Posts Tagged ‘conservation’

Aug
27

An update from the African Wild Dog rehabilitation center at Painted Dog Conservation in Zimbabwe

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

Here is another update from Xmas Mpofu, head keeper, at Painted Dog Conservation in Zimbabwe. -

“We have received 2 puppies from low veld and are now settled into our Rehab Facility. The 2 were dug out of their den following a rabies out break in that area. The pack members are now dead and the 2 pups are the only survivors. The 2 puppies currently seem to be fit and strong and will be released back into the wild with some of our other Rehab dogs.”

Wild Painted dogs in the enclosure at PDC's rehab center

This is another example of why it is imperative to have a Painted dog rehabilitation center at PDC.  These pups wouldn’t stand a chance in the wild without the rest of the pack.  The rehabilitation center will give them the opportunity to integrate into a new pack and gain the strength they will need to survive in the wild. 

Map of enclosures and PDC's facilities

 

Chute allowing dogs to move from one enclosure to another

The rehabilitation facility itself is very impressive.  There is a series of 4 enclosures – the largest is 70

Powerful electric fence around perimeter of enclosure

 acres.  All of the enclosures have shift doors and chutes connecting them to one another for easy non-intrusive movement between pens.   There are 4 smaller day pens that allow for closer observation, if needed.  The enclosures all have a very powerful electric fence around the perimeter.  Surprisingly, the strength of this fence is more for keeping animals from the outside out!  The saying “the grass is always greener” applies here.  They have had lions, leopards, other Painted dogs, and elephants all challenging the fence line from the outside, and occasionally the unwanted visitors have found their way in.  Much of Xmas’ day is spent maintaining the perimeter fence line.  

Stay tuned for more of the exciting adventures from PDC.

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Aug
26

Impressive news from Painted Dog Conservation’s childern’s Bush Camp in Zimbabwe

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

Bush Camp kids

Here is an exciting message from Painted Dog Conservation’s children’s Bush Camp in Zimbabwe. This is an example of the country’s unwavering support for this amazing community-based conservation program.   

“Painted Dog Conservation has been awarded a certificate of recognition for the sterling contribution in conservation education to the Matabeleland North region, the only organisation in the district of Hwange to receive this award. Thank you to everyone who has made this contribution a success.”    Wilton Nsimango, PDC

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Aug
18

Introducing Dought Nkomo from Painted Dog Conservation in Zimbabwe

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

Dought and I at PDC

While working at Painted Dog Conservation in Zimbabwe I was very fortunate to establish many wonderful friendships.  The local people are warm and inviting and I always feel very at home with them.  Dought Nkomo is the head guide at PDC’s children’s bush camp.  He approached me to introduce himself after he watched me dance and make a fool of my self in my attempt to make the bush camp children laugh.  After a bit of conversation we figured out that we were the same age.  I think this was shocking to him after watching my childish antics with the children, but none the less – or maybe because of this –we became good friends. 

Dought grew up in a rural village surrounding Hwange national park.  On my last visit to Zimbabwe he brought me to see his village and meet his wife, mother, cousins, brother, and young son, Adrian.  I was fascinated to see where he and his family lived.

Teaching bush camp kids

Dought is a very proud and dedicated PDC employee; he also heads up the maintenance/building team when he is not at the bush camp. The bush camp guides are Hwange National Park employees that have been trained to be teachers. PDC offers teaching courses for guides, who are often out of work due to the decline in tourism, so they can work at the bush camp. Traditional teachers in Zimbabwe have strict relationships with students. PDC’s director, Dr. Greg Rasmussen, wanted to create a learning environment where the kids would feel very open and free.  He felt that park guides had unique knowledge and could be trained to teach children.  Their relationship to the kids is more like that of a camp counselor. Dought says that he loves what he does because he gets to see kids come out of their shell during the camp. 

Kids recognize him where ever he goes. When we went into a village one day, kids seemed to come from everywhere, yelling “bush camp, bush camp!”  He’s a celebrity, and in my opinion, the best kind!  I am very excited announce Dought has agreed to send me updates from the project that I will post on our blog, the first of which is below.

Dought at his village with his family

Well I have completed another 3 months of Bush camps and a lot of them were back to back because of interest that have been shown by schools outside Hwange.We had a school coming from Zambia and another from Victoria Falls and both have promised to come back next year. We had 11 camps compared to 6 every 3 months.

