The project aims to assess the distribution and relative abundance of forest elephants throughout the Ebo Forest and the areas currently outside the proposed Ebo National Park, an area occupying a 1,500 square-kilometer footprint, but made considerably more when the inclines of the steep mountain chains are taken into account.

Forest elephants are very special creatures and are now considered a different species from their savanna counterparts. They are much smaller in size, which helps them move through the densely forested habitat, have smaller, more rounded ears, and we believe they move through the forest in smaller groups than savanna elephants, looking for fruits, which form an important part of their diet.

Finding forest elephants in a forest is surprisingly difficult. The limits to visibility in the habitat, and their seeming ability to melt into the background do not help matters, and when startled they either run away, or charge, neither of which is helpful when conducting surveys. So the best way to estimate their abundance is by looking for evidence of their presence, and luckily their dung piles remain on the forest floor for several weeks! Statistically rigorous surveys are able to determine densities of elephants from the dung pile’s density without ever seeing an elephant, but when densities of elephants are low, reliable statistics are hard to produce. Our surveys will not determine absolute densities of elephants because we are not yet certain if there are sufficient elephants in the Ebo Forest to produce an accurate estimate in this way, so we are first conducting abundance surveys.

We have established a series of “virtual” parallel paths based on compass bearings that will cover the whole forest at systematic intervals, totaling around 350 kilometers in length as the crow flies. Walking along a predetermined routes is not as easy as it sounds, as my next blog will detail: obstructions such as enormous boulders, rock faces, enormous snakes, and fast-flowing rivers have to be avoided, which can add unwanted complication into the analyses of the dung pile abundance. Also, when the team of researchers travels along the predefined routes, it is important that as little disturbance of the natural forest is made as possible, but this is incredibly hard to achieve when fighting your way through a tree fall area where lianas, vines, and shrubs spring up with vigor to take advantage of the light. So we have to move in single file using secateurs, and when conditions are extreme we use a machete to carefully cut a path through the vegetation.

Studying dung piles has other interesting uses beyond providing the ability to survey elephant distribution and abundance: it also allows us to understand the diet of the elephants in detail by examining the seeds in the dung and looking for other components such as bark, leaves, and occasionally grasses.

Additionally, it is possible to extract the elephant’s DNA from dung, which means genetic analysis could also be performed, although this is not a goal of the current project.

Shortly I will post the progress of our work on the elephant survey in January, together with a few photographs of some of the surprises along the way. The survey will continue until May, when we will analyze results to determine the status of the elephant populations in the Ebo Forest.

Dr. Bethan Morgan is a Central Africa Program specialist with the San Diego Zoo.
Read her previous blog, Gorillas: Taiping Four.

Which, unfortunately, brings me to my sad news. I recently received word that she will be leaving us and moving to Prospect Park Zoo in Brooklyn, New York. This is supposed to happen around the first week of February. Her old mate, Nicholas, (currently housed on Elephant Mesa) will be joining her in this new adventure. Even though I call her “tub o’ lub” and “pumpkin,” I guess her extra fluff will really come in handy now!

Whenever an animal is moved to another location, a pre-shipment exam is done. This means I got the crate back and got to start her training again. To my pleasure, she has proved again that, stubborn streak or not, she really does have a rapport with me and shifted inside the crate on the very first day.

While I take joy in this, it is truly a bittersweet victory, as this training will eventually lead to her departure. I know that this is my job, but I’m here because of the animals. And that means it’s hard not to become attached, especially to one who made me earn her trust and in turn extended hers to me. She will be greatly missed.

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

Why is it necessary to understand this stage of bear life? On the practical side, it is important because we know so little about how a female, tucked in a den, cares for and nurtures her young. Since six of the eight species of living bear are currently classified as either endangered or vulnerable to extinction, it is imperative for their survival that conservation managers take an interest in their situation. Learning as much as we can about their biology and natural history is a first step toward understanding the needs of each species so that conservation action plans can be tailored to serve the best interests of each bear.

Efforts at reproduction in zoos and other facilities can be more effective if the natural behavior of the species is supported. Bears in zoo settings have often been known to neglect to care for their young, sometimes killing or abandoning their young inexplicably, obviously defeating the purpose of any goals of increased reproduction. Knowing more about the normal course of healthy maternal relationships will aid managers in identifying bears that are in need of assistance in caring for their young and in providing an environment which promotes good maternal care in the first place.

