Rising Above Extinction: Florida Coral Reef Conservation
Frank Verney
The AAZK Chapter at Lion Country Safari has established a partnership with The Reef Institute to advance coral conservation efforts and advocate for the sustainability of Florida’s reefs. This collaboration is centered on education, community outreach, and active participation to enhance awareness of the significant threats to coral ecosystems, including climate change, pollution, and disease. By involving the public in conservation initiatives, we aim to highlight the necessity of proactive measures to ensure the survival of coral reefs. Our recent Snorkel and Learn fundraiser provided attendees with a hands-on experience to understand the significance of coral conservation. Additionally, our Conservation by the Sea initiative will facilitate educational discussions on coral conservation for AAZK members and other participants. The funds raised will further support The Reef Institute’s mission, contributing to research, coral restoration projects, and the promotion of sustainable, reef-safe practices. By engaging the public in conservation efforts, the initiative emphasizes the importance of proactive solutions to help reefs rise above extinction. The AAZK Chapter at Lion Country Safari and The Reef Institute are committed to ensuring that coral ecosystems do not disappear but thrive for future generations. This partnership underscores the essential relationship between terrestrial and marine conservation, illustrating how land-based activities impact marine environments. By encouraging community engagement and fostering a sense of stewardship, this initiative empowers individuals to effect positive change. Moreover, it serves as a model for how zoological organizations and marine conservation entities can collaborate to enhance conservation efforts.
Safety Resources for You!
Kathryn Juliano
Many resources are available for animal care professionals seeking to improve safety and health within the field, but it can be difficult to find the resource they are looking for. In alignment with the AAZK Safety Committee’s mission to develop and exchange these resources, this poster will display a variety of important resources made available by both the AAZK Safety Committee and the organization’s collaborative partners such as the AZA Safety Committee, GRAZE, ZAHP, and ZDR3. Accessible resources will be presented via descriptors and accompanying QR codes to allow immediate access for interested poster viewers with relevant training courses, conferences, and workshops for further learning also highlighted. The poster will feature a wide variety of safety resources, beginning with information provided by the AAZK Safety Committee. It will include information from other organizations that focus on zoo and aquarium safety, including the AZA Safety Committee, GRAZE, ZAHP, and ZDR3. We will also discuss relevant trainings, conferences, and meetings that provide safety information. An emphasis will be made on free and online resources, as they are most easily accessible. Paid trainings and conferences will be covered as well. After reading the poster, attendees will have a vast amount of safety resources to increase their knowledge in the areas they are most interested.
Enhancing Rhino Welfare: Integrating wild rhino behavior into captive rhino enrichment
Josiah House
In September 2024, Two Rhino keepers from Omaha zoo received the Bowling for Rhinos Resource Grant to traveled to the Selati Game Reserve, South Africa with the primary objective of creating new behavioral based enrichment derived from observations of white and black rhinos in their natural habitat. They spent two weeks collecting data through game drives and camera trap observations. Data consisted of population counts, individuals seen, level of skittishness, body condition, food consumption, and any normal or abnormal behaviors. The keepers identified social, environmental, and feeding behaviors that inspire new enrichment that helped encouraging behaviors that may be lacking in managed rhinos. The enrichment helped stimulate the rhinos and reach a more natural activity budget. Increasing the quality of enrichment offered helps cut back on stereotypic behavior, engage guest and increase movement through out the rhino’s day.
Flying Home: My Journey with the Sihek
Lily Sheedy
Guam, the largest island of the Marianas, was once home to numerous endemic animals, many that have gone extinct due to the introduction of invasive animals, war, and other human-caused events. The Guam kingfisher (Todiramphus cinnamominus), known as the sihek by the Chamoru, is one of the few native birds that have survived, listed as ‘extinct-in-the-wild’; and only found under human care. In late summer of 2024, Disney’s Animal Kingdom hospital team was involved in quarantining two Guam kingfishers to prepare for their release into the wild. One of these birds, affectionately named ‘Yayas’, joined eight others and became one of the first Guam kingfishers in the wild in nearly 40 years. Being involved in Yayas’; journey to release is especially significant to me due to my upbringing on Guam. It is the story of Guam’s birds which inspired my interest in conservation. Going from hearing stories on why the jungle was silent as a kid to being a keeper to one of the first Guam kingfishers to be released back into the wild has shown me just how impactful conservation efforts are at AZA-accredited facilities. For the months these Guam kingfishers were in our care, we kept them in biosecure isolation areas, did health screenings, and did educational outreach in preparation of the small population’s departure to Palmyra Atoll. The success of this release has now inspired a new sense of hope, both in the zoo and local community on Guam, for other endangered species.
