Animal Facts and Animal Snacks---Season 1!

All of Season 1 of Animal Facts and Animal Snacks, my new animal-themed podcast, is now online! You can listen on Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any of your favorite podcast apps. Each episode is accompanied by a themed snack and original artwork by my co-host, Nicole DiLeo. If you make the treats, you can snack and listen along with us!

Episode 1: Pigs

Episode 2: Tigers
Episode 3: Wolves and Werewolves
Episode 4: Bears
Minisode 1: Turkeys
Episode 5: Crocodiles

Episode 6: Sloths

Minisode 2: Animal Heroes

Episode 7: Killer Whales

Episode 8: Okapi (with special guest zookeeper!)

Minisode 3: Animal Trivia

Episode 9: Hedgehogs

Episode 10: Pandas

Visit Animal Facts and Animal Snacks on Facebook

Listen to the episodes on Anchor

Animal Facts and Animal Snacks--New Episodes!

Animal Facts and Animal Snacks, my new animal-themed podcast, has new episodes! You can listen on Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any of your favorite podcast apps. Check out some of our recent episodes: if you make the treats, you can snack and listen along with us!

Episode 1: Pigs
Episode 2: Tigers
Episode 3: Wolves and Werewolves
Episode 4: Bears
Minisode 1: Turkeys
Episode 5: Crocodiles

All original art is by my co-host, Nicole DiLeo

Visit Animal Facts and Animal Snacks on Facebook
Listen to the episodes on Anchor

Global Tiger Day 2018

Sumatran tiger Debbie. Photo courtesy of SDZG.

Get ready for Global Tiger Day 2018 on Sunday, July 29, 2018; join us at the Safari Park to celebrate these endangered charismatic big cats!

Stroll to Tull Family Tiger Trail, where our nine Sumatran tigers will enjoy special enrichment releases—mesmerizing to watch! Visitors can get to know the cats better through keeper talks, training demonstrations, and conservation displays throughout the day. To get you in a tiger frame of mind, here are updates about the “streak” of tigers at the Park.

To read more, check out: https://zoonooz.sandiegozoo.org/2018/07/23/tiger-time/

World Okapi Day!

Mahameli. Photo courtesy of Todd Lahman.

Get ready for World Okapi Day 2018 on Thursday, October 18th. We will be celebrating these elusive, endangered animals all day long at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

Matoke.
Photo courtesy of Cindie Sweitzer.

Okapi are not hybridizations of multiple animals, like most people expect. In fact, okapi are actually not closely related to horses or zebras; their closest living relative is the giraffe. But okapi and giraffes look very different from one another. Okapi are a rich chocolate-brown color with black and white stripes on their hind ends. Okapi are only about six feet tall; males weigh 440-660 pounds and females weigh 500-770 pounds. Since okapi live in forests, unlike giraffes which live on open plains, okapi have to be much smaller and more compact to navigate their dense habitats. And unlike giraffes, okapi are often solitary. However, okapi and giraffes share many common features. Like giraffes, okapi have 14-18 inch long prehensile tongues to help them browse. However, unlike giraffes which mainly eat acacia, okapi can eat about 100 different types of plants, including species that are toxic to other animals! And like giraffes, okapi communicate infrasonically. This is useful because a mother and calf can have a conversation without alerting a predator, because most predators, like humans, can't hear such low-pitch sounds. Additionally, like giraffes, okapi splay their legs to drink from the ground.  Like giraffes, okapi are ruminants. And like giraffes, okapis have a gestational period of about 14 months. But it is not just their giraffe-like features that make this species unique. 

Mahameli and Makini.
Photo courtesy of Cindie Sweitzer.

