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

Stay tuned for more of the exciting adventures from PDC.

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.

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.

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.

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

The Houston Zoo’s 2010 Call of the Wild Speaker Series resumes January 28, 2010 with a very special guest – Dr. Susie Ellis, Executive Director of the International Rhino Foundation, the leading non-governmental organization for rhino conservation in the world.

Rhinos have existed on earth for more than 50 million years.  Today, from Africa to Indonesia, all but one of the world’s 5 surviving species of rhinos is on the verge of extinction.   Join us on January 28 in the Houston Zoo’s Brown Education Center auditorium as Dr. Ellis weaves a fascinating story about a species on the brink with first hand accounts from the field of efforts to save these amazing creatures.

Dr. Susie Ellis takes a hands on approach to rhino conservation.  In fact, on January 22, just six days before her Call of the Wild Speaker Series presentation, Dr. Ellis will be returning from near two weeks of field work in Indonesia to protect the few remaining Sumatran and Javan rhinos left on earth.   

Dr. Ellis’ dedication to the mission of the International Rhino Foundation has moved people of all ages to take action for rhino conservation. Two dedicated young conservationists will be introduced and honored during Dr. Ellis’ presentation.  Eight year old Jax Bittner of Buda, Texas created his own rhino conservation Web site (www.rhino-jax.com) and has raised more than $600 for rhino conservation.  Another Texan inspired by IRF’s work, 9 year old Eva Malone has raised $400 for rhino conservation. 

Don’t miss a minute of the Call of the Wild Speaker Series with Dr. Susie Ellis and her special guests.  Ticket prices are $10 for members, $15 for non-members, and $5 for children, students and Houston Zoo volunteers.  Buy tickets on-line when you visit http://www.houstonzoo.org/lectureseries/.   

Gorilla in Gabon. Paul Swen Photography

#1: You have seen it on the blog everyday, come on out to the zoo on September 10^th and hear firsthand from a wildlife veterinarian who spends a good portion of his time treating injured Mountain Gorilla’s in Rwanda . The Houston Zoo is hosting Dr. Michael Cranfield, Executive Director of the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project as part of our Call of the Wild Lecture Series September 10^th, 20009. Please go to http://www.houstonzoo.org/lectureseries/

 #2:  Back in May, we hosted a very special art gallery event called Images of Africa with local Houston photographer Paul Swen. Here is an opportunity to not only support wildlife conservation, but get a very special signed and limited edition photograph of some of the most unique views of Africa you will ever see. To view the photographs available for sale ttp://www.houstonzoo.org/imagesofafrica/. 

Gorilla Orphan at Evengue Rescue Center, Gabon. Paul Swen Photography

#3: Recycle your unwanted electronic goods. That includes cell phones, laptops, pagers and other electronic devices. We mentioned last week Coltan ore also called Columbite-tantalite. This is a dull metallic ore found in major quantities in the eastern areas of the African Congo. It is used in cell phones, laptops, pagers and other electronic devices. When refined, coltan becomes metallic tantalum, a heat resistant powder that can hold a high electrical charge.  Some types of Coltan mining may occur illegally in protected lands all across the Congo which in turn put wildlife such as Elephants and Gorillas of the Congo region at risk. Eighty percent of the world’s known coltan supply is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. There, it is mined by hand by groups of men digging basins in streams, scraping away dirt to get to the muddy coltan underneath. Recycling unused cell phones can help protect the wildlife, since reuse of the phones results in the need for fewer new ones, which reduces the need for coltan mining. The Houston Zoo accepts cell phones for recycling by mail or at our gift shop http://www.houstonzoo.org/Recycling/

#4 Want to step out on a limb? Our travel partner Terra Incognita Ecotours leads trips to Rwanda to see Mountain Gorillas in Volcanoes National Park a number of times a year. Actually, we are there right now (yes – I pre-scehduled this blog). Experiencing nature inspires us to protect it so take a look at our travel program http://www.houstonzoo.org/safari  or Terra Incognita at http://www.ecotours.com/dest_rwanda.html

Silverback-Gabon. Paul Swen Photography

 #5) Library, Bookstore, DVD, Online??? Take a few minutes and watch or read: Mountain Gorillas: Biology, Conservation and Coexistence, Gorillas in the Mist, Goodnight, Gorilla or even Gorilla Gorilla, In the Kingdom of Gorillas: Fragile Species in a Dangerous Land,  Saving a Species: Gorilla on the Brink (DVD), No One Loved Gorillas More: Dian Fossey-Letters from the Mist, The Year of the Gorilla, Mountain Gorillas: Three Decades of Research at Karisoke. You get the point…

Tomorrow’s Blog: The Bushmeat Trade

Nouabale Ndoki National Park (NNNP), Republic of Congo

We have talked about this on a past blog so briefly; the Mbeli Bai Gorilla Project 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. Information and a video from the site can be seen at http://www.houstonzoo.org/gorilla-study/. Nouabale Ndoki National Park is situated in the northwest region of the Republic of Congo near the borders of both Cameroon and the Central African Republic 

The focus of this program is not only wildlife research but also supports a  very strong community education effort. Lead Researcher Thomas Breuer writes “If we want to ensure the long-term survival of the great apes and limit the risk of diseases transmission, we need to change the attitudes of locals towards the intrinsic value of wildlife in general and the importance of conserving the great apes in particular.” Wildlife research can neither be successful nor sustainable without support from the communities which depend on the same habitat used by the wildlife. Cultural heritage, community knowledge and partnerships are invaluable piece of any effort to protect wildlife and wildlife habitat.

