Being an Ass isn't necessarily a bad thing

I'm not sure why it didn't occur to me earlier to blog my experiences working as a behavior research intern at the St. Louis zoo but I suppose the old saying is true; better late than never.

As a research intern working in the Animal and Research Hospital I've gotten to see and do quite a few neat things. I've been able to stand in and watch procedures on various animals take place, I've taken part in studies on the Mexican Gray Wolves at the Wild Canid Center in Eureka, Missouri, and I've gained a lot of experience in the field of animal behavior field research. Visitors to the zoo this past summer and fall may have seen a couple of college students with clipboards and wearing bright red (tacky) vests over by the Somali Wild Asses. With three new foals born last spring the interns were able to observe and record behavioral data pertaining to the social behaviors and the upbringing behaviors between mother and foal.

Let me explain a little bit; the Somali Wild Ass is a wild equid native to the deserts of Somalia, Africa. While it's the smallest of all equine species its most defining characteristic are the distinct stripes on the legs that each member of the subspecies has. The striping is very similiar to that of a zebras although the two are not closely related. The Somali Wild Asses, or Dibokalis as they are called in their native range, stay in small herds. Problems with conserving this species include not just hunting or habitat loss but the extra threats of little genetic purity due to inbreeding and breeding with domestic livestock.

As a research intern observing these animals I get the pleasure of recording (fairly) "original" data; that is, not much is known about the animals in the wild or how they behave socially because its so hard to observe them in their native habitat. It's been a pleasure seeing something, recording data, and changing the ethogram (or list of specific behaviors we're looking for) according to how the foals change and grow and knowing that the work we're doing is a vital step in the conservation of the species that will pave way for future studies.

Of course it helps that the foals, usually called by their I.D numbers during observations (simply for the sake of time) were the cutest things ever. All of the interns really got to know the foals different personalities and what social behaviors one could expect from them; maybe 2 would be a bit more aggressive when her mother would refuse a nurse attempt, or 3 would want to play more. All three were lively; especially little 3 (Haquiem) who was born last and was curious about everything he encountered out in the yard.

With the observations resuming in the spring it definitaly will be a treat (and a challenge) to see how much the foals have changed. I was up at their exhibit in Red Rocks the other day and was astonished at how big they had gotten! Part of the equid observational study also includes the Grevy's Zebras; this is for comparison. I also can't wait to see how little Kalama has grown up. While the zebras are definately the bigger crowd drawers for me the asses definately have their own special place in my heart.