Archive for the ‘Field Research’ Category

Sep
01

Panama’s Endangered Amphibians

Posted by Peter in Endangered Species,Featured,Field Research,amphibians

The Houston Zoo began the development of the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center (EVACC) in El Valle de Anton, Panama in 2005 as a response to the decline in amphibian populations due to habitat loss, overcollection and the imminent threat from a fungal epidemic known as “chytrid“. Today, it is believed that nearly 30% of the 6,000+ known amphibian species are threatened with extinction.

On a recent visit to El Valle de Anton, we took the opportunity to head out to one of the field sites where a frog known as the Harlequin Frog (Atelopus varius) had once existed in large numbers. The chytrid fungus had reached this area a number of years  and a small population was brought into a captive setting at the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center for safeguarding against the threat of extinction.

Approximately 2 hours from El Valle de Anton is El Cope National Park and one of the few sites where this species may still exist. El Cope rises over 3,000 feet above sea level with the park first being created in 1986, acting as a watershed between the Pacific and the Panamanian Caribbean. Home to jaguar, mountain lion, tapir, monkeys and numerous birds, it is the amphibians which once made this place unique. Although a glimpse ofthe areas mammals and birds was always special. It was the nenver ending sound of dozens of amphibian species calling in the late afternoon and early evening hours which brought this cloud forest alive.

A Somber Silence. But now that is all but gone. There were 2-3 species of amphibians seen on this visit but it is a vastly different forest today than it was just 5 years ago. The same fate has taken amphibian species across the Central America corridor from Costa Rica down through Panama and heading upwards from Colombia.

Until the time comes when conservation biologists can determine it is safe to return amphibians to their native habitat, the Houston Zoo and partners will coninue to maintain assurance colonies of amphibians in their native countries, and spend time in the field surveying remaining amphibian populations. If you would like to support our amphibian efforts in Panama, you can follow the link to http://www.houstonzoo.org/amphibians/

Panamanian Golden Frog Atelopus zeteki

Marsupial Frog Hemiphractus fasciatus

Craugastor tabasarae with eggs. El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center

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Aug
24

The Frogs and Toads of Panama

Posted by Peter in Endangered Species,Field Research,amphibians

We are in Panama today visiting the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center in the town of El Valle de Anton. A program initiated by the Houston Zoo in 2004-2005. While habitat loss is still considered the most serious threat to the majority of species, especially in the humid tropical forest regions of the world, a fungal disease known as chytrid has been identified as being exceptionally deadly to amphibians, while not seeming to affect other groups of vertebrates – fish, reptiles, birds and mammals. We thought you might like to see some of the amazing amphibians which live in the region:

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Aug
17

The Childern are saving the Painted dog in Zimbabwe

Posted by Renee in Africa,Carnivores,Endangered Species,Field Research,Painted Dog,community-based conservation

Bush camp kids at water hole

 

Painted Dog Conservation in Zimbabwe has double the population of the endangered Painted dog in the past ten years by its community- based conservation efforts.  It attributes its continued success to a program they offer to grade six level students from the local villages called the Bush Camp.  This is a 4-day long environmental education experience.  The local communities are so supportive and excited about this program for the kids that they have made it a mandatory requirement for schools in the area.  The program is free to the community, as PDC gets all of their funding from donations outside of the country.  Every year one thousand children come through the Children’s Bush Camp – for less than $15 a day.  They stay a week – and for the first time, they see the dogs and wildlife that live just miles from their villages. It’s like Disneyland to them – it’s the highlight of their lives. 

Bush camp work book

So how did this wonderful program get started?  When Dr. Greg Rasmussen first set out to save the Painted dog, he knew that it would only be possible with the support of the local people.  So, he spent 10 years before he even started PDC on a journey to find what the local rural natives really wanted and needed.  He spent time with the community to listen and inquire; and the answer that rang clear was to make their children happy. Throughout these years he also visited local schools to talk to the kids and teachers about the dogs (usually in a dog costume). He saw the youth were deprived of any wildlife education, not from a lack of interest, but more from a lack of inspiration.  Greg was finding it very difficult to connect the kids to wildlife when they had never seen it before.  The kids from rural villages no longer see wildlife, as the villages are being pushed farther away from the park.  Most of the rural village kids have never even seen an elephant or giraffe never mind a Painted dog. 