Okapi are perfectly suited to their equatorial tropical rainforest habitat  in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Because of these adaptations, they were not discovered by the Western world until the 20th century, even though they are one of the oldest mammals on Earth. Okapis' independently swiveling ears allow them to pick up the sound of an approaching human or predator. Their oily hair acts like a raincoat and protects them from constant rainfall in the Ituri Forest. This oily coat also helps the okapi evade predation from leopards--the leopards just slide right off when they try to sink their claws in! Okapis' stripes allow them to camouflage into the dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves in the rainforest. Additionally, each okapi's stripes are unique and enable a calf to follow its mother through the foliage, giving the stripes the name "follow me markings." These distinctive traits make okapi one of the most sought-after species in zoos.    

The Safari Park received our first okapi pair in 1978 and our breeding program has been incredibly successful since then. The San Diego Zoo and Safari Park participate in a collaborative breeding program with the Species Survival Plan to create genetically robust assurance populations of okapi. In fact, the Zoo and Safari Park combined have produced over 70 okapi calves, which have been transferred all over the world to participate in breeding programs of their own to support the survival of this incredible species.

Zuri wearing his halter.
Photo courtesy of Noah Eye.

Today, the Safari Park is home to six okapi. Makini, the matriarch of the group, is 20 years old and has raised five calves. Makini is friendly, patient, and a favorite of other okapi and keepers alike. Nanoki, the most genetically valuable male in human care, is 23 years old and a newer arrival at the Safari Park. Zuri, Makini's spunky son, was born at the Safari Park. He is now ten years old, halter-trained, and has produced two sons of his own. Matoke is six years old and loves ear scratches and face rubs. Mbaya, a nine year old female, is on breeding loan to the Safari Park from the San Diego Zoo. She has been a great mother in the past, so fingers crossed that she and Nanoki have a calf! Mahameli, the newest addition to the barn, is almost two years old. She loves keeper attention and okapi Makini, who acts like her surrogate mother.

In addition to our six okapi, the Safari Park is also home to three red river hogs and two yellow-backed duikers, who are all endemic to the same rainforest habitat. Okapi are only found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, primarily in the Ituri Forest. In fact, the DRC is the most biologically diverse country in Africa, and is home to 1,500 species of plants and animals, including okapi. Okapi are not only a cultural symbol in the Congo, but they are an umbrella species: protecting the okapi protects all of the animals who share their habitat, like elephants, chimpanzees, and gorillas. Okapi also play a vital role in the rainforest ecosystem. They eat 40-65 pounds of leaves each day, which prunes the foliage and allows for new growth in the forest. 

Mbaya.
Photo courtesy of Cindie Sweitzer.

Unfortunately, due to deforestation, poaching, and mining, the wild okapi population has decreased by 50% in the last 15 years. Luckily, the Okapi Conservation Project helped create the Okapi Wildlife Reserve in 1992. The Reserve is a 13,700 square kilometer area in the Ituri Forest--four times the size of Yosemite National Park! Not only does the Reserve support the okapi and other native wildlife, but it supports the Mbuti and Efe pygmy people who depend on the forest for their traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyles. Additionally, the Okapi Conservation Project supports other vital projects in the Ituri Forest, like anti-poaching patrols, community assistance and medical care, and education programs.

Mahameli.
Photo courtesy of Cindie Sweitzer.

But you don't have to travel all the way to the Ituri Forest to help save okapi. You can help by visiting the Safari Park or another okapi facility. The Safari Park and other accredited zoos are non-profits, so the money you spend visiting okapi goes directly towards okapi food, vet care, and conservation. You can also recycle your old cell phones. Cell phones contain a mineral called coltan, which is mined in the forests of the DRC. Coltan can be reused from recycled cell phones, which means less mining in okapi habitat. And finally, you can support okapi by donating to the Okapi Conservation Project or the San Diego Zoo Global Wildlife Conservancy. One hundred percent of the proceeds from either donation will help end extinction and protect okapi and their disappearing habitat.

On World Okapi Day, the Safari Park has some special activities planned! Zookeepers will be stationed in front of the okapi exhibit all day to talk with visitors and disseminate conservation information. Kids can color okapi and red river hog pages, grab a fistful of candy, and touch okapi biofacts, like skulls and fur. Parents can donate their cell phones to minimize mining in wild okapi habitat.We hope you visit us at the Safari Park on Thursday, October 18th for World Okapi Day to connect with our six okapi, learn more about their behavior and natural history, and support our conservation efforts to save these amazing animals. Come chat about stripes, tongues, and coltan with us!   

