My two research projects are moving along quickly (see Maressa’s previous blog: Catnap, Koala Style). Cooladi (pictured above), the focal subject of my estrous project, has been very cooperative and I have been able to collect many urine samples. This past week, I transferred all the frozen samples to the Endocrinology Lab at the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center for Conservation Research. I am interested in hormone levels present in the urine, specifically estradiol and progesterone, because these two hormones should help me figure out when Cooladi is in estrus, or heat. I am using a steroid radioimmunoassay (RIA) to track the hormones. Basically, I am “tagging” the hormones in the urine with harmless radioactive markers (the radioactivity levels are too low to harm and are very safe to handle). The radioactivity of the hormones makes them “visible” to special machines, so I can measure the amount of hormones present in each sample.

Scant information exists about urine analysis in female koalas regarding estrous cycles. Researchers in Australia have analyzed hormone levels from blood samples taken from female koalas and determined that their estrous cycles are about 35 days long. I hope that my project results will yield results that agree with the Australian researchers. I use urine samples to determine female hormone levels because collecting urine off the ground does not require the capture of a koala, so it is less stressful to the animal. Estrous cycles are species specific and the length of a cycle may vary greatly between animal species. For comparison, an average cycle of a domestic dog is six months. By collecting urine samples every day, I should be able to track at least two full estrous cycles, making koalas an ideal study subject for my summer project.

My second project has also been keeping me occupied. Another female, Orana (pictured at left), was introduced to the other three females living outdoors at the San Diego Zoo and now the enclosure houses a content group of four. I am immensely enjoying my observation of “the girls” out on exhibit. Besides the usual sleeping and eating habits, they have shown me hiccups, yawns, social interactions, running (if you can believe a koala can run), and the most adorable mid-nap stretches. Although they seem like they would be very easy to spot, I sometimes find it challenging to record their behavior! The girls have quite a knack of hiding themselves in the eucalyptus browse provided by the keepers. Sometimes I only know a koala is in a perch because of a dainty paw sticking out of the leaves. Once I get all my data graphed and statistically analyzed, it will be very interesting to see if the girls prefer certain perches or places within the enclosure.

I will continue to happily watch and study my furry little charges. Please check in again towards the end of the summer for my research results! Perhaps I will be able to predict Cooladi’s next estrous cycle or the favorite perch of each of the girls.

Maressa Takahashi is a Neeper Summer Student Fellow in the Behavioral Biology Division at CRES.

Listen to an iZoofari Chat with Maressa.

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Another factor is that her lack of appetite can make her less motivated to participate in an ultrasound. She usually receives rewards during training sessions in the form of apples, biscuits, or carrots. When her appetite is suppressed, these treats do not entice her like they usually do, so our keeper staff has to get creative. Our recent ultrasound found keeper Angie feeding Bai Yun apples flavored with some honey, which worked beautifully. Our bear cooperated fully and allowed the veterinarian to get a good, long look at her.

The vets have their own challenges in obtaining ultrasound images. If Bai Yun does have any bamboo in her belly, the gas and debris of her gut can mask the reproductive tract. If Bai Yun is panting heavily, the image moves in and out of the field of view. Since the panda has a Y-shaped uterus, even finding the upper sections of the organ can require some hunting. Once a fetus has been located, on some days the image quality isn’t perfect for a variety of reasons. But this time, conditions were excellent.

Dr. Meg Sutherland-Smith was able to obtain stellar images, showing a fetus in advanced stages of development. The images showed some bone development in the spine and skull, well-formed limbs, and even tiny claws developing on the little paws. The fetal membranes floated freely in an arc above the fetus as it wiggled and squirmed during the ultrasound.

Once we are a week out from delivery, at this point to be determined by measurements taken by the vets from their recorded ultrasonic images, we will institute a 24-hour birth watch for Bai Yun. We will be looking for signs of labor: increased time spent in the den, increasing restlessness that contrasts with her current lethargy, excessive nest building and, finally and most telling, intense and sustained genital licking. When this occurs, we will be minutes to hours away from a birth.

