We watched as the little cub nursed for the first time and were happy to see Etosha taking good care of her young son. We wanted to give Etosha every opportunity to raise her cub, but after a few weeks it became apparent that something was not right. He was showing signs of weakness and was losing weight. The decision was made to take him to the hospital. When he got there, it was uncertain if he would survive; he was very weak and needed hospital care. After a week in the hospital, it was determined that he would be unable to return to Etosha and would need to be hand raised. He was transferred to the Wild Animal Park’s Animal Care Center and given his own staff to watch over him and take care of his daily needs. He was so gentle and sweet, he touched the heart of everyone who came in contact with him. It was touch and go for a while, but he pushed to survive. We agreed that he would be named Nyack, an African name meaning “strong hearted, one who will never give up,” and he proved he could live up to his name.

After getting him through the rough times, and watching him grow bigger and stronger, it was time to move him on to his next adventure. At six weeks of age, we started taking little Nyack on day trips to the Park’s Lion Camp. The goal was to give him an opportunity to develop lion social skills as well as some playtime with at least one of the other cubs. With seven cousins, we thought we could find one cub that would show him the ropes.

Being one month younger than the cubs at Lion Camp, we were concerned that the other cubs might be too rough on him. The Lion Camp cubs are tough and they play hard with each other; Nyack had only had his stuffed toys to attack and they rarely fought back! It was decided to introduce him to Mina’s boy Ingozi first. Ingozi is often off by himself sleeping or hanging out with his cousin, Ekundu; he seemed the most laid-back of the seven cubs and the easiest to separate from the pride.

The day came and Ingozi was introduced to his little cousin, Nyack. The mesh “howdy” door was used between rooms, and a keeper was in each room with a cub. All went well! Nyack boldly marched up to the mesh door. He talked to Ingozi, yowling with drawn-out choruses. Ingozi sauntered up and sniffed at the little cub and gave a slow greeting in return. Both boys seemed to enjoy the contact. It had been a successful first meeting.

The next day, Ingozi separated himself away from the pride, and this time he came right over to the howdy door. We opened the door and let Ingozi into the room with Nyack. Keepers stayed in the room with the two cubs and watched as Ingozi strolled up to Nyack. The little guy bounced around as if to say, “Play with me!” Ingozi bounced toward Nyack and swung out his paw, smacking Nyack across his right hip. Nyack seemed surprised and scared at this first contact; he took off like a shot, protesting loudly while hiding behind a log.

Ingozi, who showed what appeared to be an understanding of the younger cub’s fear, flopped on the ground with his back toward Nyack and started to rhythmically flick his tail towards the little cub. Each time that tail got a little closer to Nyack, flicking and wiggling, taunting him to attack it. Nyack could resist no longer; in a slow and careful manner, he reached a paw over the log and touched Ingozi’s tail. Ingozi went limp. This seemed to give Nyack a bit of confidence, and soon he had crawled across the log and sniffed at Ingozi lying still on the floor. Ingozi slowly sat up and the two cubs sniffed noses.

Soon a game of “I’m touching you!” started up. First Nyack touched Ingozi and then looked away; then Ingozi softly touched Nyack and looked away. This went on for a minute or two until both boys were up and bouncing around the room. First, Nyack chased Ingozi, and then Ingozi chased Nyack. When Nyack appeared scared or hurt, Ingozi would back off and assume a more passive profile until his little cousin felt more comfortable. They continued to play until both cubs were so tired they could hardly keep their eyes open. It had indeed been a successful first play date!

It wasn’t long before Nyack was introduced to some of his other cousins. Ekundu, the smaller of Oshana’s two boys, was the next to meet Nyack. Zawadi, bigger and lighter in color, proved just as patient with his younger cousin as the others had been. Next came Tamu, one of Ekundu and Zawadi’s sisters. She quickly took the upper hand, swatting and snarling at Nyack in a very dominant lioness role. Nyack responded as any good lion would: he rolled over on his back in a submissive position and carefully tried to initiate play. Satisfied with her domination over her young cousin, she paid him no attention. Soon Nyack, Ingozi, Ekundu, and Zawadi were out for early morning play dates on exhibit. As the time progressed, Oshana’s daughter Laini was introduced. Laini was indifferent to Nyack, not aggressive or passive, just another playmate, and she seemed to enjoy her time out with “the boys.”

