San Diego Zoo Blogs

These same fat stores also help to insulate them from the harsh Arctic environment. It’s estimated that an adult polar bear needs approximately 43 ringed seal kills in order to sustain itself for a year. With a success rate of one seal catch every three to four days and a warming climate, this makes life very tough for the polar bears left in the wild.

Fortunately for Chinook, Kalluk, and Tatqiq, they live at the San Diego Zoo and don’t need to worry about hunting a seal for a meal or storing up fat. They get to eat year round and keep a slimmer, trimmer figure. For a polar bear in the wild, seals constitute about a 95 percent fat content diet; here, they get fed a more protein-based diet with only about 5 percent fat. If we allowed our bears to obtain the four inches of blubber they would normally need in the wild, they would not be well suited for our climate, and there would be more potential for overheating and health concerns. So we provide them with a variety of dry chows, fish, and what is known as zoo carnivore diet, which is a beef-based product. As with most carnivores, after a kill is made the bears consume the fur, tendons, bones, etc. To mimic this, we also offer rabbits and cow femur bones a few days a week.

All three bears get a tailored diet based on age, size, and requirements. They are fed this individually, as we do monitor their weights closely to keep them within a reasonable range. But they still go through natural tendencies to want to bulk up or feast during the hunting season. We accommodate this with vegetables. Yes, our bears love to eat their veggies! This provides them the opportunity to eat more without utilizing the calories as fat. It gives them a nice full feeling in their tummy, and the hard crunchy items help keep their teeth clean. The same behavior has been seen of bears in the wild when they’ve come across a nice bed of kelp. Some of you may think this wouldn’t sound appealing to a polar bear, but I have witnessed Kalluk walk right past a bone in order to get to a pile of carrots or a head of lettuce.

Now that you know what we feed our polar bears here at the Zoo, how would you like to share a breakfast with them? Of course, the menu would be a little different for you. During Bear Awareness Days we will be selling tickets to a unique breakfast with the polar bears. You’ll get a special early morning experience out at Polar Bear Plunge, complete with enrichment for the bears and a keeper talk. Then you head over to pandas for another close encounter. And then it’s upstairs to the conference room at the Giant Panda Research Station for a hearty breakfast and an opportunity to speak one on one with some of the bear keepers who take care of these magnificent animals. If this sounds like something you would be interested in, just keep checking the Web site for updated information. Bear Awareness Days (May 8–11) are just around the corner!

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

Here’s more information about Polars, Pandas, and Pancakes…

Listen to an iZoofari Chat with Kelly…
Listen to iZoofari Chats about bears, featuring keepers and researchers…

Help the Zoo’s bears and bear research in the wild by donating to our Bear Wish List…

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After Blackie passed his 30 day quarantine (see a blog from a hospital keeper, Manchurian Brown Bear is Back) and was given a clean bill of health, it was time to relocate him down to his new home. How does one transport a nearly 900-pound (400-kilogram) bear across the Zoo? With a crate and a forklift, of course! While staying at the hospital, Blackie’s keepers trained him to willingly enter the crate that we would be using for his move. He was rewarded with positive reinforcement such as yummy treats and enthusiastic “Good boys!” By the time move day came he was already used to his crate and he entered it with no problem. Then one of our teammates loaded his crate onto a forklift and drove him to the bedroom area of his new exhibit. Another forklift was waiting, and we used both to maneuver the crate into position so he could be unloaded. Blackie sat calmly in the crate through the entire ride and excitedly took peanut butter from a spoon, showing us that he was handling the move just fine.

After Blackie was released into the bedroom, we gave him some time to check out the new surroundings. We wanted to make sure he wasn’t stressed from the transport before giving him access to the exhibit. Well, this ol’ bear just ambled out of the crate, did some sniffing, and calmly waited for the next step. This told us that the new experience wasn’t a problem, so we opened up his exhibit door and out he came!

As Blackie entered his new exhibit, you could see his keen sense of smell taking in all of the new scents. Probably the strongest scents of interest were his neighbors, Scout and Montana, two yearling grizzly cubs. He spent a few minutes sniffing at the divider door, which caused the cubs to be on high alert, before moving on. He walks slowly these days, as he is 24 years old and a bit arthritic, but that didn’t stop him from heading straight for the big pool! In he went, as though he remembered it from his past, and contentedly soaked for a long while. After that, he did some playful splashing, seemingly having a wonderful time. One of his keepers from the past was there to watch him and thought that he appeared to remember the exhibit. I wouldn’t doubt it, since bears have amazing memories!