Gorilla at Mbeli Bai. Photo Thomas Breuer

Long-term studies, such as that at Mbeli Bai can provide crucial demographic and life history data which improves our understanding of life history evolution and adaptation and help to refine conservation strategies. Indeed recent findings from Mbeli Bai demonstrate that in this western gorilla population, infants are weaned at a later age (4 years compared to 3 years in mountain gorillas), have higher infant mortality (43% to age 3 compared to mountain gorillas (27.1%) and have much longer inter-birth intervals which could translate into a slower growth rate. Thus, the slow life histories of western gorillas could have major consequences for social structure, mortality patterns and particularly on population growth rates that will affect recovery from population crashes and prospects of survival of this critically endangered great ape species.

The Houston Zoo is hosting Dr. Michael Cranfield, Executive Director of the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project as part of our Call of the Wild Lecture Series September 10^th, 20009. Please go to http://www.houstonzoo.org/lectureseries/ for ticket information

Join us tomorrow for a few simple things you can do to help gorilla’s.

Looking for one of the most Critically Endangered primates on the planet? Well, you may have just found one in the Cross River Gorilla. According the Year of the Gorilla website, Cross River Gorillas are restricted to a limited area (<10,000 km²) of southwest Cameroon and neighboring parts of Nigeria:

Nigeria: 75-110 individuals remaining

Cameroon: 125-185 individuals remaining

Remember that Harry Potter movie the Mountain Gorillas went to in Blog #2 of Gorilla Week? Well, this group could all fit in one screening room. 300 or less individuals of Cross River Gorillas left in the world, almost hard to believe a population of wildlife can hold so close to the brink of extinction. Add habitat loss and the Bushmeat Trade (more on this unpleasant topic in a later blog) to the problems facing this population and it is clearly high on the priority list.

Cross River Gorillas form the most northern and western of all gorilla populations and are separated from the nearest Western Lowland Gorilla population to the south by approximately 250 km. The Cross River area and the nearest outpost of western equatorial African forest occupied by Western Lowland Gorillas are separated by the grasslands and fragmented forests of the Cameroon highlands, and the relatively densely settled lowlands of western Cameroon, effectively isolating the Cross River Gorillas from the other west African gorilla populations.

Take into account that the 250-300 individuals are fragmented into at least 10 separate populations spread across 12,000 square kilometers and the difficulty in protecting this population becomes clearer. A current project to create and support Nigeria’s first community managed Wildlife Sanctuary in the Mbe Mountains will involve the establishment of a gorilla guardian monitoring network with 8 local communities in the Mowambi and Mbulu-Mone forest areas. This and other similair efforts are critical to the survival of the Cross River Gorilla.

The North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro, NC is currently supporting conservation effotrs for the Cross River Gorilla and you can access their webpage at: http://www.nczoo.org/conservation/International/CrossRivGorilla.html

 The Houston Zoo is hosting Dr. Michael Cranfield, Executive Director of the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project as part of our Call of the Wild Lecture Series September 10^th, 20009. Please go to http://www.houstonzoo.org/lectureseries/ for ticket information.

Tomorrow: Eastern Lowland Gorilla

For more on Year of the Gorilla, go to http://www.yog2009.org/

This population occurs within the countries of Cameroon, Central African Republic, Gabon, Republic of Congo, and Equatorial Guinea. The largest of the gorilla populations, with approximately 150,000 individuals across Central Africa, gained a large boost in known numbers when researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society discovered an unknown (to researchers) population in 2006/2007 in the Republic of Congo which in effect doubled their numbers in the wild from previous estimates. For more information you can link to: http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/08/05/congo.gorillas/index.html

The Western Lowland Gorilla is listed as Critically Endangered even though they occur over a wide area with relatively low human population densities. The fragmented subpopulations generally occur at low numbers and their distribution is patchy with an estimated 80% of the population live outside protected area.

Western Lowland Gorilla photo courtesy Thomas Breuer

Currently the major threats to this population are poaching and disease epidemics such as the Ebola Virus followed by future habitat loss. Outbreaks of the Ebola virus alone since 2000 has claimed thousands of great apes in Africa.

Because gorillas have a low reproductive rate, they are very susceptible to even low level of hunting which can easily fragment a family unit’s social structure. Reproductive groups of Western Gorillas almost always contain only one dominant silverback male plus three or four females and four or five offspring (Fay, 1989). Adult females in any group are mostly unrelated, and the social ties that exist between them are weak. In contrast to many other primates, it is the bond between each individual female and the silverback, rather than bonds between the females, that hold the group together. Upon reaching maturity, both males and females leave the natal group. The females usually join another group or a lone young adult male, whereas the males remain solitary until they can attract females and establish their own groups (www.YOG2009.org).

We have mentioned Eastern Lowland Gorillas and Western Lowland Gorillas and the two populations are separated geographically by over 600 miles and have a few distinguishable physical differences.

The Houston Zoo is proud to support the Mbeli Bai Gorilla Study in Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, Republic of Congo. More on this in a later blog but for now you may go to http://www.houstonzoo.org/gorilla-study/ for more information and to watch a short video from the site.

The Houston Zoo is hosting Dr. Michael Cranfield, Executive Director of the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project as part of our Call of the Wild Lecture Series September 10^th, 20009. Please go to http://www.houstonzoo.org/lectureseries/ for ticket information.

Tomorrow’s Blog: Cross River Gorilla – the world’s most endangered great ape.

For more on Year of the Gorilla, go to http://www.yog2009.org/

*This is part 2 of 10 in our Mountain Gorilla Membership Madness giveaway. Post a comment on 3 mountain gorilla blogs before August 14 and enter to win a free Houston Zoo membership!