New Animal-Themed Podcast!

I've started a new animal-themed podcast with my friend Nicole! The podcast is called Animal Facts and Animal Snacks. In each episode, we discuss an animal and eat a yummy snack themed to that animal. In future episodes, we will talk about animal careers, conservation projects, and crises facing animals all over the world. The first episode is about pigs and just officially went live. In this episode, we eat fondant pigs sitting in dark chocolate pudding mud wallows. Check it out!

Listen to Episode 1 on Anchor
Check out Animal Facts and Animal Snacks on Facebook

World Elephant Day 2017

Have You Herd? World Elephant Day is Here!

Photo Courtesy of Kim Mcleod

Get ready for World Elephant Day on August 12, 2017, in celebration of the world’s largest land mammal! Global Conservation Force is celebrating both African and Asian elephants with brewery nights at Pacific Plate Brewery Taproom in LA on August 12th and Intergalactic Brewing Company in San Diego on August 13th. Join us in support of our conservation efforts to save these magnificent animals...

To continue reading, visit http://globalconservationforce.org/events/world-elephant-day-2017/.

Global Tiger Day 2017

Get ready for Global Tiger Day 2017 on Saturday, July 29, in celebration of these incredible, endangered animals! At the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, we will celebrate our nine Sumatran tigers with enrichment releases, keeper talks, training demonstrations, and conservation displays throughout the day at Tiger Trail...

To read the rest of this blog post, visit San Diego Zoo Global ZOONOOZ.

Global Tiger Day!

Thomas, the Sumatran tiger, cooling off on a hot day.
Photo courtesy of SDZG.

Get ready for Global Tiger Day 2016 on Friday, July 29th in celebration of these incredible, endangered animals! At the Safari Park, Tiger Trail will celebrate our nine Sumatran tigers with enrichment releases, keeper talks, training demonstrations, and conservation displays throughout the day. We would love to have you join us in support of our conservation efforts to save these magnificent animals. To help get you in a tiger frame of mind, here are some fun and fascinating tiger facts.

Older Gentleman Seeks Classy Lady

Langka, the newest Sumatran tiger at the San Diego Zoo
Safari Park. Courtesy of SDZG.

11 year-old male seeks younger female companion who wants to start a family. He likes cardboard boxes, bamboo, bloodsicles, and might enjoy long walks on the beach (although he has never tried that particular activity). Interested?

To continue reading this blog post, please visit the San Diego Zoo Global Blog.

Trio of Tiger Cubs

Nelson, 16 days old.

Great news! Three new Sumatran tiger cubs were born at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park on January 28, 2016, to parents Joanne and Teddy. Since female tigers are nocturnal, they typically give birth in the middle of the night. But luckily for me, Joanne gave birth in the middle of the day! Nelson was born at 11:54am, Cathy followed soon after at 12:57pm, and Debbie was last but not least at 2:56pm. So as not to disturb Joanne, we keepers watched the LIVE birth on an HD monitor in the keeper office. For your viewing pleasure, here is a time-lapsed version of the birth:

 Video courtesy of San Diego Zoo Global

Although the cubs were 2-2.5 pounds at birth, they are growing fast! They made their public debut on April 26th, and they now spend part of every day exploring one of our three Tiger Trail exhibits. 

Video Courtesy of San Diego Zoo Global

Although these three cubs appear very similar, they are surprisingly easy to tell apart once you get to know them. Nelson is the calmest tiger in the streak. He is often the first to eat and the first to try new operant conditioning behaviors. You can recognize him by the check-mark his stripes make over his right eye. Cathy is the fiesty, territorial cub of the group with a three-sided box over her right eye. Debbie is the most independent and is often the first to explore new toys and plants in her environment. Debbie's stripes come to a peak above her right eye and she is the smallest of the litter.