Being a big kid himself, this task made Greg very happy!  He built small round huts immersed in the bush and all of the kids sleep in their own beds with mosquito nets.  Many of the kids have never slept on beds much less in their own bed, and they definitely have never had mosquito nets.  The children are overjoyed by the electricity (the rural villages do not have electricity), the lights flick on and off all night for their first night.  The kids are very respectful and well behaved; they are immensely grateful for this experience.

Bush camp kids dress up like Painted dogs for a play

The kids learn about the whole eco-system with a special emphasis on the plight of the Painted dog.  They are put in groups named after the various Painted dog packs that are in the area when they arrive and play games that imitate the Painted dog’s behavior and social dynamic.  The lessons are in both the local dialect, Ndebele, and English and the kids get an opportunity to see and work with computers for the first time.

In the middle of the camp there is a meeting area on stilts, used for the kid’s plays and dances.  Each night they act out, dance and sing what they have learned during the day.  The stilted stage is connected to the elevated walkway over the 80-acre dog enclosure. The kids are led out onto the walkway to get an unobstructed view from above of the Painted dogs in PDC’s rehabilitation center.    

 

When I am at PDC, being at the bush camp with those amazing children is definitely the highlight!  When I get the pleasure of going into the park with the kids for their first game drive they always break out into joyous song on the way home.  This experience brings tears to my eyes.  They are beautiful singers and their gratitude and joy is expressed in their singing.  

Kids with me in front of Bush camp huts

When Greg is asked what of PDC’s achievements to date he is most proud of, he answers “Our children’s bush camp. Ideally I would like to see them set up adjacent to many of the world’s national parks. It happens in most areas – the local communities never get to see their wildlife often because the areas are made inaccessible as they are designated for tourist or hunting purposes. Consequently it is no surprise that communities see no value in wildlife and consequently make no effort to conserve it.”

The success of this program is tangible; there have been children that have assisted in the arrest of poachers after being at the bush camp.  The local communities love it so much that they are now asking for an adult camp.

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Aug
16

Texas

Posted by Peter in Animal Origins & Fun Facts,Endangered Species,Field Research,Sea Turtles,Texas,What You Can Do,amphibians

Everything is bigger in Texas, and the biodiversity is no exception. Ten recognized eco-regions are home to an amazing abundance of wildlife and plants in the Lone Star State. Over 80 species of mammals, 600 plus species of birds, more than 250 species of reptiles and amphibians and countless thousands of species of invertebrates can be found in Texas. Of the nearly 6,000 species of plants found here, at least 325 are endemic and found nowhere else in the world.

North American River Otter

Our Houston toad head-start program has seen over 30,000 tadpoles and toads released to their natal ponds this year alone. One of the most critically endangered birds in the United States, the Attwater’s Prairie Chicken, is hatched and reared for release to augment their ever dwindling wild population. Our Education staff conducts field and science based programs for local school children to foster appreciation for this endemic grouse. Outreach programs also focus on the restoration of the black bear to the dense Pineywoods of East Texas, our vanishing coastal prairies, endangered sea turtles and local amphibian declines. In a state that is 97 percent private, we continue to expand collaboration with landowners – both working with them directly and assisting with workshops to teach them to manage their property for endangered wildlife. Other local research and field activities include turtle road mortality and mitigation, sea turtle nest patrols, and assistance with ongoing graduate projects with local universities.

Attwater's Prairie Chicken chickThe Houston Zoo’s conservation mission is to make the Houston Zoo a leader in conservation as it relates to the survival of threatened wildlife, the wise use of natural resources, and the appreciation of our natural world by our zoo visitors. We take wildlife conservation in Texas seriously and we would like for all Texans to appreciate the State’s unique habitats and heritage.

Want to hear more about what makes Texas so special? Then join us on November 17th for a very special speaker event featuring Carter Smith, Executive Director, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. 6:30pm-8:00pm in our Brown Education Center. Link here for tickets.

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Aug
13

New Titi monkey discovered in Colombia and it looks like a leprechaun!