It’s been just over a week now since Blackie arrived, and I can tell you that he is a wonderful bear. He always comes into his bedroom when I call him and leaves when I open the door for him. Of course, the rewarding treats, such as fish, probably have something to do with it! He is very calm and we can hand-feed him (safely through the bars, of course) and he takes the food ever so gently. He is a bit overweight, so we are working on slowly reducing his diet. Losing some pounds will be better for his arthritic joints, and his new medication should also help. I’m looking forward to taking care of this incredible animal in his older years and have plans to spoil him with all the comforts and enrichment he deserves!

If you get a chance to come to the Zoo, be sure to check out Blackie in his new exhibit. You’ll surely be impressed with his huge size and dark chestnut color. What a bear!

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

Listen to an iZoofari Chat with Hali as she talks about Blackie’s first day in Bear Canyon…

Listen to iZoofari Chats about bears, featuring our keepers (including Hali) and researchers…

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All of the cubs are now little carnivores; some will even challenge their moms to get an extra bite! They are receiving 3.5 pounds (1.6 kilograms) of Natural Balance Carnivore diet daily, as well as a half rabbit once a week and a half femur bone twice a week. Bones have fast become a favorite item, with all of the cubs growling viciously at any sibling who may be a little too close! Even though the cubs are now eating meat, they have not yet been completely weaned from their mother’s milk. Oshana is much less tolerant of nursing than Mina, who will allow any of the kids to nurse, whether they are her babies or not. We can expect this to continue for the next few months but hope to have them on an all-meat diet as soon as possible.

Along with the addition of meat to their diet comes the beginning of training. Right now the focus is to have the cubs learn what the whistle blow means. In training we use a whistle as a “bridge.” The whistle is blown at the exact moment that the cub is doing what we want and is used to “bridge” the gap in time it takes for us to see the behavior and reward the cub with food. At this point we want all of the cubs to know that a whistle blow means food is on the way! We are working on two simple things right now: getting the cubs to learn their names, and keeping their paws on the ground while they are eating. I think we may have some fast learners, if I do say so myself! The cubs all have a tendency to put their paws up on the fence while they are being fed (their parents did the same thing when they were young), but after only about one week of consistently reinforcing them to keep their paws on the ground, most have caught on! As the cubs grow we will work on training the same behaviors that their parents know (such as sit, down, rise up, and target); all of these behaviors help us with the daily care and management of these cats. Rest assured that you will never see the lions at Lion Camp performing any tricks.

INDIVIDUAL CUB UPDATES
Zawadi (Oshana’s male) is the largest of the bunch; his last weight taken on April 2 was 64 pounds (29 kilograms). He is probably one of the calmest cubs when it comes to feeding. While most of his siblings can become impatient if they do not feel that we are feeding them fast enough, Zawadi can usually be counted on to sit calmly and wait for the next bite!

Ekundu (Oshana’s male) is considerably smaller than his full brother and sisters. He weighed 49 pounds (22 kilograms) on April 3 and is very inquisitive. He likes to investigate things and will approach the keepers to a much closer distance than his siblings. His inquisitive nature has its drawbacks though; he is usually so busy on exhibit that he is the last one into the house at the end of the day!

Tamu (Oshana’s female) weighed 53 pounds (24 kilograms) while her sister, Laini (Oshana’s female), weighed a bit more at 56 pounds (25 kilograms) as of April 4. These two are definitely partners in crime. They can usually be found lingering outside the lion house once their parents have come in for the night, enjoying a good old game of chase and wrestle!

Sarabi (Mina’s female) is the largest female cub, weighing in at 78 pounds (35 kilograms) on April 19. She was the first cub to develop a taste for meat and started eating reliably weeks ahead of her siblings. I guess that she read the memo about what a lion is supposed to do!

Kaya (Mina’s female) is the smallest female cub, weighing 47 pounds (21 kilograms) on April 3. She is a mother’s dream, always listening to what Mina tells her. She is consistently one of the first inside at night, along with her brother, Ingozi.

Ingozi (Mina’s male) is the smallest of all the cubs, weighing just 42 pounds (19 kilograms) on April 2. He has the most laid-back personality. Ingozi is often on the sidelines when his siblings are playing but is a great companion and playmate to Nyack, our hand-raised cub. He weigh 57 pounds (26 kilograms). (See blog, New Cub Joins Lion Camp Pride.)