The Bald Butt Dilemma: A Hair Growth Journey of “Ellie” the Short-tailed Opossum
Laney Manes
A female, Short-tailed Opossum (STO), Monodelphis domestica, at Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium (WOW), started to lose hair at the base of her tail, to about ¼ of her lower body. Her primary keeper took every step to determine if the cause was due to environmental stressors. Over the course of a year and a half, the animal continued to not have hair on her behind and formed new spots on her sides and behind the ears. At no point was the skin raw, just bald. One last effort was made to modify the diet of the animal to see if the hair loss could be stopped. The animal’s daily protein was increased from 30% to 35%, and this was the only change done during a month’s time. The loss of hair stopped after implementing this and even started to regrow on her rear, which was previously thought to have damaged hair follicles. This poster walks through the steps her primary keeper took to determine the cause of her hair loss and her eventual regrowth of the hair.
Putting Challenges in the Rear View: Rear Leg Blood Draw Training in Fishing Cat
Paul Brandenburger
In April 2024, 1.0 Fishing Cat “Angler” presented with elevated liver enzymes during an exam. He was put on a liver protectant with the goal to test a follow-up blood sample for liver values. Angler had not had any voluntary blood draw training, but the decision was made to begin shaping the behavior as a preferred alternative to putting him under just to collect a blood sample. Other institutions have found success with drawing blood from the front leg of fishing cats, but staff elected to pursue a rear leg blood draw instead. The training presented several challenges requiring modifications to the training space, reinforcement, and methodology, but these challenges were overcome and resulted in successful blood collection. The rear leg blood draw behavior offers an alternative to the standard front leg blood draw for other cat species with small tail veins such as bobcats, lynx, and servals.
REHABILITATION OF AGUARÁ GUAZÚ, Chrysocyon brachyurus, IN THE TEMAIKÈN FOUNDATION
Juan Ignacio Kabur
At Fundación Temaikèn’s Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, several maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) are admitted, affected by anthropogenic causes. Based on the species’ natural and individual history, existing literature, and the team’s technical expertise, individualized recovery plans are developed considering and promoting animal wellness. During the quarantine period, the animals are housed in four interconnected enclosures of 500 m², specifically designed to minimize human contact. Environmental enrichment devices are implemented to stimulate natural behaviors, particularly those related to hunting and prey tracking. These behaviors are monitored through camera traps, allowing assessment of the animals; behavioral readiness for release. Each plan is adapted according to each individual’s state. The interdisciplinary team efforts had a 100% success rate achieved throughout the recovery processes, with 100% of the rescued individuals release back into the wild. The animals display species-typical behaviors and show no signs of human habituation. This approach, part of a strategy developed for more than 20 years, has enabled rescued individuals return to their natural distribution range in central Argentina. Each animal presents a unique challenge, particularly when working with juvenile individuals, whose recovery process requires greater gradualness. Additionally, reintroduced animals are monitored via satellite collars, providing valuable information for the species’ conservation.
Crianza asistida en una cría de canguro rojo (Macropus rufus) en cautiverio / Hand-rearing of a red kangaroo joey in captivity
Ariana Biaggi Llamosas
Hand-rearing of wildlife is a major challenge for zookeepers, as it seeks to replicate the natural breeding of the species as best as possible within the resources available at the institution. In November 2023, a red kangaroo (Macropus rufus) joey, approximately 4 months old, was found in its enclosure after being rejected by its mother. As the joey was small and still developing, a hand-rearing program was immediately implemented, monitoring variables such as temperature, humidity, weight, and feeding, which varied according to weight gain and physical development. Today, the joey is the first of its species to be raised under human care within the institution and has been successfully integrated into the kangaroo group. It is also undergoing an operant conditioning program to make its health control more friendly and, at the same time, to recognize commands.
Versatility in Reptile Enrichment
Samantha Smyser
Providing environmental and behavioral enrichment while in human care is often limited to charismatic megafauna; therefore, research and information regarding enrichment for reptiles is generally lacking comparatively. Fortunately, environmental enrichment for reptiles is increasingly being addressed by husbandry standards as these species often require a specialized environment to maintain physiological health. Other forms of enrichment are often still lacking. One way to increase the use of behavioral enrichment is to create versatility in the enrichment animal care specialists create and provide by making these items easier to deploy for a wider range of species with the bonus of increasing cost effectiveness. For example, creating a naturalistic peg board that can be used horizontally, vertically, or even prone extends the number of species that can utilize the structure to increase natural behaviors such as climbing with more arboreal species using the board vertically and semi-arboreal species using the board horizontally. Another example is creating a rubbing enrichment frame that adjusts to different heights so that multiple species of tortoises and turtles can use the same structure. A third and final example of a versatile enrichment piece for reptiles is a substrate texture box with three sections to allow fossorial species to burrow in and rub against various substrates (i.e., bark, moss, leaves, and sand). This type of enrichment not only allows for exposure to more novelty but can provide an indicator of substrate preference. Adding versatility to enrichment provided to reptiles not only makes providing enrichment easier for these species but is a great way to increase their well-being and behavioral repertoire.
