Newsletter October 2014

Wild Times

Lisa Tate, Executive Director

EXTENDED FALL HOURSEveryday 10:00am - 5:00pm

Red River Zoological

Society Board of Directors

PresidentKrista Andrews

Vice PresidentBrad Dahl

TreasurerBrenda Podetz

SecretaryMike Montgomery

DirectorsChris Alberty

Carolyn Boutain Laura Carley

Steven Dewald Duane Durr

Karen Kelner Marshall McCullough

Betty Opheim Regan Rohl

Barry SchucardMelissa Sobolik

Front Cover: Brown-Eared Pheasant

Photo by Josh More

Dear Friends,

Fall is a beautiful time to visit your zoo!  The colors are changing and the animals are enjoying the cooler weather. There are many new things to see and do this time of year at the Red River Zoo! 

In October, local artist Magda Szeitz will be completing the newest public art project at the Zoo.  Funded by a grant from the City Arts Partnership, this beautiful woodland scene relief will decorate the viewing area on the hill above the Otter Rapids. Stop by and see this beautiful new addition!

Also, the zoo has extended our hours this year! We usually go to winter hours after September, but starting this year we will remain open every day from 10:00am to 5:00pm through Boo At The Zoo!  Speaking of Boo At The Zoo, we are excited to see all of the trick or treaters at the Zoo on Saturday, October 25th! Come to the Red River Zoo for a super fun family day!  Make crafts, learn about the animals’ “costumes” which help them adapt to their environments and get treats from stations around the Zoo! Fall in Love with the Red River Zoo… Come and join us!

Director’s Note

The Life Savers Club are a fantastic group of children that raised money for the Chinese Red Pandas. After Thalia, Kendra,

Karena, Jaxton, Mya and Amanda learned that the Red Pandas were endangered they decided that wanted to do something about it!

The club made rubber band bracelets and duct tape wallets and sold them as a fundraiser. Along with their purchased item, all of their customers received a handmade poster to remind them to protect the Red Pandas.

Altogether they raised more than $115 that will be put towards the Chinese Red Pandas at the Red River Zoo. “Our hope is to prevent or at least help in the making of Red Pandas not going extinct,” said Thalia. Their next project will be to raise money for the White-Naped Cranes. Their goal is to raise money for every animal at the Red River Zoo that is at risk of going extinct.

The Life Savers Club not only did a great job at raising money for the Chinese Red Pandas, they helped educate all of their friends and family about the seriousness of endangered species. Thank you to these inspirational kids for helping us live our mission of conservation and education. Keep up the great work Life Savers Club!

The Life Savers Club

“How do the porcupines protect their bodies so they don’t poke themselves?”

Porcupines are almost completely covered with

quills. The bottoms of their feet, their nose and their bellies are the only

places on their entire body that doesn’t have quills.

Porcupine’s can have up to 30,000 quills covering their back, their tail and their

head. All of those quills form a thick layer on their bodies and the quills act like body armor. Sometimes though that isn’t enough and there might be an occasion

that they get a quill stuck in them. They are not very careful when they are climbing and they often fall out of trees and that is when they are most likely to

get stuck with a quill. They are lucky though because their quills are covered with an oil that is an antibiotic or a special medicine for them that helps protect them

from getting an infection. -Kelsey Hoium-Johnson, Animal Keeper

Question the Keeper “Why can’t I see the peacocks during the winter?”

As long as food and shelter are available, many birds are able to adapt to cold weather; the peafowl are no exception. Our peafowl remain on zoo grounds all year, however, during the winter months the peafowl are housed in an enclosure in the back part of the zoo which is not accessible to zoo visitors. Housing them in a large secure area during the colder months helps us to better monitor their health and well-being. Keepers are able to make sure all of our peafowl are getting enough to eat, have access to fresh drinking water, and proper shelter and perching structures. - Nicole Lee, Animal Keeper

Ask the Zookeeper

Creature FeatureBrown-eared Pheasants

Brown-eared Pheasants, or sometimes called Manchurian-eared pheasants, are beautiful birds that have velvet and black feathers that cover their heads. The skin on their face is a scarlet red and so are their legs and wattles (the skin under the chin). Their ear tuffs are white and their tails are white with different colored feathers on the ends. Pheasants are social birds and live in flocks. During the spring, adults

separate from their flock and head to higher ground where there is a larger food supply and a better chance to find a mate. Adult males run around with their wings lowered and their tale raised to impress females. After the female mates, she will lay and incubate her eggs. After at least 26 days, the chicks will hatch. Brown-eared Pheasants are herbivores, so they get their energy from

eating a variety of different plants. They have very strong beaks that help them dig up roots and tubers. They also like to eat leaves, fruits, seeds, and small insects. They are native to northern and central China. The Brown-eared

Pheasant is protected in China but, their population is still declining in their native range due to ongoing habitat loss and illegal hunting. Their habitats are disappearing due to large-scale logging and over grazing of domestic livestock. Even though they are protected from hunters, people still collect firewood and cut trees illegally - destroying the Pheasant’s habitat. Brown-eared Pheasants are critically endangered.It is estimated that there are 1,000 Brown-eared Pheasants in captivity

worldwide and your Red River Zoo is one of only four zoos in the United States that works with this species. If you are interested in checking out the new Brown-eared Pheasants, they are located next to the Chinese Red Panda Exhibit.

