During the past two months, we were separating Rose and Chukai daily for up to two hours. We were attempting to get Chukai used to being alone. Rose was having some dental problems, and she was scheduled to go up to the San Diego Zoo’s hospital for an evaluation. She would be gone for several hours having X rays taken, so we wanted to make sure that Chukai would be okay by himself for the day.

We started the separations for only five minutes at first. Chukai would immediately call for Rose, and she would answer back. Malayan tapirs communicate with very interesting squeaks and whistles. Their vocalizations can be fairly loud and can be heard throughout most of the Zoo’s Tiger River habitat. As the days passed, and the separation times grew longer, Chukai started to accept this morning routine. He still vocalized to his mom, but with much softer clicks instead of squeals. On the day of the examination, we kept Chukai off exhibit in the bedrooms while Rose went to the hospital. We gave him extra-special treats of bananas and honeydew melon and checked in on him often. He seemed worried, but he was very quiet and, thankfully, not frantic. When Rose returned (with a clean bill of health from the veterinarians!), Chukai was very excited and clicked and whistled and followed her around everywhere!

The keepers in Tiger River are so pleased that Rose’s dental problem is almost completely healed, and that Chukai can be with his mom again 24/7!

Bridget Mulholland is a senior mammal keeper at the San Diego Zoo.

Read Bridget’s previous blog about Chukai: Tapir Calf Update

One example of the dedication of Harter Veterinary Medical Center veterinarians to the conservation and health of rare and endangered species is Dr. Nadine Lamberski’s participation in a study of the black-footed cat—or small spotted cat—in South Africa. These cats are listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and are ranked as the most vulnerable of the sub-Saharan cat species by the Cat Specialist Group of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). With this knowledge and the challenge of finding these elusive felids, Dr. Lamberski, along with colleagues from the U.S. (Dr. Jason Herrick from the Cincinnati Zoo), South Africa (Dr. Corne Anderson and Beryl Wilson from the McGregor Museum), Germany (Dr. Alex Sliwa from the Wuppertal Zoo), and our own Dr. Oliver Ryder of CRES, began collaborating on the project in hopes of gaining a better understanding of habitats and genetic diversity. The research team is also trying to identify infectious diseases in other small carnivores that could threaten the health of the black-footed cat.

In October through November of 2005, the group attempted to trap black-footed cats and other small carnivores in Kimberly, South Africa. The research team set approximately 30 traps each evening at dusk. As soon as it was dark, the members of the research team searched 120 to 250 miles (200 to 400 kilometers) of the Benfontein Game Farm, traveling in a 4 x 4 with spotlights, quietly pursuing the characteristic bright eyes of a wild cat in the African night. Spotting the cats in this way helped confirm the traps were set in the appropriate habitat.

After nearly two weeks of intense field research, five black-footed cats were either sighted or captured, along with a jackal pup and hoards of hungry mongoose trying to sneak a free meal. The cats that were trapped were anesthetized for examination, measurements, and biological sampling to provide some of the first baseline health and reproductive data available to the veterinary and conservation communities. They also obtained valuable samples that are now banked at the CRES “Frozen Zoo” for future studies. All of the animals recovered from anesthesia and were released the same day to the areas they had been found.

Thanks to the Zoological Society’s Ocelots Grants Program, Dr. Lamberski was recently awarded a $4,500 grant that will provide the funds needed to continue the research team’s efforts to protect these quiet little spotted cats in South Africa. In the meantime, Dr. Lamberski and her colleagues at the Wild Animal Park and San Diego Zoo continue to look after the health and well being of the animals in their care, as well as continually searching for more ways to protect the world’s endangered species.

Valerie Stoddard is the senior administrative assistant at the Wild Animal Park’s Harter Veterinary Medical Center.

Now when I look out my window and see her in her favorite tree perch, I can’t help but think of all the dramatic life changes that she will experience in the coming year. Year two is an important one in the life of a panda cub. Su Lin will follow a pattern very similar to her siblings, Hua Mei and Mei Sheng. She will begin to eat bamboo regularly and soon it will be her primary nutritional source. Of course she will get bigger and stronger, but most importantly, at about 18 months of age, she will be weaned from her mother and begin her life as a solitary bear—just like a wild panda.