When there is a bush camp my day starts at 4:30am when I take a bath then if I am the one doing the staff run I go and pick up the housekeeping staff. At 6:30 the kids have breakfast, then lessons start at 7:00am.I take the kids through various conservation activities up to 8pm but with a number of breaks in between for 4 days. During the the weeks when there are no bush camps i am in the maintenance department where i am involved with supervision of the construction team. Currently we are building Dr Greg Rassmussen’s house and the other team is digging a big hole where we want to build an underground water storage tank for storin rain water that will come down the gutters on the visitor centre roof. Once complete a pump will be fitted on the tank to supply water to the sprinklers around for use in case of fire. I am also doing maintenance of the Painted dog Conservation facilities, like the childrens bush camp ,the raised walkway and the Visitors centre and also the furniture.

I enjoy being in Africa especially with all the wildlife around the community i live in.here in Hwange we have over 100 animal species and with the conservation education the community is recieving is now making them aware that they can co-exist with wildlife.People used to think that wildlife is “game meat”but now they are begining to know about the role each species play in the naural community. The kids enjoy a lot when i take them out into Hwange national park where they get to see wildlife so close to them and yet in the villages animals run away at the sight of humans.It is usually the first time for most of them to see some of these animals and the excitement they have is amazing .I am happy about the oppotunity i am giving to the kids on behalf of Painted dog conservation.

In the village all is progressing well for me and my family, next week schools close and Adrian is going to the village for the whole month.He is going to be looking after his goats and cattle.

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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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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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Jul
16

The zoo is re-introducing and recovering the population of Attwater Prairie Chickens

Posted by Renee in Endangered Species,Field Research,Texas

Attwater Prairie Chicken

 This week I was very fortunate to get the opportunity to spend the day working with the zoo’s most exciting captive breeding and re-introduction project.     

We wheeled out of the zoo gates early in the morning with a carefully selected group of Attwater Prairie Chickens that were hatched here at the zoo and headed to the release site.  The chickens stayed very quiet in the back of the van for the hour and 45 minute ride.  We arrived at the Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge’s visitor center and brought all the birds in to get fitted with radio collars and to receive their final physical before they were released into the wild.    

Attwater Prairie Chicken radio collar

Attwater Prairie Chicken getting fitted with a radio collar

The Houston Zoo, and all of Texas for that matter, has every right to be immensely proud of this captive breeding and re-introduction project.  I worked with a few re-introduction recovery projects back home in Canada, and they have been the most rewarding and exhausting experiences of my life!  These programs frequently commence when a species population has dropped to a ridiculously low number, and are dangerously close to extinction. There are harsh ups and downs in the recovery of a critically endangered species, but knowing you are bringing a species back from the brink of extinction is a powerful and unparalleled experience.  Our bird department (Hannah Bailey, Mollie Coym and the rest of the dedicated staff) work tirelessly to ensure the success of this project.  They really seem to live and breathe chickens!    

Attwater Prairie Chickens being carried out to the pre-release site in Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge

After the processing we took the birds out to the pre-release sites in the Refuge with a man named Dr. Mike Morrow.  It is an honor to meet the heroes that have been with the projects from the start.  He has been with this project from the beginning and has done everything in his power to give this project life.  This year Mike, our bird department staff and everyone who have been involved in this project over the last 20 years are experiencing a major “up”.   For the first time, Mike has had the privilege of observing captive bred re-introduced birds successfully raising chicks in the wild.  Before this year they could only speculate that this was indeed happening.  This is a pivotal point for any re-introduction project, when captive animals prove they can raise young in the wild!     

Dr. Mike Marrow and the bird department staff preparing for release

Everyone that has been involved in this project should take a bow!  The Attwater Prairie Chicken recovery effort is far from being over, but this observation is evidence that it is well on its way.   It takes a team of passionate individuals and solid partnerships to keep these projects growing and thriving.   How about a round of applause for the team of zoo staff, Mike and everyone else involved who are tirelessly working to save this Texas species!   

Dr. Mike Marrow ready to release an Attwater Prairie Chicken

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Jul
14

Art of Conservation is Saving Gorillas by Inspiring Childern

Posted by Renee in Africa,Endangered Species,Gorilla,community-based conservation

We are proud to partner with an inspirational organization called Art of Conservation.  The Art of Conservation project commenced in 2007 and works in poor rural communities bordering Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.  Kids are given the opportunity to connect with nature and endangered species through various forms of art.  The focus of the program is to empower the kids and instill a sense of pride and respect for the environment and for each other.   

Every kid(including myself) loves to dress up and pretend.  What better way to enstill a deeper empathy and understanding for their local endangered species then to have the kids imagine being the species?   Each year in June during Igitaramo, a cultural festival that celebrates Rwanda’s environment and biodiversity, AoC students put on song and dance performances while wearing the masks.