Creature FeatureThe new home of the Brown-eared Pheasants is the former exhibit of

the Raccoon Dogs. Raccoon Dogs are not an endangered species, so they have been moved to another zoo, as it was decided that the best use of this exhibit was to educate the public about this endangered species. A breeding plan is in place for these new animals and this new exhibit helps the Red River Zoo stay true to our mission and contribute to conservation of endangered species.

Fall EventsFall in love with your Zoo this season and participate in fall activities! Pint-Sized Explorer and ZooVenture programs are from 3:15pm to 4:45pm. For more information go to www.redriverzoo.org or call 701.277.9240.

Saturday, October 18th

ZooVenture: Cool and Creepy Costumes!

Visit the zoo with your family when the zoo is dark and discover the different “costumes” the animals wear, including some animals that have skeletons on the outside of their bodies! If you’re brave enough, we will go on a night hike through the zoo to listen and look for things that go bump in the night and enjoy hands-on encounters with your favorite creepy animals. Make a creepy craft and eat some tasty snacks as your night-time adventure concludes. This is a family program for children 4 or older and their favorite adult. Member rate: $10, Non-Member Rate: $15

Saturday, October 25th

Boo at the Zoo!

The Red River Zoo’s spooktacular Halloween event. This family friendly day includes fun trick-or-treating, fun activities, creepy critter encounters, and even cockroach races! Regular admission rates apply, members get in FREE.

Tuesday, November 4th

Pint-Sized Explorers: Super Poopers! Super Poopers! Learn about the importance of African Dung Beetles, how much poop elephants produce a day, which animal’s poop looks like a cube and why some animals even eat their poop! Gross! Make a craft and meet some of our poop-producing animals. :) It’ll be STOOLpendous! This program is for children age 4-6. Member rate: $10 Nonmember rate: $15

Fall EventsSunday, November 9th

Zoolute to Soldiers To honor the men and women who have proudly served our nation, the Red River Zoo will be giving free admission to all active duty military and veterans in celebration of Veteran’s day on Sunday, November 9th.

Saturday, November 15th

ZooVenture: Trees Please!

What better way to celebrate the oncoming winter season than learning about how trees and the animals that inhabit them work together to prepare for it! Have you ever heard of the Queen of Trees in Africa? How much do you know about our Russian Red Tree Squirrels? Bring your family to the zoo for an afternoon of conservation fun. Make a craft, meet the endangered animals that live at the zoo, and see what the zoo is doing to help their species! This is a family program for children 4 or older and their favorite adult. Member rate: $10 per person, Non-Member Rate: $15 per person.

What is...

Animal Enrichment?Do monkeys like to read phonebooks? Do wolves normally hunt for ice cubes?

Many guests asks, “What is that ‘junk’ in the exhibits?” That’s not junk, that is animal enrichment! Animal enrichment comes in many different forms, shapes and sizes.

Animal enrichment is a process Zoo Keepers use to ensure the animals are happy and healthy. This involves stimulating and exercising their minds as well as their muscles. This can include-prey location, hunting, problem solving, exercising or playing- which are all important activities.

You may see boxes or structures in different exhibits. Some might be large and others will be small. Many of these containers have treats for the animals inside. They not only have to exercise their bodies to get the treats inside, but they also have to give their minds a workout.

In the South American exhibit for example, you might see different puzzles with obstacles made out of upcycled materials that a lot of guests might consider “junk or trash.” The White-Faced Sakis do not like to read phonebooks, but they do like to flip through the pages and search for treats. Gray Wolves do not typically search for ice cube treats, but they do like to find ways to melt it faster so they can eat the frozen goodies inside. They are a special treat on a warm day.

Enrichment can be very complex and involve in-depth problem solving skills. Other forms involve simple things like adding a log or a rock in their exhibit so

A Chinese Red Panda working with animal enrichment. Can you see how we recycled typical household items and made them into enrichment?

there is always something new in their environment. It is important to make changes to the exhibits so animals do not see the same thing or walk the same path every day. Even changing the look of their exhibit can add visual enrichment. Animal enrichment is also meshed in with training.

Target training is a form of animal enrichment. All Red River Zoo animals are given the choice to participate. During training, an animal is encouraged to touch the pointer with their nose. After they executes the touch, a whistle is blown and they receive a treat. This is a way to communicate body positioning. After animals have master that step, Zoo Keepers can build upon the training for more complex behaviors. For example, if a camel was going to be given a

vaccination, we would use this training to have them back up and position correctly to get the injection.

This type of animal enrichment is very important and is used often with many different Red River Zoo animals. Not only is it a way to exercise their minds and bodies, but enrichment is fun!

