Lauren, a Photo Team member, demonstrates the rhinoceros poop-sifting technique. This was done by dumping a freeze-dried sample into a mesh funnel and grinding it so that the powdered droppings, which contain hormones, fall through and the grass and other thick matter stay on top.

Marika and Keesha, conservation team members, are performing a tritiated radioimmunoassay to isolate the progesterone hormone, which helps the endocrinology team determine if an animal is pregnant.

As consumers of food products, the San Diego Zoo and the Wild Animal Park have the challenge of making conservation-minded choices, just like the rest of us consumers do. In purchasing whole fish for animals like the sea lions, that require fish in their diet, the Zoo tries to buy species that are not being overfished or caught using harmful fishing practices. Some of these “good fish” include trout, herring, and mackerel. Part of being a group of interns interested in conservation is to be informed consumers. The San Diego Zoo is a partner in the Seafood Watch Program that provides fish eaters like us with an easy list that tells you which fish are good choices, or fishes to avoid buying. Our intern boss, Kathy Myers, gave us “fish cards” which are little wallet-sized charts that list the fish on the Seafood Watch program and those that are okay to eat. You can learn more about this program and get your own Seafood Watch card by checking out this conservation issue page of the San Diego Zoo’s Web site.

-Keesha, Conservation Team

What’s on the Menu, Drs. Schlegel and Schmidt?
As an animal nutritionist you must be able to work with a wide variety of different foods. You must also be good with numbers; there is a lot of math involved in making the right mixtures of foods. Nutritionists work closely with many departments throughout the Zoological Society of San Diego, including the Horticulture Department, which grows some food for the animals, and the Curators Department, which provides information about the needs of each animal. Dr. Michael Schlegel has a bachelor’s degree in animal production from Penn State. He then got his master’s and Ph.D. in animal science at Michigan State University. He did most of his work on ruminant nutrition, primarily on beef cattle. He now works at the Zoo as an animal nutritionist, which requires knowledge of more than just what cows eat!

Dr. Schlegel is not a one-man show. The Nutritional Services Department includes an associate nutritionist, Dr. Debra Schmidt, as well as forage warehouse food preparers at the Zoo and Wild Animal Park. This team of people is responsible for ordering, selecting and sorting, and distributing the food to the animal keepers who prepare the diets and give the food to the animals. The nutritionists are challenged to monitor each animal’s diet to meet their specific needs, and there are over 400 species of animals at the Zoo alone. These two are responsible for the animals at both the Zoo and Wild Animal Park. It is their job to make sure that the animals in the collection are getting the proper nutrients to be able to breed, raise young, and lead a healthy life.

-Justin, Animal Careers Team

Did You Have Your High Calcium Insects this Morning?
My cats have had teeth problems since they were kittens. For the first couple of years, we took them to the vet every six months to have their teeth cleaned. Later, I tried to brush their teeth myself, and the scars on my arms will attest to the fact that they didn’t really like that very much. Then we stumbled upon a godsend at our vet’s office: my dad tripped over a bag of extra crunchy dental-care cat food, and when we inquired about it, we were ecstatic to hear that for a mere extra three dollars a bag, we might never have to brush our cats’ teeth again.

The nutritionists at the Zoo, Dr. Mark Schlegel and Dr. Debra Schmidt, have discovered a similar way of keeping the big cats’ teeth clean: once a week, the lions, tigers, and leopards (oh, my!) get to chow down on a raw cow femur bone. All of that gnawing scrapes the plaque off their teeth, and consequently, they get a beautiful, white smile (and as long as you don’t get too close to smell the cat breath, you’ll appreciate it). My housecats would probably prefer to use a beef bone to clean their teeth but, since my mom probably wouldn’t like bloodstains and bone fragments on the couch, I think my cats will just have to stick to kibble.

Besides bad teeth, there are many other health conditions keepers must look out for. Since the animals at the Zoo are not as active as they would be in the wild, they are susceptible to gaining weight. There are many parallels between the situation of zoo animals and the situations of Americans. Because Americans no longer work hard to get our food, we have grown inactive. I, for one, probably watch too much TV when I should be out on a run. If an animal is overweight, the Zoo nutritionists will develop a new diet for the animal. Maintaining the animals’ health through good diet is such an important part of the care of the exotic species that occupy the Zoo. The fact that the Zoo employs two full-time nutrition Ph.D.s to make sure the animals are eating well should be a clue to us. The animals have favorite foods, too, like crunchy, fatty mealworms and crickets, or corn on the cob, but since their diets are portioned out, they can’t overdo it on the animal equivalent of brownies and ice cream.

Since we live in a world where supermarkets and cars have taken over from farming, hunting, and walking, we human Americans must be mindful to stay active and healthy. If we don’t, we might have to have our mealworms taken away until we have slimmed down enough to treat ourselves.