It is still possible that no cub will be born. Bai Yun has been confirmed pregnant with twins in the past, but she has never given birth to twins. One fetus was clearly documented to have disintegrated in utero. This may yet happen. But chances are very good that we will be watching Bai Yun cradle an infant panda within a few short days.

Suzanne Hall is the senior research technician for the Giant Panda Conservation Unit of Applied Animal Ecology/CRES.

Listen to our new iZoofari Chat: Giant Panda Pregnancy Confirmed, with Suzanne Hall.

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Our Pallas’s cat, Mom, does the same thing. For a few weeks she wasn’t shifting well and therefore not getting a full meal. So the weight came off a little quicker than usual!

Once the trust was back and shifting became routine again, we decided to address her dietary needs. Instead of cutting her calories, we needed to increase them. A change in the type of cat chow offered seemed to do the trick. Within a couple of weeks she had put on enough weight to put her between her target range for this time of year. I’m happy to report that she seems right back on the ball, shifting regularly, eagerly awaiting her meal, and enjoying her sessions with the keeper. Well, at least she doesn’t stay hidden in her box just giving me the evil eye!

Enrichment still presents a bit of a challenge for me. Ever since my one success (see Kelly’s blog, Gimme an “A” for Enrichment!), I have had nothing. I even tried the suggestion of a paper sack made by one of our blog readers, Joy. Now granted, I don’t know what she did overnight, but while I was watching she just sat there watching me back. I personally think that’s half the fun for her. I’m not giving up, though, so keep those ideas coming if you have any good ones.

Kelly Murphy is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.

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The arrival of the sable was met with indifference from the southern white rhinoceroses, our largest residents, but smaller species, such as the Nile lechwe and wildebeest, were a bit nervous and ran away from the large newcomers. This is understandable, given that a male sable’s horns can reach an intimidating 4 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.5 meters) in length! (A male is pictured above.) The fringe-eared oryx were a bit stubborn and attempted to defend their territory, but backed down from the larger sable before anyone got hurt. All in all, it was an exciting day!

The sable antelope present me with a wonderful opportunity to compare the behavior and spatial distribution patterns of the original residents before and after the sable arrived. Given the range of reactions to the newcomers, it will be interesting to see which species adapt their use of the enclosure to avoid the sable and which make no change to their daily routine. It is also important to determine whether the sable are displacing other animals from their normal feeding spots. If so, it may be necessary for the keepers to provide additional food for the ousted animals.

In addition to the new antelope, my study now includes regular measurements of temperature and wind speed in different areas of the enclosure. This data will allow us to determine whether or not temperature influences an animal’s choice of grazing or resting spots. As the California sun climbs higher in the sky, do animals prefer breezy hilltops or lower areas where shade from trees is more abundant? I have six weeks left to find out!

Blair Roberts is a Weedon Summer Student Fellow in the Behavioral Biology Division at CRES.

Listen to an iZoofari Chat with Blair as she talks about her study.

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Genetic diversity helps insure healthy, viable captive populations. This is a consideration for all captive animals; individuals are often moved from one facility to another to prevent inbreeding among family members. Since so many countries increasingly value their native wildlife and plants, the days of bringing animals in from the wild for exhibit is, unless it’s necessary for their preservaiton, a thing of the past. The loaning of animals to maintain variety is common practice worldwide. Remember: even “our” own pandas are here on a research loan, and it’s Mei Sheng’s time to move to his ancestral homeland.

This won’t happen until October, though, and we have lots of time to enjoy his sweet, comic personality. As he and Su Lin meet more frequently at the introduction gate, there are more opportunities to learn from their behaviors and hear vocaliztions, but it’s going to take them some time to get their schedules coordinated. Su Lin approaches the gate more often than not when Mei Sheng is sleeping, and he sits at the gate when it’s nap time for Su Lin! Given the observed level of interest in each other, it shouldn’t take them long to work this out! Keep checking back, in person or on Panda Cam, and try to catch this brother-and sister duo nose to nose. It couldn’t be cuter!