Animal Enrichment is essential for happy and healthy animals. Accredited Zoos and Aquariums like the Red River Zoo strive to keep all our animals healthy and have them participate in animal enrichment. When you visit the different exhibits at the Red River Zoo, see if you can point out a form of animal enrichment. Did something in an exhibit change? Are the animals working on a “special project”? So next time you see that

“junk”, see if you can find what the animals are working on and how it keeps them healthy.

Animal enrichment is also meshed in with training.

During the summer, the Junior Zoo Keepers had a crossword competition. The group that created the best crossword with correct facts would get the puzzle they created published in our Newsletter. Makenzie S, Max T, and Brennan W created this puzzle for you all to enjoy!

Across

5. This mammal is red and it is usually in trees. It eats bamboo.

6. Where deer live and it is a type of grass land.

8. A place where you can get souvenirs, that include toys, shirts, cards, and other things.

10. These are birds you can feed at the Zoo.

11. Our Country’s symbol.

12. These birds have colorful feathers and they walk around the Zoo.

Down

1. This mammal swims and is very curious and playful. Its habitat is the newest exhibit added to the Zoo.

2. It is a building with reptiles, amphibians, insects and fish.

3. Main character in Beauty and the Beast is based on this mammal.

4. Horses that you can ride on that go around in circles.

7. They are the second largest rodent and they have quills.

9. It is a mammal that howls at the moon in stories. They eat meat.

CROSSWORDSby the

Junior Zoo Keepers

2

8

7

5

4

12

6

11

9

10

1 3

Across5 This mammal is red

and it is usually in trees. It eats bamboo

6 Where deer live and it is a type of grass land.

8 A place where you can get souvenirs, that include toys, shirts, cards, and other things

10 These are birds you can feed at the Zoo

11 Our Country’s state symbol

12 These birds have colorful feathers and they walk around the Zoo

Down1 This mammal swims,

and is very curious and playful. Its habitat is the newest exhibit added to the Zoo

2 It is a building with reptiles, amphibians, insects and fish

3 This mammal is based off of the beast from Beauty and the Beast

4 Horses that you can ride on that go around in circles

7 They are the second largest rodent and they have quills

9 It is a mammal that howls at the moon in stories. They eat meat.

Wendy Trottier has been volunteering at the Red River Zoo since it opened, over fifteen years ago! Through the years, she has worked in almost all areas of the Zoo including, animal-care, diet preparation, education as a docent, and guest services.

Wendy, an animal lover and a true conservation enthusiast, loved the idea of a zoo in her community. As soon as the volunteer program was established, she was one of the first to sign up. On her first day of volunteering, she worked in the goat exhibit. “I got to work with the kids and the kids…my children called me the goat lady,” Wendy said with a chuckle. “My true passion was the Junior Zoo Keeper program,” said Wendy. Wendy served for almost nine years as the coordinator of what was first called the Critter Club and then turned into the Junior Zoo Keeper program. Wendy loved this program because she was eager to mix her passion for animals and wildlife with her love of influencing children. Wendy thought the program was important because kids not only could learn about animals and conservation, but it also taught children to learn respect for people and animals. She believed the program encouraged leadership skills and confidence.

While working with the Junior Zoo Keeper program, Wendy helped the children plan and organize a conservation carnival. This taught the children to plan and to teach others about conservation. They made posters that read, “Give a hoot, don’t pollute” and designed games that taught others to recycle. Another initiative she created with the Junior Zoo Keepers was to create “Show and Tails.” The Junior Zoo Keepers would read a story about the animals in the Zoo to guests. Wendy worked nights and volunteered at the Zoo during the day until she suffered some health

Volunteering

For15 Years!

For15 Years!problems in 2008. At this same time she resigned from the Junior Zoo Keeper program. Wendy still remembers all of her Junior Zoo Keepers and is always happy to see them in the community. Despite having retired, Wendy now volunteers at special events and helps with the outreach animals. Wendy has grown with the Zoo and excited to celebrate the Zoo’s 15th birthday.

Without dedicated and supportive volunteers like Wendy, the Red River Zoo could not operate. Last year alone, more than 6,000 volunteer hours were donated. There are many different areas around the Zoo that could use volunteer help including animal diet preparation, maintenance, landscaping, education, acting as a docent, events planning and staffing, and many others. Whether it is an individual or a service group that can give one afternoon or commit to longer projects like a special committee, we have a place for you. For more information contact Debbie Dudley at volunteer@redriverzoo.org.

Newsletter Wish ListThe Red River Zoo is a non-profit organization and one of the very few zoos in the country that doesn’t receive funding. By donating an item on our wish list,

you get the great opportunity to support the Red River Zoo and clean out your unwanted items at the same time. We are asking for new or gently used items to

help us fulfill our mission and maintain everyday operations at the Zoo.

Thanks for your support! • A 3-tier wire hanging fruit basket • Ice cream pails with lids • Electric food scales • Large (40lbs. food or more) plastic stackable animal food containers • Office Pens • Christmas Trees • 30 Gallon Garbage Cans • 4x4 Pickup Truck • 16’ Flat Bed Trailer • Rakes • Self-Propelled Push Mower • Matching Office Chairs • Good Working Vacuum

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