The Birds and the Bees at the Zoo
By Beccy Tanner and Barbara J. Isenberg, The Wichita Eagle, Kan.
Aug. 18–Sedgwick County Zoo helps saves many species from extinction
A boy penguin catches the eye of a girl penguin. There’s a squawk here, a flipper there.
And before you know it, some zookeeper is ushering a willing pair into a holding pen where they can spend a little private time together.
Or not.
He may wear a tux and have a twinkle in his eye, but he could be Mr. Wrong, genetically speaking. In that case, she needs to mate with someone else for the good of the gene pool.
And that’s the point of some pairings at the Sedgwick County Zoo, which participates with other zoos in species survival plans.
From penguins to rhinos, African hunting dogs to tadpoles, species survival plans are all about saving animals, large and small, for zoos and for the wild.
“The reason for the SSPs was so our children and grandchildren could see jaguars and gorillas,” zoo director Mark Reed said. “We’re managing these animals to ensure their genetic diversity and reproduction.”
Boosting diversity
Only about 3,600 eastern black rhinos live in the wild, according to the International Rhino Foundation.
About 70 live in captivity in North America. Four of them are at the Sedgwick County Zoo.
Visitors will see changes in the zoo’s rhinos over the next year:
Kati Rain, a 3-year-old rhino, probably will leave for St. Louis this fall or next spring as part of a species survival plan.
Her dad, Eugene, will move to the San Diego Wild Animal Park, swapping places with another male.
Her mom, Bibi, will stay in Sedgwick County and mate with the California male. Bibi, who arrived in 2001 from Japan, recently gave birth to Kati’s little sister, who has not yet been named.
The moves are intended to increase the diversity of the captive rhino population. Managing the species’ reproduction also ensures its genetic diversity so future generations can be reintegrated into the wild.
“Bibi… is genetically valuable to the population in our care in the U.S.,” said Christan Baumer, the zoo’s marketing and public relations manager.
Helping species survive
The zoo holds 40 species that are part of a species survival plan. It has contributed in some way to the survival of about half of them.
“You have a zoo that has exhibited leadership in the species survival program,” said Steve Feldman, spokesman for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which administers the species survival plans.
There are many standards for accepting a species into a survival plan. Most are endangered or threatened, Reed said. Each plan comes with a list of projects to accomplish, including research to be done, new animals to reintroduce to the wild and educational programs to start.
Among the species the zoo has helped:
–Puerto Rican crested toad, the only toad native to Puerto Rico. More than 25,000 tadpoles from Sedgwick County have been released into the wild in Puerto Rico after an invasive species virtually wiped out the population there.
–African lions. Fern, a cub born last summer, is prized because she is one of the first born to Majola, the zoo’s male lion. He represents a new genetic line in the species survival plan.
–Okapi. The zoo is one of 37 in the nation to have the only known relative to the giraffe. Zoo officials plan to exchange some of its okapi with another zoo to create a breeding pair.
–African hunting dogs. Mike Quick, the zoo’s curator of mammals, helps manage the breeding program for wild dogs across North America. The zoo has three wild dogs: a 6-year-old-male named Willie, who officials hope will breed with 6-year-old Moja. The third dog, Tatu, is sterile and will be sent to another zoo this fall to serve as a companion animal for a male.
Although all of the zoo’s gorillas are male, some may be sent to other zoos to mate with females in the future.
The zoo also assists field researchers in the wild and sends staff abroad to educate others about conservation.
Studying penguins
Back to the penguins:
Humboldt penguins are endangered, with about 12,000 breeding pairs in the wild.
That’s why zookeepers pay so much attention to how the zoo’s newest birds mate. They keep detailed records on breeding and management plans, looking at each bird’s DNA and likelihood for reproduction.
“There are pairings that aren’t desirable,” said Joe Barkowski, curator of the zoo’s bird department.
When the wrong penguins become attracted to each other, they are separated. The genetically correct pairs are put in holding rooms behind the exhibits where they can eyeball each other, get acquainted and develop bonds.
“I don’t ever think of them as romance rooms,” Barkowski said. “They are multipurpose rooms.”
With luck, the pair will begin to bow to one another, vocalize and build a nest site.
“There is no music. They are stimulated by their own vocalization,” Barkowski said. “They know what they mean.”
Reach Beccy Tanner at 316-268-6336 or btanner@wichitaeagle.com [mailto:btanner@wichitaeagle.com].
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