pronounced mah-GEE-zoh, meaning the message in Swahilipronounced mah-GEE-zoh, meaning the message in Swahili

VOLUME 55, NUMBER 3 FALL 2016

Printed on 55% recycled content

I have a pretty amazing job. At the Sacramento

Zoo, our day is centered on how we can take the

best care of every single animal and how we can

continually work to make the Zoo a better place.

And, we do this while also doing everything we

can, every single day, to make the entire world a

better place for all animals.

There are people who don’t believe that zoos should exist.

I respect that they are entitled to their opinion, even though

I’ve dedicated my career to just the opposite. Here at the

Sacramento Zoo, caring for and about animals is core to

everything we do. From our highly trained and professional

staff, the animals receive preventative health care, carefully

planned diets, constant attention to their habitats and

behavioral enrichment to keep them active and displaying

natural behaviors. The care we devote to animals also extends

far beyond our own zoo grounds. Last year alone, we raised

more than $150,000 for conservation programs around the

world and are working hard to make sure we contribute more

and more to animal conservation every year.

I can say without any reservation that the passionate and

dedicated people that work at the Sacramento Zoo put the

welfare of the animals as our top priority, right alongside

their safety and your safety. I’m proud that we don’t just

come to work every day, but instead have dedicated our

lives to animals. I know that before anyone asks if we should

improve some aspect of the Zoo, we’ve already asked ourselves

how we can do it and are on the path to making the

improvements as soon as we can.

I hope you are proud of Sacramento Zoo. I hope that if you

ever have any questions about our work either here at the

Sacramento Zoo or worldwide, you’ll find a member of our

dedicated team and spend some time speaking with them

directly. We’re happy to share our passion for the Zoo with you.

by Kyle BurksFALL 2016Volume 55, no. 3

THE SACRAMENTO ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY IS A 501(C)(3) NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.

SACRAMENTO ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Jeff Raimundo – President Elizabeth Stallard – Vice President Starr Walton Hurley – 2nd Vice President Adham Sbeih – SecretaryKevin Barri – TreasurerJames Naify – Past PresidentKyle Burks, PhD - Executive Director/CEO

Fran BolandMichael BroughtonNancy E. ColeJeffrey K. DorsoIrwin KarpLynn MatsudaJennifer A. NealJohn W. OttoJason Russell, CPASusan SchoenigMike TestaDr. Janice Doucet ThompsonJill M. Trainer, PhDJody UlichAlan Yee, MD

ZOO ADMISSION HOURS

February - October: 9 am - 4 pm*November - January: 10 am - 4 pm**Grounds close at 5 pm Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day

HOW TO REACH US

916.808.5888 saczoo.org info@saczoo.org Hotline: 916.808.5885 Development: 916.808.8815Education: 916.808.5889 Meetings and Events: 916.808.8561Membership/Zoo Parents: 916.808.5888 Volunteers: 916.808.7444

Maagizo is published by the Sacramento Zoological Society. All rights reserved.

EDITOR: Tonja Candelaria COPY EDITOR: Amanda CablePHOTOS: Zoo Staff

The Sacramento Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. www.aza.org

counting turtles at boggs lakeby Brooke Coe

The staff at the Sacramento Zoo are dedicated to animal conservation, and we each play

different roles to reach this goal. Our job descriptions may vary a great deal from one another,

but ultimately we all want the same thing: to preserve and enrich the lives of the animals at the

Zoo, and to assist with the conservation of animals in the wild. Recently, Sacramento Zoo staff

was able to play a more hands-on role in the conservation of wild Western Pond Turtles.

This species is listed as Endangered in Washington and Oregon, and a Species of Special Concern

in California. Western Pond Turtles are the only freshwater turtle species native to California.

In 2008, Sonoma State University began a “head start” initiative with the Oakland Zoo and San

Francisco Zoo. Through this initiative, Western Pond Turtle eggs are collected from a unique

natural habitat in Lake County, California and transported to Sonoma State University. Once the

eggs are hatched the young turtles remain in human care at the Oakland or San Francisco

Zoo for one to two years, where they flourish and grow. The turtles are released to their native

habitat once they reach a size at which they are better able to survive and compete for resources.

Hopefully, down the road, they will reproduce and bolster the Western Pond Turtle population!