Giving Debbie a treat on exhibit

Joanne is a very patient, devoted mother and she is doing a wonderful job with this litter. She is still nursing the triplets multiple times each day, and she is also sharing a portion of her meat diet with them. The other day, senior keeper Lori Hieber and I briefly separated Joanne from the cubs and sent her by herself out on exhibit in order to offer her a shank bone (her favorite treat). She wanted desperately to bring the shank bone in the bedroom with the cubs, but it is still too big of a treat for those tiny baby teeth. Lori and I thought Joanne would eventually give up and eat the shank bone. But she outsmarted us! We called her back into the tiger house and went out on exhibit to retrieve the bone leftovers before sending out the cubs with Joanne. We looked for 20 minutes before we found the bone! She had dug a hole, buried the bone, and dragged her heaviest toy on top of the pile. Clearly, she wanted to save this giant treat to share with her cubs. What a great mom! Lori and I still couldn't give such a large treat to the cubs, so we cut off pieces of the shank meat and hand-fed Joanne and the cubs together. I guess mom knows best!

This new litter is getting along surprisingly well with eight-month-old cub Suka. Since Joanne rejected Suka when he was four days old, he was hand-raised and is thus unable to be reintroduced to Joanne. But while Joanne enjoys "mommy-time" by herself on exhibit, the three newest cubs "howdy" with Suka through a mesh barrier. They are able to see each other and touch noses, but they are not physically together. This allows all four young cats time to socialize. The tiger house is full of contented chuffing when the cubs howdy!    

As a keeper, I am obviously excited for these births because of the myriad training and tiger-cub-babysitting opportunities they provide. But I am also excited for the cubs from a conservation standpoint. These births are vitally important for the survival of the Sumatran tiger subspecies. There are fewer than 350 Sumatran tigers in the wild. Therefore, the Safari Park is home to about 1% of the global Sumatran tiger population; every birth bolsters the genetic diversity of this incredible subspecies. Scientists estimate that this subspecies could be extinct in Sumatra by 2020, due to poaching and habitat loss, unless measures are taken to protect and preserve it. 

Cathy (left) and Debbie (right)

You can be a hero for Sumatran tigers and help save the Safari Park's wild counterparts from thousands of miles away. Tiger habitat is threatened by palm oil, a product found in cosmetics, shampoo, toothpaste, and processed foods, like chips and candy. Palm oil is often grown unsustainably, using slash-and-burn agriculture, which results in the destruction of tiger, orangutan, and rhino habitat in Southeast Asia. You can actually help these wildlife species just be being more conscientious about the products you are purchasing. Download a free app for your smartphone to learn more about sustainably-grown palm oil products. You can even use these apps to scan the bar-codes of products the next time you are out shopping. Sustainably-grown palm oil can save tigers!

Giant Panda Hearing Test

The giant panda keepers at the San Diego Zoo have accomplished an incredible training feat! Watch the video below to see how they test the giant pandas' hearing. For the full article, visit ZOONOOZ.

Video, photo, and article courtesy of SDZG

The Newest "Stripe" in the Streak

Photo courtesy of Mike Wilson

Sometimes, I don’t know if I’m training Suka or if Suka is training me. Sumatran tiger Suka is our newest “stripe” in the Tiger Trail “streak.” Suka turns six months old on March 14, weighs over 61 pounds, and is one of the smartest cats I have ever worked with...

To continue reading this blog post, please visit the San Diego Zoo Global Blog.

Zookeeper Wrangles 8th Grade Career Ambitions

School Visit to Rolling Hills Middle School

In December, I had the pleasure of visiting Melissa Amacher's 8th grade physical science classes at Rolling Hills Middle School in El Dorado Hills, California.

I absolutely adore my job, and getting the chance to share my experiences with ambitious, talented kids is one of the best parts of my career. At Rolling Hills, I gave three presentations to three different 8th grade science classes and was available during lunch for students' questions. The focus of my presentations was applying science in zookeeping. I discussed species survival plans and breeding to create robust gene pools; we talked about using stem cells and surrogate moms to resuscitate an endangered species of rhino; we even shared a few laughs when I had to explain aphrodisiacs!