Now Nyack and some of his cousins can be seen most mornings out on exhibit playing or just doing what lions do best, lying in the sun on the rocks in the company of each other.

Amy Whidden-Winter is a keeper at the Wild Animal Park.

Here’s video of Nyack and some of his cousins, narrated by Amy!…

Read a previous blog about the lion cubs, The Pride is Complete…

The move went very smoothly with all three tigers being loaded into different crates. The crates were secured in the tiger house and attached to the doorways between the bedrooms. Crate training began about two weeks ago when the tigers were first allowed access to walk freely through them. The next step was to close one end and have the cats come inside; this was usually accomplished with a keeper at the closed end of the crate ready to reward the brave tiger with blood and pieces of beef heart for entering the crate. These cubs quickly caught on that it was a great idea to walk into the crate! This acclimatization allowed the morning of the move to be as stress free as possible for the cats. They all walked into the crates as normal, except today the door was closed behind them.

Many guests have had the opportunity over the past months to observe the cubs as they grew into the enormous tigers they are today. They have grown to have such distinct personalities and quirks but have definitely proven that they are tigers with roars and chuffs to express their moods. The move to Topeka is bittersweet, since we will all miss the kids, but we take great satisfaction in knowing that they are beginning a new life that will hopefully result in each being paired with others to start families of their own. Since tigers typically do not mate until they are two to three years old, the sibling group will remain intact for some time longer.

All of the Sumatran tigers here at the Wild Animal Park are registered in the Species Survival Plan (SSP), so the movement of these cats has a great conservational impact on the tiger population North America. Being the first litter of cubs born to Delta and Utan, they are very important genetically to the breeding population. The key to conserving this species of endangered cat is through maintaining a high level of genetic diversity in the population. Currently there are fewer than 300 Sumatran tigers thought to be living in the wild. Moving these three to another facility has also opened up several rooms in our tiger house, so perhaps Utan and Delta will be provided with another opportunity to mate!

Kym Nelson is a keeper at the Wild Animal Park.

It was definitely touch-and-go there for a while, (see Laura’s blog, Keeping Meerkat Pups in the Den), but the pups are proving to be healthy and happy. One of our little ones has a left front paw deformity. We are not sure what the problem is, but this little one is getting around just fine.

Once the sun rises in the morning, all 12 of the group are out sunning their bellies. The adults are standing up on their tippy toes and the pups are sitting with legs tucked under, staying warm. As the day progresses the play begins. The pups all can run now, which is quite funny! Whenever I enter the exhibit, everyone comes running with the hope of a bag of mealworms or a box of crickets. About 10 seconds after the adults are circling my feet, the pups come charging across the exhibit. Actually, is it more like running/tripping. They run with their tails straight up just like the adults. Their vocalizations are also quite loud: constant barking that gets louder when they are with the adults.

They love to rest in the sun and snuggle with their babysitters. The young females from the last litter spend a lot of time with the pups. They seem to have so much energy, and then they will just stop and pass out in the dirt—too tired to run around anymore. I have been trying to acclimate them to me and my presence in the exhibit. The adult meerkats sit on my knees, dig on my shoes, and fall asleep in my lap sometimes when it is cold. The pups have been investigating my shoes and pants; it is a good start.

If you have been by the exhibit, you may have noticed some hair missing from the pups. I have a small hair trimmer that I use to shave certain spots so we can tell them apart. The pups are not happy when I shave them and Ngami, their mother, is always concerned. But they are returned to the group with no harm done, just a few shorter hairs.

The group is getting along quite well, which is nice to see. Ngami and Kasane still have their small fights, but everyone is taking turns with the pups and sharing. Stop by Elephant Mesa any time the sun is out to get a glimpse of these cuties. Soon they’ll be as big as their older brothers and sisters!

Laura Weiner is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.

Impunga celebrated his first birthday on March 11 with an elephant-sized cake made of ice blocks, browse, hay, and vegetables. His favorite part seemed to be the frozen alfalfa pellets, and after he had his fill the other elephants were able to join the party and helped him finish it off.

Six-month-old Phakamile, aka Kamile, is learning that her keepers don’t just mean lots of fun scratches and games. They also have that most wonderful treat: food pellets!! She is quickly learning that a keeper’s whistle means she did something fantastic. Her older sister, Khosi, who is 1½, is a good role model to follow. She is exploring the pools and has been brave enough to go out doggy paddling with the rest of the babies, although she got a rude awakening when she stepped off the last step into deep water! You can regularly find all of the calves splashing around in the small pool near the Elephant Overlook, and we are even starting to put water in the larger “adult” pool, though we are not filling it all the way yet.

