News from Zoos
Project Golden Frog takes a leap forward
The Baltimore Zoo recently received approval from the US Fish and Wildlife
Service to import 20.20 adult Panamanian golden frogs (Atelopus zeteki), and
100 end-stage tadpoles to develop a captive population of threatened golden
frogs. Researchers left for Panama on 27 December 2000 to search for and gather
pairs of frogs in amplexus or
tadpoles completing their metamorphosis stage. There are two main threats
to the golden frogsdeforestation and a fungus that affects both adult
frogs and tadpoles. The fungus is moving at a rate of 42 kilometers per year
and will destroy the golden frog's habitat in two years or less. The project,
which initially received more than $30,000 from the AZA Conservation Endowment
Fund, has also received grants from the Columbus Zoo, Oklahoma City Zoo, Cincinnati
Zoo and Botanical Garden, Miami Metrozoo, and Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. The
funding from these institutions will provide both US participants and collaborating
Panamanian scientists with four-wheel drive vehicles and support for field
research activities.
International Snow Leopard Trust
Since the creation of the Snow Leopard Species Survival Plan (SSP) and the
International Snow Leopard Trust (ISLT), Woodland Park Zoological Gardens
in Seattle has been integral to the snow leopard's survival. To further their
commitment to this endangered species, The Woodland Park Zoological Society
recently announced two challenge grants to be given to the Trust. These grants
could not have arrived at a better time. ISLT is already involved in starting
and supporting conservation and research projects in 12 countries in the snow
leopard's natural habitatcentral Asia. With the current economic and
political instability in this region, increased hunting is occurring for the
animal's pelts and for traditional medicine. This places even more stress
on the wild population. There are an estimated 4,500 to 7,000 snow leopards
remaining in the wild. The snow leopard is a keystone species in its native
mountain habitat and to conserve this secretive cat, ISLT must deal with the
ecosystem as a whole, especially the humans in the region. Over the past 20
years, the SSP has managed a captive population of 244 and is proud of the
genetically diverse population now found in zoos. A major achievement for
the SSP was the birth of three snow leopards at Woodland Park in May 2000.
ISLT provides a vital link between displaying snow leopards in zoos and conserving
them in the wild.
New Avian Propagation Building at North Carolina Zoological Park
After two years of planning and one and a half years of construction, the
RJ Reynolds Forestry Aviary at the North Carolina Zoo has been overhauled.
The major problem with the renovation was what do with the their collection
in the interim. With no suitable back-up facility onsite and not wanting to
give away their collection, an off-site Avian Propagation Building was constructed
to hold their 70-bird, 26-species collection during the renovation. The new
propagations building will help promote sustainable captive populations and
drastically reduce the need to use wild-caught birds for zoo collections.
One of the unique aspects of the project was including the zoo's aviary staff
in the design
and building process. The building was designed with a central keeper area
and a north and south wing. The north wing contains 22 flight areas and the
south wing contains 18. Thirteen species showed various breeding, nesting
or nest building behaviors during their stay at the new building. [Adopted
from an article by Jeff Claffy, The AFA Watchbird.]
Information for News from Zoos is provided by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association