I loved the opportunity to answer questions for budding scientists: I met a future veterinarian, a future equine surgeon, and hopefully I encouraged some future zookeepers. I was also able to dispel some myths about zookeeping (no, we don't genetically engineer hybrid carnivores that will escape and reek havoc on Isla Nublar a la Jurassic World). My favorite part was seeing the spark of ambition light up the eyes of many students as I described the coolest parts of my job. Not every zookeeper gets to bottle-feed a baby tiger, but if you do, it makes all of the poop-scooping worthwhile.

According to Melissa Amacher:

Elise is a wonderful speaker who works very well with large class sizes.  Her stories from her career with animals engaged my students throughout each period as they listened in awe. She has a dynamic presentation that can adjust to follow pathways of curious questions from students, while still hitting all of her content - a teacher's dream! I appreciated her prompt email correspondence and professional demeanor.  She is a gift to share in any classroom, showing how the science we learn in school can be applied in fascinating ways in a career as a zookeeper.  I look forward to working with her in the future.

If any other teachers are interested, I am available for more school visits. Please contact me by posting a comment on this blog.

Zookeeper Regeneration

Working with Amaranta, the
Safari Park's newest baby Okapi.
Amaranta was born January 2015.

Guess what? I'm a zookeeper again! As of Monday, July 20, 2015, I became the newest keeper at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. I am working full-time on the HOA run: I care for lions, cheetahs, Sumatran tigers, ocelots, dholes, okapis, and red river hogs (coming soon)! I am absolutely loving my new job and am thrilled to finally be a keeper for San Diego Zoo Global.

As a keeper, my day starts at 6:00am and ends at 2:30pm. The HOA run is divided into four sections, and I work in one section per day: tigers/ocelots, lions/cheetahs, dholes, or okapis/red river hogs. Eventually I will specialize in one section, but for now I am learning a little bit of everything. My daily routine is very similar to my routine at the Binghamton Zoo. I clean the exhibits and bedrooms. I provide enrichment for all of the species to encourage natural behaviors. I feed the animals specialized diets determined by SDZG nutritionists; the okapis get alfalfa, browse, pellets, and chopped vegetables, while the carnivores get a ground meat diet, plus ribs, cow femurs, shank bones, or rabbits a few times per week. This past week, I have been hand-feeding the carnivores in protected contact situations to bond with them. As I gain experience and build relationships with these animals, I will start operant conditioning training sessions to maintain established behaviors and introduce new ones. Eventually I will even get to do keeper talks! That was one of my favorite aspects of zookeeping at the Binghamton Zoo and I'm excited to put my tour-guide training to good use.

Izu meeting his four cubs for the first time. The cubs,

born June 2014, are Ernest, Evelyn, Marion, and Miss Ellen.

They each have very different personalities!

(Photo courtesy of SDZG).

Learning to drive heavy equipment
during Roar Corps.

I believe that the Safari Park Roar Corps program helped me get this job. In the Roar Corps program, I met a lot of keepers and managers, and got a first-hand look at the management of the large field exhibits that the Safari Park is famous for. I enjoyed my taste of "cowboy" zookeeping; riding a four-wheel-drive truck across unpaved hills to track down a new baby oryx felt like cattle-driving in the Wild West. But I am very happy to be working with "kitties" again. Hearing the lions roar when I enter the lion house in the morning is one of the best parts of my day. They are so loud, the bones in my chest vibrate! And I am ecstatic to work as a keeper at the Safari Park, where Species Survival Plan breeding and conservation action plans are priorities.

That's all for now, because I have to get back to doing a happy dance around my living room!

Patricia Newman wins 2015 Green Earth Book Award!

Today is Earth Day 2015! Today my mother, Patricia Newman, and photographer Annie Crawley won the Green Earth Book Award in the children's nonfiction category. This is a NATIONAL award that honors the books that "best inspire young readers to appreciate and care for the environment." To learn more about Patricia Newman and to order her award-winning book, visit her blog or her feature on this blog. To learn more about Annie Crawley, visit her website.