Posted by Renee in Endangered Species,Field Research

Photo by Javier Garcia

They might be after you lucky charms!  A primate that purrs like a cat and looks like a leprechaun has been confirmed as a new species in the Colombian section of the Amazon rain forest. Callicebus caquetensis was found in the Caquetá region, in the southern part of Colombia. This species of Titi monkey was spotted in 1976, but due to the political unrest in the area, biologists were unable to get in to verify this discovery. Thanks to the relationship that was formed with a student who is native to the area, they were able to safely execute an expedition to confirm this new species in 2008 — yet another great example of the benefits of working with the local people!  

This discovery was just announced on August 12th 2010 in Primate Conservation.

It’s easy to forget that new species are still being discovered on this planet of ours all the time. Check out the top ten species discovered in 2010 here.

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Aug
13

Why did the turtle cross the road?

Posted by Rachel in Field Research,Texas,Uncategorized

Female Missouri River Cooter

Like the chicken of legend and lore, the answer to the question is to get to the other side.  But in the process, turtles crossing one East Texas highway are finding the journey fraught with peril and one that could change the very make up of their population and irrevocably alter their future.

Each spring, prehistoric, bony plated animals begin an arduous journey in Texas.  The journey, one that has occurred since the time of the dinosaurs, is undertaken by a determined and tenacious animal – the female fresh water turtle.

Since the summer of 2008, researchers from the Houston Zoo have been conducting road mortality surveys for wildlife on approximately 2 miles of State Highway 190 crossing Steinhagen Lake between Jasper and Tyler counties.  So far, Zoo researchers have counted  over 500 dead turtles, most of which are female Red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans) and Missouri river cooters (Pseudemys concinna metteri) that are crossing the road to nest alongside the highway.

Houston Zoo Biologists

The rate of mortality in the first year of our research equals to approximately 115 turtles killed per mile per year on this stretch of road, making the area near Steinhagen Lake second on the list of the top 5 highest mortality spots for turtles in North America. According to published findings at other locations similar to the highway near Steinhagen Lake, research indicates this type of road mortality is not sustainable and will eventually result in a male biased population resulting in the eventual decline of the turtle population in the lake.

Turtle road mortality

The Houston Zoo is currently working with partners to identify possible solutions to reduce the number of turtle deaths. The most likely solution would be a 2-mile fence running along side State Highway 190 to prevent the female turtles from crossing the road.  Such fences have reduced mortality up to 98% in other high mortality locations.

Hatchling Turtles

To learn more about freshwater turtles and get savvy on turtle facts and myths, click here.

Aug
10

600 ft in the air for sea turtle conservation, how do I get myself in these situations?

Posted by Rachel in Endangered Species,Field Research,Sea Turtles,Texas,What You Can Do,community-based conservation

Sweet plane. It even has a parachute!

Picture this gem of a scene. It’s Saturday morning, July 17th, 2010. Angleton, Texas. Brazoria County Airport.

I am in the smallest airplane on earth. I am about to take OFF in the smallest airplane on earth.

 Apparently, I will fly 600 – 1000 feet above the Gulf of Mexico.

 I am quite certain I will not be coming back. 

What will become of poor Mr. Jiggs? (Mr. Jiggs is my 14 year old pug) Did I leave my flat iron on? Why didn’t I use the restroom before I got in the plane?

 I am speaking to myself in first person. I don’t think I was doing this aloud, but maybe I was. Who knows at this point?

 Despite my terror and impending feeling of doom, I do feel kind of cool because I have on those pilot headphone thingies and am kind of having a Top Gun moment. I want to say something like ” Alpha Bravo Charlie 2 5 6 8 3, what’s your AGL, OVER”. I don’t. In hindsight, I should have though.

 I am wondering the following:

 Why is the pilot explaining to me the whole…”If I have a heart attack this is the lever you need to pull” type thing and why are we having the “this is the little GPS tracking device, and you will need to press this button twice before we ditch so they can find us” type discussion? Why am I wearing a life vest flotation device?

 Why did I lie about my weight and say I was five pounds lighter that I am? Really? I would rather die and take two innocent people down with me than tell someone my actual weight?

Me, the co-pilot!

I nervously attempted to repeat what he had just said to me because I realized that while he was giving me instructions I was thinking about the Top Gun volleyball scence and was so shocked that he was talking to me about this type of situation that I wasn’t really paying attention. Oh god. I am a goner for sure.

