moves about more, and is fascinated with her keepers’ shoes. Their favorite enrichment includes sod and new logs, while their preferred treats are all kinds of grapes, apples, pears, and blueberries.Red pandas are very elusive creatures that are extremely difficult to spot in their natural range. While it’s much easier to see them at zoos, it’s not without some inherent challenges. Red pandas are adapted to living in very cold climates, so the best season to see them outside will be in the winter, which is also when they’ll be the most active. In the meantime, the best days to visit the red pandas at the Zoo are when it’s cool and cloudy. Red pandas are most active at dawn and dusk, so planning your trip for before 11 a.m. or after 3 p.m. will give you the best chances of seeing them exploring their outdoor area.

Midday is nap time, at which point Blaze and Starlight take turns at going in and out. We encourage you to stop by their habitat a few times during your visit or hang out by their area for a bit longer than normal to increase your chances of seeing them. When the red pandas are visible, the best way to keep them that way is to quietly observe and admire them. They are very sensitive to quick movements and loud noises. This will help them adjust to their new surroundings a lot quicker. Although they are getting more and more comfortable with their environment each day, this is the first time they’re living in an open-air habitat. We thank you for your support, and we hope you enjoy them as much as we do!– Heidi Beifus, Zoo Keeper

(Featured image: L-R; Blaze and Starlight)

May 24, 2018

When I was asked to write a blog to honor Lilac’s 40th birthday, I thought to myself, “How can I put into words how remarkable Lilac is?”; “How can I express what a special elephant she is and how much she means to me?” It isn’t going to be easy, but I’ll do my best.Lilac has been a guest favorite at Seneca Park Zoo since her arrival in 1979, when she was approximately a year and a half old. Lilac is the smallest of our four female African elephants, weighing in at 7,200 pounds. What she lacks in size she most certainly makes up for in personality! Her small stature allows her to be quick and agile, which helps in her role as the herd’s matriarch. Lilac is always full of surprises and she likes to keep her trainers guessing. Just when you think you’ve got her figured out she does something unexpected! There is never a dull moment with Lilac – she has a spunky personality!

Zoo keepers try not to have favorites when it comes to the animals under their care, but I must admit that Lilac holds a special place in my heart. I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to work with her for the last 20 years. My time spent with her has truly enriched my life and I can only hope that I have had a positive impact on her life. She has taught me so much – patience, perseverance, and trust, just to name a few.  I am so thankful for the bond that we share.During your next trip to the Zoo, be sure to visit Lilac in A Step into Africa. Her beauty and wonderful personality may inspire you to take action for her counterparts in natural range. It’s estimated that 96 elephants are poached each day in Africa for their ivory. With your help, we can continue making strides toward decreasing that number. If you want to support efforts that will help save this species from extinction, attend one of our ZooBrew events this summer. A portion of every ticket sold goes to the International Elephant Foundation (IEF), a long-standing conservation partner of the Seneca Park Zoo Society that is dedicated to saving elephants and their habitats worldwide.– Sue Rea, ZoologistPhotos courtesy of Sue Rea

April 12, 2018

To mimic the eating habits of an elephant in nature, here at Seneca Park Zoo, we create multiple feeding opportunities for the four African elephants. Each elephant consumes about 140 pounds of food in one day. That amount of food is broken down into three bales of hay, 10 pounds of fruits and vegetables, five pounds of elephant chow, and three pounds of bran twice a week. In order to provide the elephants with such a large amount of food in one day, we separate it into multiple feedings.Each elephant has a breakfast, bath, lunch, and dinner training routine at which time they will receive a combination of the elephant chow and some produce. Genny C and Lilac can also have up to five pounds of bagels for specific sessions like their baths. Moki and Chana can only have bagels on very special occasions because we are working towards getting them to a more sustainable, healthy weight. We use the elephants’ dietary items as positive reinforcement for participating in their voluntary training sessions.

The training sessions provide mental and physical stimulation for the elephants, and they allow us to check over each elephant’s entire bodies every day. The elephants look forward to these sessions and the time with their keepers knowing the good treats they are going to get for them!Their hay is given in smaller amounts throughout the day to keep them grazing as they would in nature. We also have barrels and nets hanging up high around the habitat that we fill with their hay in order to mimic the experience of eating out of tall trees. It is also very important to provide the elephants with fresh browse, or vegetation like twigs or young shoots, as much as possible. Their favorites include sugar maple and willow branches. There are some trees that are toxic to elephants, so our staff is well trained on identifying the local trees so those toxic species are never fed to the elephants by mistake.

The elephants’ favorite food items include watermelon, pumpkins, and cabbage. Bagels and breads, although they can only be given under special circumstances, are also a huge favorite!We can also give the elephants small quantities of food enrichment items throughout the day. Examples include cereals, pretzels, oats, rice cakes, pastas, pancake mix, and canned vegetables. We like to hide these items in barrels and puzzle feeders to challenge the elephants to work on their problem-solving skills!– Jenna Bovee, Zoologist