Fostering Friendships Through an Unconventional Framework
Jenna Walker
This project follows the introduction of two singly housed tamarin species at the Cape May County Park and Zoo in an effort to improve the welfare of a critically endangered species. Upon 0.1 Cotton-top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus) “Lira” reaching sexual maturity, keepers began observing aggression instigated by her towards her younger sibling “Galadriel.” After multiple failed attempts of separation and reintroduction, keepers permanently rehoused Lira to a vacant habitat. Lira’s new den neighbored singly housed 1.0 Emperor tamarin (Saguinus imperator) “Francois”. With Cotton-top tamarins being critically endangered and both species being social creatures, keepers worked hard to foster a positive welfare environment between the two while they eagerly await mates. This poster explores the steps taken to encourage this relationship, beginning with the use of a howdy cage. Quick observation and analysis of the situation made it apparent that a different form of introduction would be necessary. Three different wire gauge sliding doors were subsequently constructed between the habitats in place of a single cinder block to eliminate the stress of a howdy cage. Keepers then observed the behaviors between the individuals for two months before successfully mixing them together. This social interaction is mutually beneficial for both primate’s welfare, but especially for 0.1 Cotton-top tamarin “Lira” who can positively contribute to her species' drastically declining population. This poster will further explore the process of the introduction as well as the implications encountered along the way.
Ginger’s Hope - Disease Monitoring in Samburu Kenya
Mary Wykstra
In 2017, Action for Cheetahs in Kenya launched the Ginger’s Hope vaccination campaign. More than 2000 people in Kenya die from rabies annually in Kenya. While the government has an objective to eradicate human rabies through domestic pet vaccinations, they are under-funded and under-staffed. Especially in rural communities, it is impossible for the government to enforce the vaccination mandate, thus putting people in remote areas away from medical access at a high risk. In 2019, a distemper outbreak in northern Kenya nearly wiped out the wild dog population and several other predator species suffered decline in numbers. To further understand the impact of vaccinations on canine distemper and rabies, ACK partnered with the International Livestock Research Institute to evaluate the effectiveness of mass vaccination and sterilization campaigns in this remote region. Funding for this work was received from several zoos, AAZK chapters, and from Bowling for Rhinos.
It Takes a Colony: First African Penguins Hatched at Mississippi Aquarium at
Amanda Westerlund
The Mississippi Aquarium recently celebrated a significant milestone with the successful hatching of its first African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) chicks. This achievement represents a crucial advancement in the aquarium’s conservation efforts for this now critically endangered species. After initially utilizing artificial incubation during the early breeding seasons, the 2024-2025 season marked the first time incubating pairs successfully hatched and initially reared chicks naturally. Throughout this process, the aquarium’s animal care team played a vital role, learning alongside the colony and adapting to the intricate needs of African penguin chick rearing. This success highlights the importance of collaboration between human caretakers and penguins, offering valuable insights into breeding behaviors and chick development. Beyond this milestone, the event underscores the aquarium’s broader commitment to wildlife conservation, education, and the long-term sustainability of African penguin populations. Ensuring the survival of this species will require a global effort—uniting penguins, care specialists, and guests to form a worldwide colony dedicated to their protection.
Ambassador Animals and the Population Sustainability Initiative within the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Samantha Smyser
As ambassador animals play such a pivotal role in conservation and education in a modern zoological institutions, providing appropriate captive management strategies for these species to become sustainable is essential. Maintaining a captive population’s sustainability is dependent on the following factors: genetic diversity, demographic stability, successful breeding, husbandry expertise, and availability of space. Therefore, collaboration and cooperation with other zoological institutions and associations is imperative to achieving sustainability goals for animal collections. The results of this study are a great first step in providing the necessary information to begin these collaborative talks to ensure that the most utilized ambassador animal species will be available in the future to continue to connect visitors with wildlife, promoting both positive environmental attitudes and pro-conservationist behaviors.