- Sarah, Real World Team

Intern Melissa is standing in front of a stack of nutritionally complete feed. The San Diego Zoo and the Wild Animal Park nutritionists buy many types of food: fish, fruit, meat, insects, vegetables, bones, and even dog and cat food.

Hay is more than just food for the hoofed stock; it is also used as bedding for the gorillas. It comes in three different types: grass hay, Bermuda, and alfalfa. Each variety contains different levels of proteins that help the animals stay healthy.

Kasai is one of those special animals. She was born in 1986 at the Wild Animal Park and matured into a very tall, very dark female with a rather lanky build. Not particularly fond of human interaction, she still was compliant with most things that were asked of her. She gave birth to four calves in her breeding career: three females and one male (she is pictured with her calf, Karma, in 1998).

In 2001, after being retired from the breeding program, she began to develop a health problem. Keepers noticed that she often seemed short of breath and her respiration sounded wheezy and congested. As her mother, Kenge, had developed heart trouble near the end of her life, this was immediately suspected as the cause of her condition. Ultrasound examination soon confirmed that Kasai was in the early stages of congestive heart failure that can cause fluid buildup in various parts of the body. The disease also affects the kidney’s ability to dispose of water, which increases the edema. In humans, this fluid buildup is often treated with diuretics.

The veterinary staff prescribed a diuretic commonly used in humans as well as animals. The problem was, her daily dose was a whopping 22 tablets. That’s a lot of pills to get into a very large animal! Obviously, we were not going to be successful without Kasai’s cooperation. Several methods were experimented with, but eventually we were able to come up with a system that works: Kasai takes her daily dose of pills in hollowed-out carrots. The pills are bitter, but she doesn’t seem to mind the taste.

Occasionally, Kasai will refuse a dose. If she misses more than two full doses, her symptoms return. A couple of times the vets have administered the medication by dart to hold her over until her appetite returns. We are also careful to not let her become overweight, which would put additional strain on her heart.

While it is true that Kasai has been retired from the breeding program for quite some time, she is still a very valuable member of our herd. She displays maternal behavior towards all the other females, even those not related to her (we do have two of her granddaughters at the moment). When we receive females from other facilities, Kasai is the first animal they are housed with in the outside yards. Although okapis are not particularly social animals, her calm presence and grooming seem to be reassuring to young or nervous females. She is the only “neutral” animal we have, able to be paired with any of our other females. Kasai is the first, and sometimes the only, okapi to share yard space with a mother and young calf.

Now 20 years old, Kasai seems to be doing just fine. Okapis have been known to live into their early 30s in managed care, so hopefully she will be with us for many more years. The place wouldn’t be the same without her.

Marcia Redding is a senior keeper at the Wild Animal Park.

Su Lin is so adventurous, climbing high into this new tree, pulling branches off like she used to do in her previous exhibit. She is getting comfortable with her new surroundings, making it like she wants. Su Lin is seeking out all the new smells, even scent marking in her new surroundings. I’m pleased to say she is doing well.

Last week, in the early afternoon, I peeked over the wall to find Su Lin sound asleep high in the tree; just across the rock wall was her big brother sleeping high up in his tree. It was such a peaceful sight to see. It is great to watch the youngsters thriving and enjoying their afternoon naps. I hope you will visit soon!

Kay Ferguson is a panda narrator at the San Diego Zoo.

First we got her used to being in the crate, then to moving the crate around her pen, then putting crate and chcetah on the back of our truck, then driving around. Always, one of her keeper friends was by her side for assurance. Her first trip was just around the cheetah area, where she saw the adults: very interesting for her! Then we went to the keeper parking lot, where she saw Highway 78 and lots of cars. What was all that? She took it all in stride. Of particular interest was when we
parked about 30 feet away from a holding pen with a zebra in it. Enrichment for all!

We were building up to her trip to the Paul Harter Veterinary Medical Center. This involves a ten-minute drive over the inside road. She saw many new things. First, we stayed in the parking lot a few times. Eventually, we ventured inside and let her out of the crate and into one of the Center’s carnivore holding areas. She did well. The ceiling was strange to her; she didn’t know what to make of that. Other than when she is in her crate or the den in her pen, she always has the sky as her “ceiling.” It was a very successful trip. It was fun for the vet staff, who said how nice it was to have a healthy animal come visit and hear her purr!

Kelly Casavant is a keeper at the San Diego Zoo’s center for Conservation and Research for Endangered Species (CRES).