Adding individual bears to our study has proved to be a bit daunting. First, the San Diego Zoo has a limited number of bears on site, since bears require large amounts of resources and cannot be maintained in large populations in any one place. Nonetheless, we are utilizing the animals we have on site to the best of our ability. As you know, our pandas have been studied intensively, and our sun bears have contributed to their own maternal care data set. We are thrilled to be expecting a few pairs of sloth bears in the future, which we hope will enable us to study many aspects of their biology. But most of our work with this project has depended upon collaborations with other zoos and institutions.

Our American black and brown bear data have come from collaborators inside the U.S. Andean (or spectacled) and sloth bear collaborations are in development, working with facilities ranging from coast to coast. However, we can’t get at all of those vulnerable species by sticking solely with collaborators in the U.S.

To that end, we have partnered with bear researchers as far away as China and Japan to study species such as the panda and, most recently, the Asiatic black bear. This species is classified as vulnerable but is currently not being bred by any AZA-accredited (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) facilities in the U.S., so we have had to look farther afield to include them in our research. As of this writing, I am pleased to report we have cameras currently installed in the dens of our first two Asiatic blacks. We are awaiting news that they may give birth to their cubs, and a new chapter in our research, sometime in the next month.

I look forward to sharing more updates about this aspect of our work with you as it develops.

Suzanne Hall is a senior research technician with the San Diego Zoo’s Giant Panda Unit.
Here’s information about the study, Mother-infant Relationships in Bear Species…

When the door to the exhibit was opened at last yesterday, the whole pride was outside in short order. Ingozi, one of Mina’s cubs, was the last one out. He usually is the one who lags a little behind the others when faced with new situations. Yet he soon was outside with the others, running and playing.

Mina and Oshana had a surprise awaiting them: before their “maternity leave,” the site for the Park’s Great Rift Lift was just a pile of dirt. It is now a building housing two elevators (to help Park visitors reach Lion Camp, Balloon Safari, Heart of Africa, and the Journey into Africa tour). Both of them were suspicious at first, but soon realized the new part of the landscape was harmless. The cubs were oblivious: they were occupied with running, pouncing, and in general enjoying their new playground.

Oshana, who was very nervous when her last litter went out for the first time (see Marcia’s blog, Oshana’s Cubs Debut at Lion Camp!), was a bit more relaxed this time. She kept a very close watch, but didn’t start hauling the cubs back inside as she did before. Maybe having another set of eyes helping her to keep track of everybody made her feel more secure. After the initial excitement, Mina was her usual laid-back self.

The cubs soon tired, and the whole family came inside to rest after about two hours. Until the cubs are relaxed enough to nurse and nap out there, and barring bad weather, the family will be on exhibit first thing in the morning until the cubs tire, and then will be brought inside so dad Izu or older brothers Kamau and Zenda can have some exhibit time.

Come see these little treasures. They grow up really fast!

Marcia Redding is a senior keeper at the Wild Animal Park.
Watch video of the debut in our Video Portal…
View more images…
Listen to an iZoofari Chat about the debut…

Nukie and the addra gazelle, named Addra, have a new roommate: a Nile lechwe, which is an antelope from swampy areas in south-central Africa. She’s new and kind of shy, but clung to Nukie right away so it will be a good match. Sammy, the sambar deer, and Stripey, the nyala, have a new roommate as well: a Grant’s gazelle (appropriately named Grant by the author!). Grant had a rough beginning, but seems to be enjoying all the similar company.

In my last blog, I told you how we wake them in the morning, but when it gets warmer out the real fun begins. As the sun comes up and the day begins to warm, we move the ‘kids’ to the nursery yard for the day (this yard is in full view of the public). The youngsters have plenty of room to run around together and work on their running legs.

If you take a look at them, they all move in a different fashion. Nukie and Addra have a sort of long-legged, long-necked trot. When really showing off they do what is called stotting or pronking. It’s a kind of stiff-legged bouncing behavior that shows their strength and agility to predators in the wild. These animals come from sparse grassland with thorny trees. Stripey and the lechwe have more of a hunched, head down approach to locomotion used to travel through shallow water. In nyalas, this hunched style also helps them get through thick, thorny brush in the wild.

The next time you come to the Wild Animal Park or San Diego Zoo, look at all the animals and see if you can tell what kind of habitat they come from by looking at how they move.

Tina Hunter is a keeper at the Wild Animal Park.

It was a subtle start, with Kalluk slowing down on his food consumption and preferring to eat next to Chinook. Kalluk and his sister, Tatqiq, are still getting along but not sharing as many play encounters. Chinook and Tatqiq stopped playing like they used to. And finally, as of last week, Tatqiq expressed little to no desire to interact with Chinook at all. This is only the beginning of what is to come. We don’t anticipate being in peak breeding season until at least another month or so!