This pride of 10 can be seen on exhibit at Lion Camp from about 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. I hope you have the opportunity to watch these babies grow into the majestic lions they are fast becoming!

Kym Nelson is a keeper at the Wild Animal Park.

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We had been hoping Sweet Otter would become pregnant, because we had seen her breeding with her mate, Herman, back in November and then again in January. Doing the math for a 60- to 80-day gestation period, we were eagerly on watch starting in March for signs that she could be pregnant. Regular weights on Sweet Otter were not very telling, as it seemed that she was gaining and losing just a little bit at each weight session, thus keeping her about the same. However, we keepers concurred that her belly was looking a little bit rounder as time went on. We were also seeing some mammary development in which her teats were noticeably more prominent.

Her behavior was starting to change, and she was becoming more and more intolerant of Herman’s presence. She would still eat next to him, but did not want him touching her and would at times be aggressive toward him. Sweet Otter was also doing a lot more nest-building activities around the exhibit. She’s always made little snuggly nests, but we thought that her nests were becoming more purposeful in nature instead of just moving bedding around like she usually does.

With all of these signs, we made the decision to move Herman out of the enclosure to give Sweet Otter the privacy she needed in case she was pregnant. Once Herman was relocated to a suite at our hospital facility, Sweet Otter started to build a larger nest inside one of the den boxes. We had been offering her different kinds of nesting material, such as Bermuda hay, ginger cuttings, pine branches, and pine shavings. She was using all of these items to make her bed inside one of the den boxes, but what really tipped us off was when she used an entire cardboard box full of shredded paper. This was really intended as an enrichment item, but overnight she had ripped up the whole box and added it to the den box, along with every bit of the shredded paper. This was something she had never done before, so we were getting very excited! As a precaution, we began draining the pool every evening just in case a birth should occur. Since Sweet Otter would be a first-time mom, we didn’t know if she would have the pups in the den, and we didn’t want to take the chance of a possible drowning.

Just a few days after this big nest-making event (March 8 to be exact), one of the keepers was doing his morning check of the animals and was greeted by some loud squeaking noises coming from the otter den. He listened carefully and concluded that they were indeed noises coming from at least one otter pup! The noises gradually settled down, so he felt reassured that the baby or babies were not being harmed. Then he came out to tell everyone of his findings. As you can imagine, we were all thrilled!

Now came the time to sit back and hope that Sweet Otter’s motherly instincts would kick in. Since we couldn’t see into the den box, we had to rely on noise to determine that the pups were doing okay. Each day we would listen carefully and were comforted by squeaking sounds followed by the contented slurping noises of nursing. We were all dying to know how many pups there were and what they looked like. On March 17, my manager presented me with a lighted scope to use in an attempt to see into the nest box. What I discovered was one adorable, chubby, wrinkly little otter pup! I didn’t look very long so as not to cause Sweet Otter distress, but I was able to see that the pup was alive and well and snuggled on a thick nest. Sweet Otter was indeed being a very good mom and I was just thrilled!

As time has gone on, we’ve gotten more and more glimpses of the pup by opening up the top of the box and peering inside. Sweet Otter has been fine with this, often just lying there looking up at us while curled around her baby, nursing it. Recently,I was able to weigh the pup when Sweet Otter left the den box. It weighed a whopping 3 pounds (1.4 kilograms) and is getting a little bit darker than the soft light gray color we saw in the beginning. Today, when I peeked into the den box for my morning check, Sweet Otter’s curious face and that of her little pup’s greeted me, its eyes finally open!

You can imagine that it will only be a matter of time before the pup starts exiting the den to take its first steps. We will be offering small amounts of water in the pool soon so that Sweet Otter can introduce her pup to water. At first, this may only happen at night when no one is around, so please be patient as Sweet Otter gains trust in her environment.

Stay tuned for updates on this little pup and his or her progress. And if you have a chance to visit Bear Canyon at the San Diego Zoo, take a closer peek at the otter enclosure to see if the baby is out yet. Who knows, you may get a pleasant surprise one of these days!