As summer approaches and the weather warms up, all of the elephants are enjoying several new dirt piles and mud bogs we have placed in the yard. It is not uncommon to see all of the calves playing together, rolling around on top of one another and competing for the best patch of dirt. Sometimes they exhaust themselves and eventually lay so still you might mistake them for just another boulder in the yard. They can be inseparable at times, their own little herd of miniature elephants exuberantly running all over the yard! While they are exhausting to watch, their friendships no doubt make it easier on our many mothers who can count on getting a break or two throughout the day while an auntie takes over babysitting duties.

As Mabhulane, or Mabu, continues to enjoy being the only adult male in the herd, we are looking forward to extending our research into the nursing habits and development of elephant calves. After all, collecting data means we get to be entertained by the cutest little babies around! To see our tiny tots, stop by the Elephant Overlook or the Pachyderm Patio at the Wild Animal Park. You never know what antics you might see!

Brittany Archer is a senior keeper at the Wild Animal Park
Jeff Andrews is animal care manager of elephants at the Wild Animal Park
Fred Bercovitch is head of the San Diego Zoo’s Behavioral Biology Division

*Lungile was being treated for a postpartum infection after giving birth in November 2007. Sadly, her calf passed away in February 2008. More…

Blackie is a beautiful bear. Although he is called a brown bear, his coat has a lustrous black color to it, hence his name. He weighs 873 pounds (396 kilos), and measures 4.5 feet (138 centimeters) from wrist to shoulders when on all fours. But once you see him standing on his hind feet, his size amazes you. He is clearly over 6 feet tall! He’s huge!

Although he is big, he is very gentle. He likes his romaine lettuce and apple slices and takes them delicately as you pass pieces through the fencing to him. But don’t get me wrong: he’s a bear. The other morning keeper Cathy had him locked over on one side of his enclosure while she cleaned the other. She began to place his food in a pile when Blackie suddenly stood up, banged the gate, and huffed! It was a loud and scary sound that sent everyone running into the compound to see what the commotion was all about. Blackie was telling Cathy that she needed to hurry along, but he was also reminding us that he was a bear and a wild animal. Once Cathy gave Blackie access to his second room where the food was, he calmly walked up to the food, took a few bites, and then stretched out in the sun for a nap. He had just made a statement that we all heard loud and clear!

Last week, Blackie had his quarantine exam, which consisted of a complete check up, X rays, and teeth cleaning. During his exam, we learned that he had a few cracked teeth (that were filled), some arthritis in his hind legs, and that he could stand to lose a few pounds. But over all he’s in good shape and not doing too shabby for a 24-year-old bear.

We took this opportunity to take a few measurements, too. Blackie measures almost 7 feet (207 centimeters) from the base of his head to his tail, his head is 1.8 feet (55 centimeters) long from his nose to the base of his head, his lower canine tooth measures 3.5 centimeters (that’s almost 1.5 inches), and his rear foot pad is 10.5 inches (27 centimeters). And one claw measured 2.5 inches (6 centimeters). That’s a big bear! We all thought he seemed much bigger than our old friend, Spanky.

We’re happy to have Blackie back. And once he finishes his quarantine time at the hospital, he’ll be back on Zoo grounds where all his old friends can see him again.

Yvette M. Kemp is a senior hospital keeper at the San Diego Zoo.

The process itself is a little time consuming but well worth the entertainment. First the bedrooms at Polar Bear Plunge are prepped the night before. They are thoroughly cleaned and all toys and bedding removed, and then the drinkers are emptied and turned off. This allows for a clean, dry surface to paint on. Next comes the choice of paint. In the past, we typically used only one color, but we have recently expanded our palette to include two or three. Now keep in mind that painting is a messy business, so whatever colors you choose, the bears will be showing them off on exhibit later. Now it’s time to begin!

After applying a nice layer of color (or colors) to the floor of the bedroom, we simply give the bears access to the paint. This is where Kalluk usually has his first problem: he doesn’t seem to like to walk in it. Therefore, it’s usually tough to get a paw print when he manages to step over, around, and, well, pretty much anywhere except in the paint. Chinook and Tatqiq don’t seem to mind it quite as much. Of course, you have to allow for the sniffing, sitting, and sometimes lying down that occurs. Fortunately, it’s non-toxic paint so it’s not harmful to the bears. But then again, it makes for quite a sight for our guests watching them on exhibit.