For now, we are minimizing the time that Tatqiq and Chinook are together but still encouraging the relationship between Kalluk and Chinook as well as his time with his sister. This has become a bit of a challenge: we need to accommodate all of the bears’ needs for well-being and not foster separation or angst of any individual. Observation, of course, is critical.

In the meantime, staff continues to meet, draw up plans, and move forward with the hopes that Chinook will actually be successful this year with a pregnancy. There is always the chance that, as this is a new pair and the first attempt for both, we may not see offspring from her. But we have our fingers crossed. Kalluk continues to attempt his wooing of Chinook and she continues to respond favorably. It’s actually quite cute to watch the interactions between the two. Kind of reminds me of a new couple dating.

Every day brings new changes and challenges. It’s safe to say there won’t be any “normal” days ahead. I will do my best to keep everyone updated on events, but that in itself may be a challenge with how quick things can change!

Kelly Murphy is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo. Read her previous blog, A Polar Bear Keeper’s Day.

Our day starts at 6 a.m. The very first thing we do is a preliminary check of all the exhibits and animals in our care making sure they seem okay, no obvious problems that may have occurred overnight. We look through our daily journal for any notes to help us map out the day ahead. Then we start the morning routine with the polar bears.

Whoever has been in the exhibit overnight is called off into the holding area that we call the “bedrooms.” All three bears are separated and shifted accordingly. Then breakfast is served. This is also a good time for training sessions to occur. Once breakfast is done, veggies and enrichment are provided while the exhibit is readied.

The exhibit is picked up and hosed down every day. Every other day our 130,000-gallon pool is vacuumed to maintain proper water quality. Twice a week, equipment is brought in to clean the inside of our glass panels; the outside glass is cleaned daily. When the exhibit is ready, more veggies and enrichment are placed and the bears are released by 9 a.m., for that is when the San Diego Zoo opens.

Once bears are out it’s time to clean the bedrooms. There are six individual rooms, including a smaller dump-and-fill pool. Again, things are picked up, and rooms and alleyways are hosed down every day. Food is prepared a day in advance. This means weighing out individual diets, keeping food stocked, and then cleaning up the dishes and kitchen area.

Then there’s what we call our “outers.” These are the other exhibits/animals we care for. Currently this includes three female caracals and one female Pallas’ cat (see Kelly’s blog, Pallas’ Cat: Crate Training 101). Each exhibit is a little different but the usual occurs: shifting the animals to a holding area, servicing exhibits, and then cleaning the bedrooms. Again, enrichment and training may be involved.

Before we know it, it’s time for the afternoon switch of bears, sometime around 1 p.m. The bears are shifted off into bedrooms, separated, and fed the second portion of their diet. Again, this is another good time for training. The exhibit is given quick enrichment set up, and then either our brother and sister pair, Kalluk and Tatqiq, go out, or Chinook by herself. Whoever is left in the bedrooms is set up with enrichment and bedding for overnight.

We wrap up our day by doing our paper work. This includes a daily journal, enrichment and training logs, a daily keeper’s report, and any other miscellaneous notes. Remember, this is a very basic day and does not include meetings, giving behind-the-scenes tours or educational programs, medical procedures, projects, and any other thing that may get thrown our way. This also does not account for the variety we may want to incorporate in our day such as different combinations of bears, double pull offs and shifts, etc.

Every day is a new day and is definitely not boring. I hope this helps to answer some of your questions and keep you watching Polar Cam for polar bear activity. Be sure to tune in for what changes are to come.

Kelly Murphy is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo. Read her previous blog, Patchwork Polar Bear.

Oshana’s litter:
Female Tamu, shaved on left shoulder, means “good and sweet”
Female Laini, shaved on left hip, means “smooth”
Male Ekundu, shaved on right hip, means “red”
Male Zawadi, shaved on right shoulder, means “gift of God.”

Mina’s litter:
Female Kaya, shaved on back near neck, means “restful”
Female Sarabi, shaved on back near tail, means “queen”
Male Ingozi, no shave mark, means “danger.”

The cubs and their moms are together 24 hours a day now; both moms nurse and groom each other’s offspring. Dad Izu has had access to his family through an introduction screen whenever he is inside. The cubs are very interested in him, and the females are happy to interact with him as well. Last week, cubs and moms were given access to the release chute, an important step towards finally having the cubs on exhibit! We expect to have the pride, minus Izu, available for viewing sometime in the next two weeks. The kids will be allowed to become accustomed to the exhibit before dad Izu is added into the mix. Keep in mind that the family will at first be out for a limited amount of time in the mornings: it will take awhile for everybody to relax enough to be able to nurse and nap out there. Their behavior will be our guide.