Ellie Rosenbaum is a panda narrator at the San Diego Zoo.

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These canids have become endangered in the wild and are even rare in zoos. In fact, the Chinese dholes of CRES are the only dholes found in the United States! Now let’s take a closer look at the dholes and discover exactly who’s who.

Our dhole pack consists of four males and three females. Three of the dholes—Alex, Ivana, and Yuri—arrived here from the Moscow Zoo in 2001. Alex and Ivana are siblings from the same litter and still exhibit a tight cooperative family bond. As an older male, Yuri really connected with another female from Moscow named Olga. In fact, they made such a connection that the two went on to have a son, Nikolai, in 2003, and then a three-pup litter in 2004. These three pups were named Misha, Anastasia, and Tatiana.

After the original Moscow dholes acclimated to their new home, they soon overcame their shyness and the CRES keepers began to see their individual personalities come forward. For example, Alex has always been an adventurous and playful dog. He is curious about the keepers that come to service his habitat, and usually follows them around to see what they’re up to. He enjoys training and enrichment sessions with the keepers and especially loves to impress us by jumping over a series of pre-staged hurdles as we cheer him on.

His sister, Ivana, is perhaps the most reclusive of the pack and has demonstrated a distinct preference for female keepers over male keepers. Why she prefers females is a mystery, but in the meantime, the male keepers are working hard on building a trusting, positive relationship with her.

Nikolai was the first dhole born at the CRES research station. He is eager to participate in training sessions and has already learned several important husbandry behaviors that we will expand on later. Nik’s younger brother Misha is known for his bold nature and his unequalled desire to play and interact with the keepers. In fact, he is so eager to interact with the keepers that he literally bounces off the walls with excitement as they approach.

Yuri, the father of Anastasia, Tatiana, and Nikolai, is the most mature of the dholes and prefers to spend his time resting in the shade and watching over the pack while they play, eat, or sleep. Misha’s two sisters, Anastasia and Tatiana, are the youngest of the collection. Anastasia, like her brother, has a bold yet friendly disposition. She is in the beginning stages of husbandry training and so far making great progress. Tatiana has become a young sentinel of the group, as we often see her perched up high above the others while scanning the area for anything out of the norm.

As keepers, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to care for and work with these rare canids and hope to help unlock a few of their behavioral mysteries along the way. Now that you’ve become familiar with the individuals of the collection, stay tuned to this blog as I write about their enrichment, training, and our conservation efforts.

Todd Ryan is a keeper in the Behavioral Biology Division of CRES.

Listen to dhole sounds.
The February 2004 issue of our member magazine, ZOONOOZ, has an article about Nikolai’s birth and early development.

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After her 30-day quarantine at the hospital, she was given a clean bill of health and was ready to meet her potential mate. We decided to introduce the two at the hospital instead of in Tiger River, because we wanted Chukai to pay full attention to Annie instead of wondering what his mom was doing in a nearby bedroom.

The morning of the introduction, Chukai walked right into the trailer that he would ride in to the hospital. Their first meeting went very well. There was some chasing and vocalizing, but thankfully no aggression. With each passing day, the two have become very close. Chukai, who used to be kind of a “mama’s boy” in Tiger River, has now become glued to Annie’s side. The pair now resides on Elephant Mesa, next door to our other adult female Malayan tapir named Chantek. The animal care staff that take care of them are planning to introduce the three very soon, so be sure to stop by Elephant Mesa to say hello!