You may be trying to figure out why I am putting myself through this type of panic causing situation? Well, to be honest, this was an honor and a once in a lifetime type experience!

Jeanine, student with TAMU Galveston and Kemps ridley patrol coordinator on the upper Texas coast!

 My good friend Carole Allen, a conservation hero, sea turtle advocate and Gulf Coast Director with the Sea Turtle Restoration Project, asked myself, along with a few other lucky individuals, if we would be interested in taking a LightHawk flight in the few days following the opening of shrimp season off of the Texas coast. Shrimp boats must be equipped with Turtle Excluder Devices (aka TEDs) when trawling for shrimp so any captured endangered sea turtles can escape and not drown. Find out more about sea turtles and Houston Zoo conservation efforts here.

 We were to look for the following things during our flight: 

  • Law enforcement presence
  • Evidence of illegal shrimp boats
  • Counting number of shrimp boats
  • To look for evidence of oil off of the Texas coast

 The unique and amazing non-profit organization that was able to make this aerial survey a reality was a nonprofit group called LightHawk. LightHawk’s mission is to champion environmental protection through the unique perspective of flight. Their goal is to mobilize enough volunteer pilots, aircraft and resources to help tip the balance toward sustainability for every major environmental issue within their targeted areas of focus.

Randy our super talented pilot that got me back on the ground alive. Thanks Randy!

Take off!

Our pilot, Randy Henry, a retired employee of Kinkos, spends his free time, and donates his beautiful plane, to help not only with conservation projects like ours, but with human aid efforts as well. Really, a genuine and fantastic person all around. Bravo to you Randy Henry! It just shows you that no matter what you do for a living or what your hobby is, conservation groups need your expertise and time. Whether you or an accountant, a photographer, a writer or a mechanic, we need you! You can make a difference to an amazing program near you!

Despite all my paranoia and protests, this was the most amazing flight I have ever been on. You really feel like a feather floating in the air. The take off and landing was so smooth, you didn’t even realize it had happened! Much smoother than your commercial airline flight.

We counted over 30 shrimp boats on our flight. No law enforcement. No sign of oil.

Shrimp boat. Yes, we were that close. 600ft.

Aug
09

World’s most endangered otter re-discovered in Borneo

Posted by Peter in Animal Origins & Fun Facts,Borneo,Carnivores,Endangered Species,Field Research,community-based conservation

The Houston Zoo has supported researchers in Malaysian Borneo on a number of small carnivore projects over the past 2 years. following is an article out of the Malaysian Insider noting the rediscovery of a species thought to have been extirpated from the island:

The world’s most endangered otter species, known as the hairy-nosed otter (Lutra sumatrana), has been “rediscovered” in Deramakot Forest Reserve in Sabah by a team of German and Malaysian researchers.

“This is great news for Sabah and shows once again how unique and fortunate we are in terms of wildlife and nature.  In addition, these findings also boost the conservation of this endangered otter internationally as historically this otter was distributed throughout large parts of southeast Asia,” said an elated Sabah Wildlife Department Director, Dr Laurentius Ambu.

The last confirmed record of the hairy-nosed otter in Sabah is a museum specimen collected over a hundred years ago.

“Even over the whole island of Borneo, the last record – a road-kill from Brunei – was 1997, over ten years ago. Therefore it was unknown to scientists if this species can be still found on Borneo,” stated Andreas Wilting, the project leader of the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW).

In 2008, IZW initiated the Conservation of Carnivores in Sabah (ConCaSa) project with the collaboration of SWD and Sabah Forestry Department (SFD) to study carnivores such as the Sunda clouded leopard, civets and otters in the state.

The ConCaSa project used automated camera traps that were set up in Deramakot and the surrounding forest reserves during the last two years. As the different otter species look very similar the hairy-nosed otter, pictures had to first be verified by a number of experts before they were published recently by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission journal.

In addition to capturing camera trap pictures of the endangered hairy-nosed otter, the study also confirmed the presence of five Bornean cat species, as well as 13 other small carnivores such as the Banded civet and the sun bear.

“These results mean that out of 25 known carnivore species in Borneo, our project, together with a Japanese researcher Hiromitsu Samejima, confirmed 20 in Deramakot. This makes Deramakot outstanding for being extremely rich in its diversity of carnivores,” explained Wilting.