This year, I was given a chance to participate in this important project, along with five other

Zoo staff members. On three separate occasions, pairs of staff from the Sacramento Zoo

joined with Professor Nick Geist and Emily Murakami from Sonoma State University to trek

through the tall grass and rocky terrain, in search of pond turtles and their nests. The goal was

to find pond turtles, observe their nesting behavior, cover successful nests to protect them

from predation, and collect physical data from the females. Working as a team, Zoo staff and

Sonoma State University students fanned out to search the entire nesting area three times

each afternoon, leaving members behind to observe turtles as they were found. During the

course of our time there, we were able to find five turtles and protect two successful nesting

sites. Later in the season, these eggs will be transported to Sonoma State University to hatch,

then on to Oakland Zoo or San Francisco Zoo for rearing and then released back into the wild.

It was an extremely rewarding experience, and one that I am grateful to have been a part of.

The Western Pond Turtle is an important species in our native California habitats, and programs

such as these are making great strides in the conservation, and scientific knowledge,

of the species.

* Historically the Sacramento Zoo manages a similar husbandry protocol for Western Pond Turtles. The eggs

or hatchlings have been collected from the Zoo lake and raised in the Reptile House until they are large

enough to be placed safely back on the lake. This species is also receiving help from the Association of

Zoos and Aquariums SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) campaign.

PHOTOS (top to bottom): Wild Western Pond Turtles waiting to be measured, Graduate Student Emily Murakami collecting data, Zoo staff Matt and Amanda measuring a Western Pond Turtle, Applying a radio transmitter, A depredated nest and egg shell

THIS FREE INFORMATIVE SEMINAR will navigate through a jungle of estate planning topics presented by local attorney Mark S. Drobny, California State Bar Certified Legal Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law. Mr. Drobny is widely regarded as one of the top experts on estate planning, providing information on a variety of topics in an entertaining manner that

will help you design a plan that fits your needs.

TOPICS WILL INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:

• Living Trusts vs. Wills

• Probate – How Can it be Avoided?

• Who Needs Durable Powers of Attorney for Financial Management and Advance Health Care Directives?

• Charitable Gift Annuities

Seating is limited. RSVP to Amanda Cable at acable@saczoo.org or 916.808.8815 by October 5 to guarantee your seat.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11 / 1 – 2:30 pmKampala Conference Room

Ride the Spook y Zoo Train or the Creepy Carousel for an additional fee

Trick or treating Face painting Ghoulish games

Stage shows Keeper chats & Animal enrichments

11 am – 5 pm10 am Member hour with ticket and membership card

Early Bird Tickets $10 (through October 23)General Tickets $12Sacramento Zoo members save $3!The entire Zoo will be open during this ticketed event. Membership passes, discount passes or any other coupons are not valid for Boo at the Zoo admission.

Western Pond Turtles Feb 27

Red River Hogs April 3

Masai Giraffe April 10

Mongoose Lemur April 21

Burrowing Owls April 21 & 23

Fulvous Whistling Ducks May 21

Kenyan Crested Guineafowl May and June

Wolf’s Guenon June 5

Thick-billed Parrots August

BIRTHS AT THE ZOO

LEAVING THE NESTBY LESLIE FIELD, SUPERVISOR OF MAMMALS

As our children, nieces, or nephews grow up there are certain events in their

lives that make us choke up and grab a tissue - that cute kindergarten ceremony,

going to first grade or maybe prom night. Or better yet, high school or college

graduation where they really are on their way to having an independent life.

Humans are quite different than non-humans in how impactful “leaving the

nest” is. You might ask yourself what do animal mothers or fathers feel about

their “children” growing up? What might it mean to have them leave their

family group and go out on their own?

The first thing to understand is that each type of animal – bird, reptile,

amphibian, insect, or mammal – has their own natural timeline of raising

young and giving them what they need to be successful adults. If you

are a Western Pond Turtle, Tarantula, or even a Dart Frog, you will never

know your parents; eggs are laid and incubated in the environment and

Mother Nature does the rest. These creatures are much more hard-wired

and instinctual, as opposed to creatures that need to be taught how to

survive on their own.

A bird egg is incubated in its nest for around 30 days as the parents take turns

keeping the clutch warm. After hatching, the chicks spend a few weeks to a

few months being fed, learning to fly and then out on their own they go.

Mammals, in general, are raised by their mothers. There are certainly exceptions

to this rule, such as the case with lions or some primates. For dads of many

mammalian species their job ends with the propagation event. Young mammals

must learn how to forage for food, avoid predators and navigate in their

own environment. In many cases this training may take less than a year.

Many leave the rearing of young to the females. Lemurs, for example,

are seasonal breeders and therefore can have young every year. So the

offspring from last season need to be independent and well on its way to

adulthood prior to the new one(s) arriving. Adolescents might stick around

for additional time on the periphery of the family unit, learning mothering

behavior and honing survival skills, but are primarily independent.