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

Here’s more information about otters…

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Morning guests have been treated to seeing her up and about at various times throughout the last few mornings, and as she solicits interaction with Bai Yun while Bai is eating her bamboo, we’re seeing the diverting behavior in Bai that we affectionately call “Talk to the Hand” (or “Paw” in this case!). Front or hind paw, it’s all the same: anything that Bai can do to deflect her obstreperous youngster while she continues to munch. It’s kind of neat to see the familiar cub-rearing behaviors again and again. Bai was such a young sprout, it seemed, when she first arrived. It’s been a joy watching her mature and mellow into maturity and experienced mothering.

It’s been a while since Gao Gao was out front, and many of you are anxious to know how the “Big Guy” is faring. I had the privilege of observing a training session behind the station last week and was reminded what a special, personable, unique panda he is. Eager to please, sociable, and enthusiastic, he quickly responded to the keeper’s commands—sometimes even before they were given! Remember that here at the Zoo, training is done to facilitate the care and husbandry of the animals, making check-ups and routine procedures stress-free and easy for the animals and the keepers. The behaviors require a deep level of respect and trust between staff and animals, and regular practice insures that this goes smoothly, whether opening a mouth for a tooth check, standing up on hind legs to facilitate a physical inspection, or reclining for an ultrasound. Even in our Wegeforth Bowl and Hunte Amphitheater show areas, training highlights natural behaviors that would help an animal survive in its native habitat; they are not doing “tricks.”

And what of Su Lin? She is still her sweet, charming self, continuing to charm guests as they first enter the viewing area. Not quite her full adult size, she retains some of that cub-like quality that the younger bears have; she may weigh about 140 pounds (64 kilograms), but retains that playful nature. Not at all sure of what was going on as an acacia tree was being transported through Panda Canyon yesterday, she dropped her bamboo and raced to the rear corner of her exhibit near the base of the tall poplar tree, ears alert and posture ready to take to the high ground if she felt threatened. But, hey—it was only a tree moving by, and once it was gone, she settled back into the breakfast routine and then to nap. Not as feisty as her younger sister, she nonetheless has her whimsical moments and is not above hanging upside down in a funny but highly undignified fashion, the kind of behavior that keeps panda fans in stitches!

It can be hard to see the gang from the various camera angles as the trees in the exhibits leaf out, and ZZ can get up to the top of what’s been left of the pine tree (another of her favorite spots to sleep), out of Panda Cam range, but rest assured that the crew is doing fine and enjoying these beautiful days of spring.

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

Listen to an iZoofari Chat with panda keeper Kathy Hawk…

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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…

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This is the norm for panda cubs. With each of Bai Yun’s previous youngsters, we have seen them take to the trees at about six months of age. Once their climbing skills come on line, they remain ensconced in high branches for hours on end, and at about the 17th month of life they begin to spend more time on the ground. There are two factors which are driving this trend in their preference for high places: evolutionary history and dietary preferences.

After abandoning the den, the female panda forages far and wide for the bamboo she needs to meet her caloric requirements. Her youngster may not be able to keep up with mom as she traverses her habitat. As such, mom can probably reach her objectives quicker if the cub is stashed somewhere safe while she satiates herself. To this end, young panda cubs are often left alone by their mothers. In some cases, wild cubs have been noted as being left alone for more than 24 hours at a time.

Historically, panda cubs are at risk of predation by animals such as tigers, leopards, and martins. In order to reduce the likelihood of succumbing to predation, solitary cubs climb high and remain several meters above ground until their mother returns. This makes them a harder target, since their clumsy, slow gait on the ground would be easier pickings for a stealthy predator. Additionally, cubs spend hours and hours asleep up in those trees. When they are resting quietly in the branches, they can be hard to spot. Even our cubs, sleeping in trees pruned to allow for better visibility for our guests, can easily be overlooked.

Today, pandas have fewer predators than they did historically. Tigers are generally not found in what remains of panda habitat, and leopards are found in reduced numbers. But the drive to remain safe is still the same and is exhibited even in pandas housed in zoos and breeding centers.

Since young pandas rely on their mothers for their nutrition, they are able to fill their bellies with milk. It seems a bit unfair, but as mom is stuck ingesting low-calorie grasses, the cub enjoys a highly caloric meal with fats to aid in growth (and satiation!). In fact, when our nutritionist aided the Wolong staff in the development of a formula for hand-reared panda infants, the mixture was a hybrid of human and dog formula substitutes—a richer food source than many of you might have predicted given the bamboo-feeding tendencies of the panda mother. This appetite-quenching meal from mom can help keep cubs content for hours on end, allowing them to wait patiently for mother’s return from foraging bouts.