We hope that you all continue to watch Su Lin in her second year of life and share in all the changes coming on the horizon.

Happy Birthday, Su Lin!

Megan Owen is a research laboratory coordinator for the Office of Giant Panda Conservation/CRES.

Watch pandas daily on Panda Cam.

I am proud to be working this summer as a Research Fellow for CRES in the Giant Panda Conservation unit. With the help of keepers, zoo-based researchers, and a small group of volunteers, I am conducting a study of non-natural behaviors displayed by bears in captivity. These behaviors, such as pacing and head tossing, are known as “stereotyped” behaviors and are generally considered to be indicators of sub-optimal living conditions or mental state by behaviorists and zoo guests alike. We will be looking to identify the motivational factors behind such stereotyped behavior.

One of the things we do to alleviate stereotyped behavior is introduce novel items into exhibits. These items can vary tremendously, from a simple spritz of cologne to a complex feeder puzzle that the animals must manipulate and solve in order to find the treats inside. As each method of environmental enrichment differs in design, they also provide different types of stimulation.

We will be observing the Zoo’s brown bear (Spanky, pictured above), sun bears, and spectacled bears in both typical conditions and periods of enrichment to try to get a better understanding of what factors lead to stereotyped behaviors. This research integrates our dual missions of conservation and education, two key functions of a modern zoological society. Ideally, the results of this research will assist us in refining our husbandry efforts, which, in turn, support our well-established conservation program. That’s good news for our spectacled bears and sun bears, which are both highly endangered species. In the process, we hope to find ways to more effectively address stereotyped behaviors and ultimately showcase animals with more natural behavior repertoires.

I will be working for CRES all summer, and can be spotted with my stopwatch and clipboard in the Zoo’s Bear Canyon most days of the week. Check back for updates—I look forward to keeping you updated on my progress!

John Nichols is a Bonner Fellow for the Giant Panda Conservation unit.

We get letters from people all over the globe who are moved by the pandas. They write to tell us about how lovely they think the bears are, or how lucky they feel to be able to observe them online via the Panda Cam. The most touching of these letters come from children, who write of how the pandas inspire them to consider the plight of this endangered species. I am particularly pleased when I see that our panda ambassadors have moved children to action, developing into the next generation of conservation activists!

We recently received a portfolio of letters from Mrs. Wood’s 5th grade class at R.F. Kennedy Elementary School in Compton, California. Apparently, the class has enjoyed watching the bears on Panda Cam for some time. Their interest in the panda led them to study the animals and learn about conservation issues faced by the species. One student, Brenda, stated, “We love animals and we would really like to help the panda bears.” Says Isabel, “I really care about the pandas because…it is not fair that there are people taking their places.” The students are worried about the possibility of the day when “their (sic) will be no more places for panda bears to live,” writes Jonathan.

What did these children opt to do as a result? “We are doing everything we could do to help the panda bears, for example we recycle bottles, donating (the) money,” says another student, Samantha. The class collected recyclables and raised funds for panda conservation. They sent us a check for $200! “We support you,” notes Raul.

Additionally, Mrs. Wood’s class decided to educate other students at their school. “We made 2 big posters and we are going to put at (sic) around the school. And we also made flyers…” says Patricia. This pleases me on two levels. Not only are these students introducing other young minds about the need for conservation efforts, but they are also showing them that even the littlest ones among them can take action. What a fabulous lesson to learn!

To all of the children out there who spend time watching the Zoo web cameras: enjoy! Learn all you can about the world we live in and the animals that inhabit it. Pick your favorite one or two species and take action to promote conservation efforts for them. Pandas, orangutans, birds, whales, frogs… so many creatures will benefit from your concern. I know that conservation researchers all over the world are counting on you!

Suzanne Hall is the senior research laboratory technician for the Office of Giant Panda Conservation/CRES.

Every morning, I observe the birds in an off-exhibit enclosure at the Wild Animal Park from a small observation booth where I can see them but they can’t see me. There are also two video cameras set up in the enclosure so that I can watch them more closely on a television set; I can even videotape their behaviors at times when I am not there. By observing the birds, I am able to compile a list of all the behaviors I have witnessed, such as preening, flying, and walking. Extensive background research of wild birds and a behavioral repertoire of captive birds will help us better understand this unique species.