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum of parental rearing, great

apes such as orangutans have youngsters that are very slow to mature. It can

take more than eight years to teach their youngsters what they need to know

to survive. Youngsters also learn valuable parenting skills by seeing their

mother raise a sibling. Our three-year-old Wolf ’s Guenon female, Zuri,

is watching closely to what goes on between her mother and her new sibling

and how her father reacts to situations. You can observe the infant taking in

the family dynamics as well!

In the zoo setting, we look to the natural behavior and social makeup of a

species to decide when to move the youngster out of the exhibit or family

unit. For animals that are social, we try to keep the family unit together for

as long as they are tolerated well by one another. But eventually, all young

animals must “leave the nest” to begin their own family units.

Now walk the Zoo. Perhaps “leaving the nest” has a slightly different

meaning than what we humans experience..

checking in with the african lion pride

The African Lion cubs, born October 24, 2014, are certainly

not cubs anymore. The two girls currently weigh 190 pounds

each while the male weighs 230 pounds. Size isn’t the only sign

that the cubs are growing up. As they have grown, so have the

dynamics of the entire pride.

One of the most notable changes is between Demarcus and

his sire, Kamau. The two male lions recently reached the

natural progression where it was time for them to separate

and for Demarcus to begin a bachelor lifestyle. Unlike some

human offspring, his path to independence was not a drawn-

out process; one week he was a cub and the next he began

changing into the role of an adult male lion.

The sudden shift may sound harsh, but it is parallel to how

this species and many others operate in the wild. In the wild,

offspring, especially males, are often driven off once they are

deemed old enough to be seen as potential competition to the

sire of the pride.

Fortunately, staff have been prepared for the shift in dynamics

between the dam, sire, sisters and brother and have been able

to transition smoothly.

SAPHIRA

DEMARCUS

INARA

large and small, we examine them all!By: Jenessa Gjeltema, DVM

Just like most pet dogs or cats go to the veterinarian regularly, all of the animals at the

Sacramento Zoo receive routine veterinary examinations to make sure they are healthy.

From the aardvarks to the zebras, all of the animals receive veterinary checkups when they

need them – even the Zoo’s tarantula spiders! Many tarantulas live over 20 years and can

develop a variety of medical problems including infections, fractures, problems molting,

or even parasite infestations. For this reason, regular checkups are very important.

Tarantulas are fascinating little creatures with eight legs and an exoskeleton instead of

bones, which is almost like a thin shell on the outside of the body. They also have fangs

called chelicerae that they use for feeding or defensive biting. Additionally, they also have

prickly little bristles called urticating hairs that they can flick onto predators, which cause

skin or eye irritation.

For a general exam, the spider is often put under anesthesia and gloves are worn in order

to conduct a thorough examination safely. This allows the veterinarian to get a close look

at all of the animal’s external body parts, obtain a heart rate, and also collect a blood

sample (called hemolymph). He or she can also take radiographs or perform an ultrasound

of the tarantula to gain additional details about its health. All of this information can help

the veterinarian determine whether the tarantula is healthy or if it requires treatment for a

medical problem. We provide all of the animals at the Sacramento Zoo the very best

medical care. Even though they are very small and have unique health needs, our tarantulas

are no exception to this rule!

ANIMAL PROFILE | KING VULTURE

At the Sacramento Zoo, you may notice a new resident in the King Vulture

exhibit. In addition to the male King Vulture, Juan Domingo, a much smaller

and younger female has recently moved in to the exhibit. Reina (meaning

“queen” in Spanish) arrived at the Sacramento Zoo on May 3 from the Dallas

Zoo. Born on June 4, 2015 Reina still has her all-black plumage. As she matures

she will begin to develop the white plumage and colorful neck and beak

that are unique to the King Vulture. King Vultures are among the bird world’s

largest scavengers and have powerful, hooked beaks that are excellently

adapted for tearing open tough carcasses.

Oftentimes when one thinks of a vulture, it is with a negative association.

Vultures circling over a dead or dying animal and eating garbage or

decomposed carcasses. In fact, vultures play a critical role in their local

environment and help make our world a cleaner, healthier and generally more

habitable place. Vultures rid the landscape of deteriorating carcasses that

spread disease and bacteria.

Vultures are opportunistic eaters, finding recently deceased animals rather

than hunting. A common misconception about vultures is that they prefer

to eat rotten food; while they do have a unique stomach acid that allows

them to eat carrion (deceased animal flesh), many show a preference to eat

fresher meat.