At about a year of age, panda cubs begin ingesting bamboo. Initially, the quantities ingested are very small and can’t account for much in the way of meeting caloric needs. But within a few months, some of the burden for satiating themselves shifts to the cubs and their new bamboo feeding skills. Perhaps their ever-increasing size requires more calories than mom can provide, or perhaps as maternal fat stores become depleted, this alters the caloric content of mother’s milk. Either way, cubs begin spending more time on the ground, increasing their time spent feeding and focusing more heavily on bamboo consumption.

This, of course, is in preparation for life on their own. When weaning occurs, the cub is well equipped to feed itself and meet its caloric needs without its mother. Even in the final days of mother-cub association, nursing may be occurring, but not at a high rate. At that point, most of the young panda’s nutrition is coming from direct ingestion of bamboo and other plant materials.

Zhen Zhen is nearly a year away from making that transition. She hasn’t even begun to ingest bamboo yet and won’t for several more months. Which is why she will continue to enjoy spending most of her time in the high perches of her enclosure. As frustrating as it may be for our Zoo guests or Panda Cam watchers to have limited visual access to our cub at times, we hope you will understand that this is a normal and healthy part of our little one’s life, and we would expect no less from her. She is showing us that, like her siblings before her, her panda instincts are right on track.

Suzanne Hall is a senior research technician with the San Diego Zoo’s Giant Panda Unit.

Note: Snow Day for pandas has been moved up to Sunday, April 27!

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Most of the time, the mornings start off with Kalluk and Chinook on exhibit. (We have researchers who have been doing daily observations to help us monitor the season.) Sometimes the bears start off right away with play while other times they simply acknowledge each other, forage some, and then settle down in different places for their morning naps. Usually before noon, we do our first switch to allow Kalluk and Tatqiq time together on exhibit. Our final switch of bears usually comes around 1:30 p.m., where the kids get to go back out together or Chinook gets the exhibit by herself.

Tatqiq seems to be getting a little tired of her time in the bedrooms, so she’s been a bit more playful now. She and her brother have had several good play sessions over the past few weeks. She’s also been a little slower coming off exhibit, too. This is an example of her behavior telling us what her needs are and it’s up to us to meet them. But she’s not the only one. Chinook has been a little slower to go onto exhibit. Chinook and Tatqiq have also had some interesting interactions in the back area through the doors. We may need to reevaluate everything soon and determine what direction to take from here.

This doesn’t mean that we’re giving up. There’s always the chance that Chinook might just come into a later estrous. We have experienced hormonal changes in these bears as late as June and into July. But for now, Kalluk and Chinook are just remaining good friends.

In the meantime, we continue to get things ready for Bear Awareness Days (May 8 to 11). We’ll kick it off with a fun enrichment activity on May 8, there will be keeper and researcher talks daily, and the weather is predicting snow on Saturday. We’ve also added a behind-the-scenes opportunity to our list of auction items. This will give someone the chance to have a special encounter with our polar bears and speak with a keeper about the daily management of the animals as well as some of the research that we’re participating in. You might even get to meet one of the polar bears up close. For more information, keep checking the Web site for the most recent updates. And I hope to see you all at the Bear Awareness Event!

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

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Fortunately, the prevailing tradewinds have been pushing the fumes southwest, away from the facility. Rarely do the winds blow from the south, so for now, the birds, the staff, and the facilities are out of harm’s way, but we need to be prepared. If Madame Pele continues to fuss and fume and the winds come in our direction, we need to be prepared.

Staff will be protected with masks and respirators and we may have to box and transport the bird inventory to temporary quarters at the Maui Bird Conservation Center, our sister facility. Although the evacuation accommodations on Maui will be tight, it is best to be prepared—after all, these birds are species that are perhaps the most endangered in the world!

In the meantime, the volcanic gases and the bubbling lava that flows from Kilauea and the Pu`u O`o vent on the volcano’s west flank are providing a spectacular show for tourists, residents, and the volcanologists who are thrilled with so much volcanic activity.

Alan Lieberman is the conservation program manager for the Hawaii Endangered Bird Conservation Program.

Here’s more information about the Hawaii Endangered Bird Conservation Program…
Listen to an iZoofari Chat with Alan, posted in October 2007…

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