In addition to receiving this award, Plastic, Ahoy! is taught in schools across the world. Fifth-grade students in San Diego now refuse to use single-use plastic. Plastic, Ahoy! has become a call to action for sixth-graders focusing on sustainability. Plastic, Ahoy! is even used to model environmental problem-solving for students in Saudi Arabia.

Congratulations Patricia Newman and Annie Crawley! We are so proud of your accomplishments and all you are doing to save the world!!!

Help Elephants! Donate to ELP

Elephants have been an important part of my life for many years. I have always loved animals, but I first fell in love with elephants when I was studying abroad in Kenya and Tanzania in 2010. After returning to the United States, I worked for the Elephant Listening Project. At ELP, I cataloged the infrasonic sounds of African forest elephants and founded an on-campus club at Cornell University to garner funds and support for ELP. ELP is an incredible group of people that monitors infrasonic elephant communication in Central Africa to better understand elephant social structures. ELP researchers also teach local people about elephant monitoring to get them invested in the plight of African forest elephants and deter poaching. By donating to ELP, you are sending researchers to Africa, paying for new audio equipment, and paying the salaries of students who analyze the infrasonic calls. As a former zookeeper, current Safari Park tour guide, and life-long elephant lover, this cause is incredibly important to me. Please help!

Help African forest elephants by donating to the Elephant Listening Project via GiveGab: https://www.givegab.com/p2p/finding-forest-elephants/elise-newman

Photos courtesy of the Elephant Listening Project.
Cornell University.

SDZG Blog: An Insider's Look at the Horticulture Department--Part 2

Coatimundis using the plants in their habitat.
Photo courtesy of SDZG.

I wanted to work with the horticulture department because I love teaching the public about animals and am inspired by San Diego Zoo Global’s conservation work. In a nutshell (or seedpod), I wanted to discover how the flora and fauna departments work together at the Park...

To continue reading, check out "An Insider's Look at the Horticulture Department: Part 2."

SDZG Blog: Horticulture Department Part 1

Safari Park Botanical Collection.
Courtesy of SDZG.

Not only is the San Diego Zoo Safari Park one of the top wildlife breeding and conservation facilities in the world, it is also a world-renowned botanical garden. The Safari Park’s horticulture department cares for 1,750,000 plant specimens spanning 1,800 acres. For the last few months, I have been working with the Park’s horticulture department on a job-share a few days each week. My goodness, these are hard-working people! 

To continue reading, follow this link to "An Insider's Look at the Horticulture Department: Part 1."

SDZG Blog: Wild Romance

Synchronized flamingo courtship. Photo courtesy of SDZG.

Are you getting ready for Valentine's Day? So are many of the animals at the Safari Park! Check out my latest blog post about wild romance.

"Lightning" Strikes the San Diego Zoo

Photo courtesy of SDZG.

This is Adhira, San Diego Zoo's two-year old rare monocled white cobra. This venomous snake was originally found and made the news in Thousand Oaks, California, although these snakes are normally found in South East Asia, in countries like China, Vietnam, India, and Cambodia. Therefore authorities believe that Adhira was probably an illegal escaped pet. These cobras are terrestrial and well-adapted to diverse habitats, typically living in rice paddies, grasslands, or forests where they prey mostly on amphibians, small mammals, fish, and other snakes. Monocled cobras are a species of "least concern" according to the IUCN due to their tolerance of anthropogenically altered habitats.

The San Diego Zoo rescued this snake in September 2014, because we are one of only two zoos in the country with the proper anti-venom for this species. Adhira is leucistic, which means she has reduced pigmentation, so she is white instead of brown like most of her species. The public voted on her name, which means "lightning" in Hindi. In February, I will be traveling to Sri Lanka and Thailand where this species is normally found; as much as I would like to see one in the wild, I really hope it's from a safe distance!