After they have effectively coated themselves, we then shift them to a bedroom that has the canvases inside. Then it’s really up to the individual bear as to what and how they want to decorate. This is where Tatqiq’s paintings leave something to the imagination: while she covers the canvas beautifully, she has some of the furriest paws that we’ve ever seen. Her paintings would tend to fall into more of the “abstract” category! While we all enjoy Tatqiq’s creations, Chinook really shows her paws off well.

Some of you may recall that we’ve recently started a tradition of celebrating Bear Awareness Days. I’m happy to report that this will be our third year. This year’s event will take place May 8 – 11 and, like last year’s, will feature an auction to be held on our Web site. We will be featuring some of Chinook’s artwork for the auction. I will keep you posted as to the details of the event as well as the auction as it approaches. In the meantime, we continue our journey through breeding season, however slow it may be.

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

Now some of you may be wondering how on earth this was even considered in the first place; it was a novel idea tried years ago. Originally ia kiddie pool was placed in the bedrooms and filled with water. I must say that it didn’t last too long. From there it received the usual testing of folding, pouncing, and biting. It wasn’t long before the bears discovered the pool made a good polar bear taco (with your choice of bear inside, of course!) or a nice comfy bed in which to take a nap; Kalluk even tried giving Tatqiq rides on it through the bedrooms. Unfortunately, due to the narrower tunnel, that proved to be a bit challenging. Overall, since the pools seemed to be a hit, we went ahead and allowed the bears to have them on exhibit. Again, they delighted themselves with various and creative uses.

Of course this is a “specialty” item because the pools only come out seasonally, and it’s not something they get often. So I figured I couldn’t miss with this enrichment activity. Well, I won’t say it was a complete dud, but it definitely didn’t make the splash I was hoping for. Kalluk (pictured) and Chinook were first up. They both investigated the pools and, as usual, put them in the water (that’s where everything goes). But Chinook seemed to be having one of her lazy mornings and decided to settle down for a nap. Kalluk did eventually end up in the water and did play some, but not specifically with the pools.

I went ahead and did an afternoon switch and put Kalluk back out but this time with his sister, Tatqiq. I knew she wouldn’t let me down. Kalluk apparently decided to take his cue from Chinook earlier, and he settled down for a nap. Tatqiq was intrigued, though, and it wasn’t long before she decided to go for a swim. But do you think it was all about the kiddie pools? Of course not! She played with her small Boomer balls, especially the pink and red ones. Tatqiq at least entertained the guests, but I was beginning to feel deflated from my earlier enthusiasm. (Maybe if I can find a pink pool it would turn out differently!)

At the end of the day, I did the final switch and it was Chinook’s turn again. Maybe her earlier napping left her with more energy, because after she finished exploring the exhibit she decided to have some fun. Now granted, it wasn’t all about the pools, but she definitely put on a show. She wore one like a hat, swam on her back as if she were a turtle in its shell, and—the favorite—got to a higher vantage point and pounced right in the center. So maybe my reinforcement wasn’t immediate, but Chinook did allow me to leave that day not feeling like a total failure.

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

While all the bears continue to get along and do well, we seem to have hit a lull in our breeding season. In years past, Kalluk has usually reached a point by now where he’s gone off his food, spends most of his day pining for the female he can’t have, and overall is just very difficult to manage. There’s a part of me that is happy to say we’re not experiencing this just yet. Don’t get me wrong: he does have some moments when he prefers to be with Chinook or is choosy about what’s being offered on the menu, but nowhere near as bad as before.

Of course, we do have to keep in mind that this is the first time he’s actually been allowed to have access to a female during the breeding period. Yes, he’s always been with Tatqiq (pictured above), but we have used contraceptives in order to keep her from experiencing her estrous cycle and therefore not get pregnant. Chinook, too, is not showing all the behavior changes that we associate with this process. It may be possible that the actions of the past year have had some type of effect or maybe we’ll experience a later breeding season this year than usual.

Either way, we still allow Kalluk and Chinook time together every day and will continue to do so until their behavior tells us something different. They still have their boxing matches and sometimes curl up and take naps together. We’re pleased, too, that Tatqiq and Kalluk continue to get along and have some good sibling bonding time.