I will be at CRES and working on this project throughout the summer. Check back for updates to see how it’s going!

Sara Skillman is a Summer Fellow with the Behavioral Biology Division of CRES.

Kidomo’s name means “to stick one’s nose into,” and he was certainly living up to it that day! Safarani was equally interested in checking out our pint-sized Kidomo and followed him around for a bit. Only Kelle acted impassive about the whole affair; as a matter of fact, her only interest was the browse she had spotted on the other side of the fence! Within a few hours, all four okapis were really laid back with each other, and keepers were able to revise our watch to just a frequent check-in.

Our okapi calf is growing up fast, so make sure to check him and the rest of our herd out soon… they’ll be together on exhibit every day now!

Nerissa Foland is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.

Since Bai Yun and Shi Shi arrived at the San Diego Zoo about 10 years ago, the CRES Giant Panda Research program has given us the opportunity to study pandas in a way that no other bear species has been studied before. We have taken an especially detailed look at their reproductive physiology and behavior, as well as other aspects of their biology and natural history. This close-up look at the biology of pandas is a result of our ongoing studies on the pandas here at the Zoo (now Bai Yun, Gao Gao, Mei Sheng, and Su Lin) as well as our parallel work with the pandas at the Wolong Breeding Center in Sichuan, China.

Some of our most interesting findings have elucidated how pandas use scent to communicate with each other over distance and time. Our studies have shown that a male will use scent to mark a territory and to illustrate how big and strong he is (accomplished by standing on his hands and marking as high up on a tree as he can!). Females express another interesting aspect of panda-to-panda communication as they near the time of their once-annual ovulation. As a female panda approaches the fertile period, she will begin using a finely orchestrated suite of scent and vocal cues to advertise her reproductive status. Our research team has relied on these cues to pinpoint Bai Yun’s ovulation and so have had success with both artificial insemination and natural breeding.

We have also devoted a considerable amount of time to the study of cub rearing, especially the interaction of mother and cub during the denning phase. Here again we have mapped out a delicate interaction between mother and cub that includes constant vocalizations by the cub and consistent nuturing responses by the mother.

Although pandas are arguably at the far end of the bear continuum, they do share certain fundamental characteristics with other bears. And so we ask ourselves, how much like pandas are the other bear species when it comes to things like communication, infant rearing, and perception? We have since designed studies to address some of these questions and we expect to spend the greater part of the next decade investigating questions such as: How do polar bears communicate over distance and time? How do sun bear mother and infants communicate? Are sun bear mothers’ disturbed by environmental noise? Is scent communication important to other bear species such as sun, polar, and sloth bears? Can we predict polar bear ovulation based on behavioral cues?

Seven of the eight extant bear species are in various states of conservation crisis. We feel it is important to expand our knowledge of all bear species through research. With this in mind, we are especially grateful to everyone who has supported, or shown interest in, the conservation of pandas, as this support aids in the conservation all bear species.

Megan Owen is a research laboratory coordinator for the Applied Animal Ecology Division, Giant Panda Unit, of CRES.

Watch pandas daily on Panda Cam.

The Behavioral Biology Division of CRES is working on a very large project that is investigating the way in which an animal senses influence reproductive behavior. Part of this project examines how acoustic signals (animal vocalizations) may have an effect on reproduction. With the help of Dr. Matthew Anderson, I am doing research on cheetah vocalizations. My job is to visit the cheetah breeding facility (an off-exhibit area at the Wild Animal Park) in the mornings and late afternoons to record cheetah vocalizations. In the mornings I follow the keepers around while they feed the cheetahs: the cats have a lot to say when they are hungry! In the afternoons, I look at the vocalizations I recorded using a computer program for sound analysis.

Right now I am focused on obtaining a large sample and wide variety of cheetah vocalizations. We hope to achieve a greater understanding of what each vocalization means and to better comprehend their full vocal repertoire. In other words, we want to create a dictionary of all the sounds they make and what they mean. By understanding what they are communicating to each other we hope to see how and if it influences their reproductive behavior. More knowledge of factors influencing reproductive behavior is very important in order to improve managed-care breeding programs for cheetahs and other animals.

I will be at CRES and working on these projects throughout the summer. Check back for updates to see how my project is going!

Sagan Friant is a Summer Fellow with the Behavioral Biology Division of CRES.