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

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Chinook has been with males in the past. About a year after Chinook and Shikari came to the San Diego Zoo, a pair of brothers, Buzz and Neil, arrived from the Louisville Zoo in Kentucky. However, since we were not breeding back then, they were altered to prohibit that from happening. All four, the sisters and the brothers, would spend the day together on exhibit and then we would separate the pairs overnight. It was a joy to watch their interactions and the new games they would create. I’ll never forget the sight of all four of them together in the back holding pool with several of their toys. Mind you, that pool is only about 7 feet deep and 8 feet long (give or take). With the arrival of two cubs (Kalluk and Tatqiq), Buzz and Neil moved to the Como Zoo in Minnesota.

So, now again, Chinook is playing hard and nurturing a relationship with a male, but this time with opportunities. We still have the three together only while someone is around to watch, and we continue to try a variable schedule daily. We anticipate behavior changes to occur, particularly the closer we get to breeding season (February/March). But every day they are still going strong, showing off for the guests and comfortable enough with each other to then settle down for an afternoon nap. It truly makes me smile every time I watch them, and I know that wherever Shikari may be, she’s smiling too.

Kelly Murphy is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.

Kalluk and Tatqiq are pictured above, with Kalluk touching the glass.

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Hepatitis E is a relatively little-known virus and was not recognized as a distinct human disease until 1980. Although the disease appears to be present globally, it may be endemic in many parts of northern and subSaharan Africa, including Cameroon. The primary “host” for Hepatitis E (the species with whom the virus has evolved to rely on for its survival) is currently considered to be humans, although antibodies to the virus (showing us that the individual has been exposed to the virus) have been found in a variety of animals, including rodents and pigs.

Hepatitis E seems to be different from other forms of Hepatitis, such as A, B, or C, in that young adults seem to be more susceptible to infection than children. The virus poses a particular risk to pregnant women, where it can cause secondary acute liver failure, but in most young adults it is controlled naturally by the body.

Jennifer is collecting the feces of as many primate species, as well as red river hogs, as she can in the Ebo forest and is preserving them for transport to the U.S. There, she will investigate whether the virus is actually present in the feces and also whether the antibodies to the virus, produced by the host’s body, are present in the feces. Either result will tell us that Hepatitis E is present in the Ebo forest, and we will know a little more about the distribution of this little-known disease.

Dr. Bethan Morgan is a Conservation Research Fellow for the San Diego Zoo’s CRES.

Here’s more information about Bethan’s project.
Read Bethan’s previous blog, Nanga Joins Orphaned Chimpanzees.

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As subadults (cubs who have separated from their mother but are not yet sexually mature), pandas in the wild and in captivity are gregarious, seeking each other out for often rough-and-tumble play. Adults are solitary outside of breeding season or when a mother is raising a cub. This explains why people see photos of many cubs playing together at the breeding centers in China: these are groups of subadult cubs. This social play helps reinforce the lessons taught by mom, helping cubs build strength and skills to help them survive in the wild.

Mei Sheng and Su Lin were aware of each other’s existence and when off exhibit in adjacent areas would occaisionally “visit,” vocalizing to one another and watching one another from separate trees in their respective enclosures, so this new ability to get to know each other better is a great enrichment opportunity for each of them. Because of their age, there is no danger that they will reproduce, although there was great interest and interesting vocalizations on both sides of the mesh and Plexiglas barrier.

In the meantime, these interactions give us all something else to intrigue and even entertain us, allowing Bai Yun and Gao Gao a much-deserved break in the quieter back area after April’s mating season. Virtual visitors may recognize this introduction area (or “howdy,” as it’s sometimes called) from mating seasons. Actual guests may find it difficult to see Mei Sheng, since he’s been following his father’s lead and napping in the passageway between the two exhibits and can often not be seen from the right-hand side of the viewing area. If this is the case, keep walking, return throughout the day, perservere! A glimpse of the kids interacting is a rare and precious sight that few people ever get to see. Can’t wait for another day of panda watching!

Ellie Rosenbaum is a panda narrator at the San Diego Zoo.

New images of Mei Sheng and Su Lin have been added to the Panda Photo Gallery.

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