For “Mu Birunga,” a song about mountain gorillas, students get to wear these gorilla masks; for “Heroes of the Forest,” a song about the many different wild animals that inhabit Rwanda, costumed children depict more than 10 different species.

Staff artists craft these beautiful animal masks in the Art of Conservation studio, depicting mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, forest buffaloes, and other species that inhabit Rwanda’s national parks. The artists sculpt masks using clay molds and papier mache, and hand paint each to look as realistic as possible.

Youth programs are critical to the success of  any conservation effort.  AoC approaches learning through a unique method, using visual, auditory, and performance arts to teach lessons and inspire creativity in its students.

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Jul
14

Come and visit the new and improved conservation kiosk- A message from the conservation intern.

Posted by Renee in Endangered Species,Field Research,Going Green,Sea Turtles,Texas,What You Can Do,community-based conservation,orangutan

Hello to all!
 As this is my first blog I think I should give you a little bit of information as to what I do as the conservation intern here at the zoo.
  I am working with the conservation department to fuse the message of conservation with the Zoo and to better impart information to the guests about the Zoo’s projects. I am currently working to improve the conservation Kiosk which is located just by the main door for the Kip Aquarium.
In this blog I will keep you posted on not only the fabulous new updates to the Conservation Kiosk, but also the tons of other Conservation projects at the zoo, and the ways you can help out.
Conservation Kiosk Update!
The Conservation Kiosk is getting a new look with the addition of some new eye catching posters.  These posters offer a glimps at some of the Houston zoo’s local and international conservation projects, as well as some tips of what you can do to help endangered species all over the globe.
The Conservation Kiosk is located right next to the entrance of the Kip Aquarium, so come and check it out the next time you visit the zoo.

Till next time,
Elliott the intern

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Jul
06

The Pasadena Citizen is interested in our Efforts to Save the Philippine Eagle with Plastic Flamingos

Posted by Renee in Endangered Species,What You Can Do

The Houston Zoo has been organizing little surprises for people all over the city.  The Bird department’s “Flamingo Flocking” team, consisting of bird keepers armed with plastic flamingos, is deployed on unsuspecting recipient’s front yards by the resipient’s family members or friends, in the name of conservation and good fun.   This is a fabulous campaign to raise awareness as well as funds for bird conservation.  Read about an experience with this unique activity here in today’s Pasadena Citizen.

Proceeds from the Flamingo Flocking program currently support the The Philippine Eagle Foundation. They are a non-profit organization dedicated to saving the endangered Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) and its forest habitat. SUPPORT BIRD CONSERVATION and go “FLOCK” someone. E-mail us at flamingoflocking@houstonzoo.org

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Jul
06

Lowland Tapir Conservation: Brazil

Posted by Peter in Endangered Species,South America,Travel,What You Can Do,community-based conservation

Photo Patricia Medici

The four living species of tapirs occur in the tropics of Central America (Baird’s tapir), South America (lowland tapir, and mountain tapir), and Southeast Asia (Malayan tapir). The lowland tapir has the broadest range of the four living species extending from north-central Colombia and east of the Andes throughout most of tropical South America down to north eastern Argentina and Paraguay at elevations up to 2,000 masl. The species occurs in 11 different countries including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, French Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela.

The Lowland Tapir Conservation Initiative
The Atlantic Forest Tapir Program has demonstrated that tapirs are a keystone species that play a critical role in shaping and maintaining biological diversity and forest structure, and are essential for key ecological processes such as seed dispersal and predation. In order to advance scientific knowledge and promote the conservation of this widely spread but seriously imperiled large mammal, Patrícia Medici has now launched a country-wide Lowland Tapir Conservation Initiative that will establish tapir research and conservation programs in other key biomes of Brazil. The first of these is a new Tapir Research and Conservation Program in the Brazilian Pantanal, where no tapir research has ever been conducted. The Pantanal is increasingly threatened. Deforestation is now widespread throughout the region, threatening tapirs and other wildlife with local extinction.

The Pantanal Tapir Program was established in 2008. The study areas of the Pantanal Tapir Program are the Hotel Fazenda Baía das Pedras in the Nhecolândia sub-region of the Pantanal, and the Pousada Xaraés and Fazenda Nossa Senhora do Carmo in the Abobral sub-region. The main goals of this new long-term program are to collect ecological, demographic, epidemiological and genetic data to assess the conservation status and viability of tapir populations in the Brazilian Pantanal.

Link here for more on Tapir Conservation on the Blog da Anta website

You can travel to the Pantanal with the Houston Zoo and visit with the Pantanal Tapir Program in August 2011. Just link here for an itinerary.

Giant Anteater-Pantanal Tour 2009

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