Hatched on December 4. 2006, young Julio is the 13th harpy eagle to hatch here since 1992. At the tender age of 3 months, this baby bird, still covered in gray down and not yet able to perch, weighs in at a hefty 3.5 kilograms–that’s almost 8 pounds worth of baby bird! As an adult, he’ll weigh up to 12 pounds (5 kilograms) if he’s a boy—females can weigh up to 20 pounds (9 kilograms)!

Julio has been puppet-reared thus far, meaning the keepers cover themselves in a sheet, called a ghost, and use a puppet that looks like a harpy eagle to feed him. Just a couple of days ago, he was moved from the brooder room out into an isolated enclosure. Since he is now able to feed himself, the keepers sneak in with his food once a day, hoping to avoid any contact because they want him to know that he is a bird and not to imprint on the people caring for him. While lots of other bird species have been puppet-reared here, the California condors are probably the most well known.

Right now, he’s fed either a rat or a rabbit each day. The keepers go the extra mile by stuffing his main food item with mice or carnivore meat as well, to give him as much nutrition as they can. He will live at the APC for 6 to 9 months, then the Harpy Eagle Species Survival Plan will dictate where he’ll head to next. Right now, the San Diego Zoo is the only facility in North America raising these rare birds, but we’re hopeful that other zoos will have success in the near future. Harpies are native to Central and South American rain forests, and two of the birds hatched here have been released in Panama. Maybe Julio will get to join them!

Thanks, Angie, for providing us with such an amazing opportunity. Let us know how Julio fares—hopefully we’ll be able keep track of him wherever he goes.

Cindy Spiva-Evans is an educator at the San Diego Zoo.

Girls In Science is a program for Roosevelt Middle School girls which creates science-based experiences with professional women at the San Diego Zoo. The program is funded through the generosity of the Wells Fargo Foundation.

Read about previous Girls In Science activities.

Marbelina was introduced to the group of swamp monkeys housed in Ituri Forest and adjusted well. On October 23, 2006 she gave birth to a baby who tenaciously clung to her. Right away keepers noted that something was amiss with the youngster: although the baby was able to hold on to Marbelina, the infant was abnormally small. By the end of the second day, the baby appeared weak. Concern was sufficient to warrant an exam at the hospital. The tiny infant was weighed in at an astonishing 4.8 ounces or 137 grams (normal birth weight for a baby swamp monkey is around 10 to 14 ounces or 300 to 400 grams).

Despite its size, the baby was found to be generally healthy, had milk in her stomach, and showed no signs that she was born prematurely. To show her resolve, the baby began suckling vigorously when returned to her mother. Marbelina and her tiny baby were returned to the group at Ituri Forest where a close eye was kept on the pair. All went reasonably well for the next month. Marbelina was a good mother, but unfortunately began overgrooming her baby. Keepers began to see some hair loss from the constant maternal care.

At one month of age things changed. Marbelina had so seriously overgroomed the baby that there were several wounds that needed treatment. Our veterinarians again examined the infant, but this time they discovered that the baby had contracted pneumonia. The tiny infant was placed on antibiotics and transferred to the nursery to be hand reared.

When we first saw Kinah in the nursery (a name that means “willful” in Swahili) we were disheartened by her tiny size and poor body condition. Weighing only 6.1 ounces (175 grams) and processing almost no body fat, she was a bedraggled sight. Kinah was missing patches of hair all over her body and had several wounds, including a torn earflap on the left side. Even in her fragile condition, Kinah showed us that she was made of tough stuff: from a fragile and weak baby came a tiny but determined voice. Kinah wanted to live. What Kinah lacked in physical strength, she more than made up for with a will of iron and a healthy supply of determination.

Janet Hawes is a senior keeper in the primate nursery of the Children’s Zoo at the San Diego Zoo.

All three cubs followed mom out right away. For a few minutes they stayed close to the release door, but soon set out to explore. When the male cub spotted the bones, he pounced on one and attempted to drag it inside to chew. However, the bone was nearly as big as he was! First he tried to drag it between his front legs; not much success there, he kept tripping. Finally he grabbed the bone, turned around, and dragged it backwards into the release alley. His curiosity got the best of him, however, and soon he was back outside with his sisters and mom.

The huge ravens in the area were a bit of a surprise; the drinker also received lots of interest. Delta was happy to get outside too, and checked out all her favorite resting places.

This adventure was a big step towards the day when the cubs will be able to go on exhibit. It shouldn’t be too long now!

Marcia Redding is a senior keeper at the Wild Animal Park.