Vultures, due to their unique position on the food chain, are a key indicator

of the environment around them; they are dependent upon the health of

the animals they eat and thus can provide a unique insight into the health of

a population. Today, vultures face a myriad of dangers as a result of human

activities including collisions with electrical structures, decrease in food

availability and poisoning.

The Sacramento Zoo takes part in conservation efforts and supports the

Vulture Conservation Programme (VulPro) to rehabilitate injured vultures

in South Africa, as well as providing educational and awareness programs

about the plight of this very important species. VulPro is one of the three

conservation programs the Sacramento Zoo is funding through Quarters

for Conservation. For more information about VulPro and the Quarters for

Conservation Program, visit saczoo.org/q4c.

PHOTOS: (top) Reina, female King Vulture, (bottom) Juan Domingo, male King Vulture

eagle scout helps sacramento’s batsBoy Scout, Josh Simmons, chose to construct and install bat houses at the Sacramento Zoo

for his Eagle Scout Project. He hopes that by building the bat houses, local bats will have

more options for adequate areas to roost and reproduce.

Josh completed the construction of six individual bat houses and four colony houses that will

be installed in carefully selected locations around the Sacramento Zoo.

Bats have a reputation of being spooky or even dangerous, but they are actually some of

the most beneficial animals to people. All of Northern California’s bats are insectivores.

They feed on night-flying insects, including pesky mosquitoes. A single little Brown Bat

can eat 3,000 mosquito-sized insects a night, and a colony of 150 Big Brown bats can eat

enough beetles to save farmers almost a billion dollars annually in crop damages and

pesticide costs. Without bats, we would be more dependent on toxic chemicals to control

unwanted insects.

Many scientific advancements are owed to bats as well: navigational aids for the blind,

blood-clot medication, artificial insemination techniques, low-temperature surgery on

people, and military sonar have all been inspired by our night-flying friends.

Thank you Josh for all of your hard work and generous donation to help this important species!

3930 West Land Park Drive Sacramento, CA 95822-1123 saczoo.org

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Paid PostagePAIDSacramento, CAPermit No. 651

Mondays, September 12, 19 & October 17: 9:30 am to Noon

SENIOR TEA & TOURS

Have a pleasant cup of tea and a guided tour of the Sacramento Zoo,

designed especially for seniors age 55 and over. Your group will be met

by Docents (volunteer educators) and will tour part of the Zoo. Sign up

at saczoo.org or call 916.808.5889.

Saturday, September 17: 9 am to 3 pm

DEAF AWARENESS DAY

This day at the Zoo for the deaf and hard of hearing community,

sponsored by NorCal Services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing, will include

ASL interpreters on site. There are limited facilities for service animals.

Please call 916.808.5888 in advance if you plan to bring a service animal.

September 22, 25 & 27 - times vary

3-DAY PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP & SAFARI

Hone your photography skills with Mike’s Camera staff during this three-

day experience including an evening class session, a morning visit to the

Zoo and an evening follow-up critique. 50% of your tuition benefits the

Sacramento Zoo.

Saturday, October 1: 5 to 10 pm

WILD AFFAIR

Gala, dinner and auction fundraiser for the nonprofit Sacramento Zoo.

Zoo closes early at 1:30 pm.

Sunday, October 9: 9 am to 4:30 pm

CAMERA AND LENS DEMO DAY AND TEST DRIVE

Join Mike’s Camera at the Sacramento Zoo and test drive the latest camera,

telephoto, lenses and other photo gear from leading manufacturers and

pick up tips and tricks from the Mike’s Camera crew who will be onsite.

Saturday & Sunday, October 29 & 30: 11 am to 5 pm Members Only 10 to 11 am

ALL NEW BOO AT THE ZOO

Bring the family and experience the all new daytime Boo at the Zoo.

Play some ghoulish games, create creepy crafts and trick-or-treat around

the whole Zoo while enjoying all of the animals. This is a ticketed event.

Zoo closed for general admission and membership passes both days.

SACRAMENTO ZOO’S WINTER HOURS RETURN

The Sacramento Zoo’s winter operating hours begin November 1 and

run through January 31, 2017. Daily Zoo admission is 10 am to 4 pm with

Zoo grounds closing at 5 pm.

Friday, November 11: 10 am to 4 pm

MILITARY FAMILY DAY

In appreciation of our troops, all military personnel, veterans, and their

families receive a 50% discount with valid military identification.

Thursday, November 24

ZOO CLOSED – HAPPY THANKSGIVING!