Besides the pictures, ConCaSa also obtained the first video footage ever taken of some species, such as the otter civet (Cynogale bennettii).

Since 1997, Deramakot Forest Reserve has been managed by the SFD as a sustainable logged forest with the coveted Forest Stewardship Council certification.

“These findings show that long-term sustainable forest management is of great importance for the protection of some of this country’s most threatened species and of the unique biodiversity of the forests of Borneo,” shared Datuk Sam Mannan the Director of the SFD.

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Jul
29

Gorilla Country

Posted by Peter in Africa,Animal Origins & Fun Facts,Elephant,Endangered Species,Field Research,Gorilla,community-based conservation

In the Republic of Congo, the Houston Zoo is partnering with the Mbeli Bai Gorilla Program in the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park. Mbeli Bai is the only long-term demographic study on western gorillas which uses direct observations to provide important baseline information on the social organization, demography and behavior of an intact population of gorillas. Detailed studies are also undertaken on the activity of other large mammal species using the bai, such as forest elephants, sitatungas, forest buffaloes as well as otters and many other species. 

Why should we care to protect wildlife in places so far away? Watch the video of wildlife living in and around Mbeli Bai in the Republic of Congo.

Did you watch the video? All 5 minutes? We would like to hear your thoughts on this 5 minute glimpse into a very special place.

If you would like to help support the Mbeli Bai Gorilla Program and the Houston Zoo’s efforts to save threatened wildlife in Africa, please click on the button below.

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Jul
27

Kids Get to be Biologists and Track Toads

Posted by Renee in Endangered Species,Field Research,Texas,What You Can Do,amphibians

   

When I was a kid I always knew that I wanted to work with animals. I used to tell everyone I’d be a marine biologist.  I didn’t really know what that meant at the time, but I knew they got to work closely with whales and dolphins.  I had every pet my parents would allow and asked to go to every aquarium and zoo that I could find, just to get close to animals.  As I got older I started to question what I could realistically do with this desire. Anyone that got to work with them in the field or in captivity were like celebrities.  I don’t think I ever thought of it as a job — it was more like a dream.  The only animal related career that I was really exposed to was a veterinarian.  And when I decided against that, it was difficult to visualize what I could do. I was very fortunate to meet the curator of a small zoo that took me under his wing and brought me into the wonderful world of zoo keeping.  But I have been very aware that not everyone gets this type of opportunity.
I am so excited for this generation of animal lovers in Houston.  The Houston Zoo offers so much to get kids involved and connected to the animal world.  It would have been a dream come true to be a part of the zoo camps and internships they offer here!
Recently, I’ve had the pleasure and privilege to assist with a new, unique, interactive conservation education program called Toad Trackers.  It was developed by my very talented coworker, Rachel Rommel, and allows kids to connect with the world of research and animal science.   

Rachel with students

  

 The Toad Tracker students are introduced to the same equipment field biologists use in their research and are exposed to some of the methods used in the scientific study of animal populations.  I got to assist with the evening class where the students get to actively search for a common toad species on Zoo grounds: the Gulf Coast Toad.  When it came to listening for the toads, the kids were very serious and quiet.  I was so impressed with their level of concentration, and how well they were able to control their excitement and really focus on the task at hand.  When a toad was found, they remembered exactly what they were taught in the classroom about approaching and handling it.  The students were then carefully guided through weighing and measuring each individual, determining its’ gender, and recording its’ GPS coordinates, citing exactly where it was found.  The kids then got to observe as Paul Crump (the Houston Zoo’s Amphibian Conservation Programs Manager) pit tag each toad, which is similar to the microchip in your cat or dog.  They were very intrigued by this process.     

Students measuring toad

 Over time, the locating and tagging of these toads will provide valuable information on their growth rates, reproductive events, and movement patterns on zoo grounds.  As important as this data is, more importantly, this program is inspiring local kids and leaving them hungry for more.   I really felt the gratitude of the kids involved in this program; their intrigue was tangible!  Rachel  is creating a whole army of amphibian advocates and future biologists through Toad Trackers.
      

  

To learn more about this program check out the Houston zoo Toad Tracker website and join the Toad Trackers group on Facebook.

 

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