Jumping from large mammoths to small nematodes–that name calls to mind images of foul, creepy, and disgusting little worms that suck blood and thus live off a host as a parasite. Humans, with our cars, brains, and computers, are much more advanced, right? WRONG! Well, at least in the genetic sense. By sequencing the genomes of humans and nematodes, we have learned that we might not be as superior as we once thought. A genome is a complete representation of the entire DNA sequence of an organism. The entire nematode genome includes about 30,000 genes. Humans were originally thought to have 50,000 to 100,000 genes, but in reality, we have about 20,000. Furthermore, we do not know what 93 percent of our genes even do! I don’t know about you, but I just got a feeling of immense humility.

I have never liked parasites; ticks, fleas, lice, and nematodes have always made me cringe. Now, I look at them with more respect, for they likely have more genes than I do. Although I will probably never get over my feelings about blood-sucking creatures, I will do my best not to squash them when I meet them. Our meeting with Dr. Ryder has helped me realize that I am just one little part of a very complex and diverse world.

-Sarah, Real World Team

Are You Gel-ous of Us?
Dr. Oliver Ryder, division head and senior scientist in the Genetics Division at CRES, gave an in-depth analysis of the vast array of projects conducted by his genetics team. Marlys Houck and Leona Chemnick, two dedicated researchers of the Genetics Division, put us to work conducting gel electrophoresis in the well-equipped genetics lab. We pipetted DNA from a vial into a prepared agarose gel. The vials contained DNA from various species studied at CRES. After loading the wells with DNA, an electrical current was applied to the gel, driving the negatively charged pieces of DNA to the positive end of the electrode. After 20 minutes, we observed how the DNA had spread out from its origin, making a long, yellow line within the transparent gel. Jill Litschewski, a volunteer who recently completed her master’s degree, explained how larger pieces of DNA move more slowly through the gel, smaller ones go faster, creating DNA bands which cannot be seen with the naked eye. To see them, Ms. Litschewski placed the gel in a machine that emits UV light. She turned on the computer and, lo and behold, there were the DNA bands on the screen. Amazing! In the mere span of 40 minutes, we were able to view the DNA of animals from the Zoo and Wild Animal Park! This interactive activity gave us a better understanding of the daily work conducted by genetic researchers. We didn’t engage much in the analysis of these DNA bands but they did look different from one another, as you would expect a clouded leopard and a meerkat would be.

If you would like to be a geneticist, you could follow the path of Dr. Ryder, who received a bacholer’s degree at University of California, Riverside. He then went on to the University of California, San Diego, where he received his Ph.D. in biology. Now, Dr. Ryder is changing the genetic world one genome at a time!

-Melissa, Animal Careers Team

The Frozen Zoo: Too Cool for You

The Zoological Society of San Diego (ZSSD) has built a diverse collection of plants and animals over the years for visitors to see and appreciate. The primary goal that they have been working toward is to conserve and protect animals, plants, and their habitats. The main focus of the research arm of the ZSSD, however, is the conservation of endangered species. One way that the Genetics Division at CRES, Conservation and Research for Endangered Species, is attempting to do this is through the creation and ongoing maintenance of the “Frozen Zoo.”

A fascinating collection of hundreds of species, the Frozen Zoo at CRES is an irreplaceable compilation of years of work. Scientists have been collecting, growing, and storing cells of different species in the Frozen Zoo, and it is through this effort that they are attempting to conserve biodiversity. This Frozen Zoo contains viable cells, reproductive cells, and skin cells that can be used for artificial insemination, surrogacy, or even cloning. With about 8,200 samples in the Frozen Zoo, researchers can preserve gene pools within a species.

One endangered animal has already been cloned from the DNA present in the Frozen Zoo. A male banteng, which is still alive today, was cloned from another banteng that was born at the San Diego Zoo in 1974 and died in 1980. The cloned banteng is currently on exhibit at the Zoo. This was a breakthrough development in conservation genomics for the Genetics Division at CRES. Since one of their principal goals is to apply the study of genomics and how it contributes to the conservation of endangered species, the birth of a cloned animal from preserved cells is a promising sign. However, more studies still must be conducted in order to see if the banteng is able to reproduce and if its long-term health shows potential.

Sequencing genomes was merely a dream in the past, but now it generally takes researchers about three months to sequence an entire species’ genome. While it is important that we sequence our own genome to find out what our different genes are doing and how they relate to our evolution, it would be difficult to understand these different facets of genetics about ourselves if we had nothing to compare them to. Dr. Ryder explained to us that it is important to understand genetics so that it can benefit humans, but the conservation of species is something that scientists want to focus on more. They are already using genetics to save the nearly extinct ‘alala, or Hawaiian crow. The entire population of ‘alala is in captivity because every single one in the wild has been wiped out. Through genetic mapping, scientists discovered a genetic disorder that was decimating the crows. Scientists are also using genetic information to grow cells from the last female species of a local rainbow trout. All of these efforts are done in order to preserve species of animals that otherwise would now be extinct.

-Keesha, Conservation Team