Another important milestone was reached this week: Sarabi, from Mina’s litter, sampled meat for the first time. She has been consuming around a quarter of a pound per day so far; her siblings watch and sniff, but nobody else is interested quite yet. Sarabi is certainly a precocious girl, and she is from the younger of the two litters!

Individual personalities are emerging. It will be great fun to watch them develop as time passes. I will be sure to post when the cubs are available for viewing. It won’t be too much longer!

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

The lion cubs made their public debut on January 24, 2008. Watch video…
View images…

The boys are adjusting well to their surroundings and are quite used to the bus traffic and people sounds, as well as the watchful eyes of their adoring fans. In fact, sometimes I almost think they are showing off for the crowds as they wrestle and tumble up close and personal. Their individual personalities are starting to shine now, too. Scout is a bit smaller than his brother, Montana, and is so much the “little brother.” Scout does a lot of the play instigating by running up to Montana to try to get him to chase him or go for a swim. I would consider him the clown in the family that’s often goofing around and laughing. Montana, on the other hand, is quite the calm, cool, and collected bear. Don’t get me wrong, he loves to chase and wrestle around with Scout, too, but he can often be viewed sitting around with a twig in his mouth or doing some serious digging.

Like all brown bear cubs, Scout and Montana are very busy. It is a continuous challenge as a keeper to help keep their world interesting. Some of the ways we accomplish this is through training and enrichment. Every morning when we call the bears inside to their bedrooms (or holding pens), we greet them with some of the yummiest parts of their diet. Right now that consists of a raw meat mixture called carnivore diet. We then work with each bear teaching them behaviors such as “sit,” “open mouth,” “lie down,” and to enter a crate. Brown bears are very smart, and they enjoy this special training time that helps to stimulate their minds. The behaviors that they learn can help us to perform routine medical procedures with minimal stress to the bears as well as assist us with daily check ups. The boys are always eager to participate in training and when we introduce a new behavior to learn, we pull out an even more special treat: peanut butter!

After the morning training session, the exhibit has to be cleaned and new enrichment placed in the exhibit. I always try to have something different for them to discover when they are released back to their exhibit. Sometimes it’s obvious, like cardboard boxes with shredded paper inside or a bear toy; other times it is a new food item or a different scent. Different kinds of bedding and plant clippings might also be offered. Always, but especially at this early age, every item given to the bears is carefully watched to ensure it is something safe and is not being consumed (unless, of course, it’s food!). Another type of enrichment is how and when the bears’ diet is offered. Putting their diet inside puzzle feeders or hiding it around the exhibit is a good way for the bears to spend more time looking for their food like they would do in the wild. We also like to throw enrichment off of the roof at unexpected times just for fun and to teach the bears to expect the unexpected!

The next time you find yourself at the Zoo, make sure you pay a visit to Bear Canyon to see Scout and Montana. The best time to see them active is first thing in the morning when they go back out to their exhibit. You might see them foraging for food, digging, swimming, wrestling, destroying a palm frond or box, or even just hanging out being their adorable fuzzy brown bear selves. Whatever they happen to be doing, you’ll be sure to be delighted by their cuteness. But then again, as their daily keeper, I’m a little biased!

Hali Anderson is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.

Watch video of the grizzly cubs’ first day on exhibit…

With all the research going on and the careful observation and study of so many cubs in the U.S., it’s tempting to all of us to compare and contrast their behaviors, but “so many” is only six cubs so far; not a very large sample, by any standards, and even fewer by the same paternal line with the same mother, Bai Yun. There seems to be a tendency to hover and worry, if one cub doesn’t do “it” the way others have, whether crawling or climbing, eating or playing. Each of these little bears is an individual, growing and changing at his or her own rate. Yesterday, ZZ broke through her “glass ceiling,” making it all the way to the top of the fabled elm tree, where she spent the night just as Mei Sheng did after his first trip up there. Even after four cubs, they can still surprise us!

For all her napping in the same spot, however, ZZ’s been a busy little girl. We’ve seen a lot of oral exploration, putting and holding things in her mouth, including bamboo. Toddlers, whether human or animal, gain a lot of information about their world through this kind of feeling and testing. She’s also still cutting teeth, so a combination of these two things may be giving the appearance of bamboo eating at this point. While she may inadvertently ingest bits and pieces of whatever she has in her mouth, her primary source of nutrition is still milk. By 8 or 9 months of age she’ll begin sampling bamboo and other food items with more purpose, but panda cubs generally aren’t self-sufficiently feeding until 12 or 13 months of age.

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