By no means have we given up on Chinook having a successful pregnancy and are still working toward achieving that goal. Plans for a den have been submitted, and now we are just waiting for a start date for the addition to take place. I’m also pleased to announce that it would appear that the Polar Cam is up and running again (at least I’ve had success when I’ve logged on). So, while we wait patiently for things to progress, please continue to watch the days unfold via the Web cam.

Tune in! As many of you know, we celebrate enrichment here at the Zoo during the second weekend of every month. This Saturday I plan on giving the bears a special surprise that I hope (and anticipate) will get some action going!

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

Here’s a schedule of enrichment activities for March 8 and 9…

First we look at Ngami, our dominant female and mom. Her belly gets huge as she progresses through pregnancy, and then one day it will be almost flat again. Also her teats are more apparent once she has given birth. The area around them is hairless once the pups begin nursing. And the other clue is a missing meerkat; usually Seronga, our least dominant adult female, will be underground caring for the pups. It is quite a society where everyone helps to raise the pups. Mom feeds them and moves them and the others take turns caring for them.

The history of this group has not been stellar. Every time Ngami is pregnant we wonder if this time she will choose to leave the pups underground for at least two to three weeks. That gives them a good chance of survival. So when day 5 came and out came a pup, I was frustrated but also determined to have this mob of meerkats raise their litter. I went into the exhibit and checked the pup out. We worry about the pups being warm enough at this fragile stage. They do have a light coating of hair but not enough to help them survive outside of the den for very long.

I decided to try something different this time. After I checked the pup out I gave it back to Ngami. I then told her to “put the pup back in the den.” Lo and behold, she did! I was amazed. Same thing happened later in the day. Okay, this is a new strategy, but if it works, I am going with it. Day 6 brought more of the same; I would check the temperature of the pup and then tell Ngami to put it back. My fellow keepers did the same on my days off with success.

This went on until today. We were never sure how many pups were in the litter because we only ever saw one out of the den at a time. This afternoon I came to find two healthy pups in the sun with their family. One of the younger females was holding them close and guarding them from the others. They were all snuggling and rolling around with each other. Right as the day finished I received a call about one with a hurt front leg. When I arrived I saw a third pup! We are not sure what happened to the pup’s leg, but it does look a little curved. It will be monitored closely.

Laura Weiner is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.

Although it would not be uncommon for a mature male siamang to practice infanticide with his own species in the wild, it was a new concept to be considered in this atypical mixed-species social setting. Even though siamangs and orangutan are completely different species, they are occupying one common territory that is exhibit space. Was Cinta, an unrelated newborn in an already established social group, viewed as future competition? We don’t really know.

Cinta with mom, Indah; Eloise with Karim-Alam

Cinta, who turns four on March 5, 2008, and has grown to a whopping 31 pounds (14 kilograms)—about the same size as our adult siamangs—was allowed to spend time with the siamang family off exhibit. A hallway that separates the two species became Cinta’s playgroup. This allowed him to move back and forth between his mom’s room and the siamang family at his own determination. These daily interactions continued several days during the week and lasted for about a month. Cinta became more and more comfortable and spent an increasing amount of time building a relationship with the siamang group on his own accord. Once keepers and the staff were confident that Cinta was ready to meet the siamang family in full contact, we set a date.

Karen with a young siamang

On January 2, 2008, keepers shifted three male and three female orangutans, including Indah and Cinta, onto exhibit as usual. The next step was to shift Unkie’s oldest offspring, Hitam Lucu. This was key. Having Hitam Lucu on exhibit without the other siamangs gave Cinta more confidence to explore the exhibit and have one-on-one interaction with Hitam Lucu. After a few hours with no altercations between Cinta and Hitam Lucu, the rest of the siamang family was allowed to go out. This process was repeated for a few more days. Each day we decreased the time intervals between when we put Hitam Lucu and the siamang family back together. This increased the time they spent grooming each other after the controlled separation, resulting in less time focusing their attention and aggressions on Cinta after they were all on exhibit. This was the secret to their success.

Today you can watch Cinta tumbling around with his two new siamang friends: four-year-old Hitam Lucu and one-year-old sibling Karim-Alam at our Absolutely Apes Exhibit.

Juan Fernandez is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.
Read his previous blog, Growing Up Siamang.
Watch the orangutans and siamangs daily on Ape Cam…