Goodbye St. Louis

Today is my last day as a research intern with the St. Louis Zoo. It's been amazing, and now it's time to head on to new things. I can't believe nearly a year has passed already!

I'll miss the Zebras and the Asses of course. As an intern, I became very attached to them and also their conservation message. The fox videos, I may not miss quite as much. All of the people I've worked with, who have been absolutely amazing, and the building where something always seemed to happen. I'll miss the lounge with the magical table that everyone puts communal food on. My favorite days where when I'd walk into the lounge to find donuts. I'll miss intern bowling.

The stingrays, also my babies. When I first came to the zoo, I never thought I'd get quite so attached to equids and fish. I'll miss the people I got to know in the Education department as well.

Goodbye, churro-and-fried-ice-cream stand. Goodbye, ugly kid sign. Goodbye, giant hill that I trekked up and down to get to and from the intern home base.

Speaking of giant hill, I'll actually miss my walk to the zoo. I'll miss Forest Park in general, really. It's pretty much the most amazing thing in St. Louis.

Goodbye fun zoo events, like Jammin' and Zooquest. Goodbye crazy dancing butterfly lady. I'll miss Sofiya, the amur leopard, and that crazy ostrich in the giraffe yard. Goodbye protesters, nobody took your pamphlets anyway.

I'll miss Dewey's pizza, and the Loop, and Central West End. I'll miss the crepes that one could purchase in Central West End. Goodbye Wash U, I never found the pool that you supposedly have.

I'll miss driving from Illinois at night, over the bridge, greeted by the lit up Arch and the lights of downtown. It's an amazing sight, and I'm glad I got to see it one last time last night.

Goodbye St. Louis...I never really knew how amazing you were until I lived here. Goodbye zoo, I love you.

Hello Florida....

Intern tours and Jammin' at the Zoo

So I finally leave STL next week. It's been crazy...and to think I've been here for almost a year. That definitely wasn't the plan, but I'm glad it worked out this way. St. Louis is such a great city and I've met a TON of amazing people. 

Yesterday was jam packed with awesomeness. During the summer, the interns are invited to go on intern tours around various parts of the zoo. Yesterday's tour was in the Red Rocks area and we got to see the zebra, addax, and banteng chutes that they use to put them in the yards with. It was really cool. Also got to see two baby wallabies (not joeys) and had one last visit with Tokar, the brother of the three Somali Wild Ass mares, in his separate yard in the back. 

Another highlight of the tour was seeing the babirusa piglet at the antelope house. If you've ever seen a babirusa, you know "cute" really isn't a word most people use to describe it. I, however, think they're adorable and the piglet was no exception. 

                                                    

I've only got to go on a few intern tours (due to working in the education department as well, usually on tour days) but the Red Rocks tour was by far my favorite. It was cool to learn so many things about an area that most people generally disregard. 

Later last night I went out with a fellow zoo intern to Jammin' at the Zoo, a wine and beer tasting event that also features live music. Besides getting an opportunity to enjoy some of the best wine in the area it was a beautiful evening to be out and about. 

Nobody gives a Somali Wild Ass

It seems the only people enthusiastic about the Somali Wild Ass exhibit here at the zoo are the interns and the anthro class that observes them. While obviously the Grevy's Zebras are the more popular equid on property I can't help but reserve all of my affection for our population of dibokali (as they are known in their native range in Somalia.) I do believe that 1.5 hours daily of watching them helps in growing attached to them, but honestly, they're so cute. How could anyone not love them? The foals still have some of their baby qualities, playing and nipping at each other and curious about everything. The mares are the patient mothers knowingly watching over the herd's young...well...except when the hay is out. Then its every Ass for themselves. Whenever I'm near Red Rocks with people the little child in me comes out as I impatiently wait to go see the SWAs (and the takins across the path from them) and should nobody give them as much attention as I do, I fight the urge to stamp my foot and cross my arms and DEMAND that everyone give their full adoration to them. Well, maybe thats a bit exaggerated, but you get the idea.

The point is this: The Asses are lively, unique, cute creatures that once upon a time I would have walked right past before I got to know what they were like and how important it is to conserve them. Before I was an intern, maybe I would have laughed at the sign that said "Ass" but now saying it is just habit (After all, its "Assinus" not "Donkinus.") I think a lot of people are willing to rush by their exhibit out of embarrasment or the belief that they are your common farm donkey and they miss the important fact that this is a rare sight; even for research, the upbringing of foals of this sub-species is a new thing to see. Really, when you think about it, its amazing.

On another note; working at Walt Disney World my friends and I surmised that there are two kinds of leash kids: the dog backpack kids and the monkey backpack kids. The dog kids are the obediant ones, sticking close to mommy, following when told to come. The monkey kids are all over the place and you know that if it wasn't for the leash, they'd be off in a mad dash. The mothers usually look frazzled and tired. This observation has proven to be true also here at the zoo. Next they'll come out with gator leashes and those will be the bitey kids.

Bowling for Rhinos and Spring in the Zoo

On May 14th the zoo will be hosting Bowling for Rhinos fundraiser at Tropicana Lanes in Clayton. Team registration is due May 5th, so hopefully we can get some teams of interns collected. If there is anything the zoo interns love, its bowling. Nothing has bonded us more than a couple of games of bowling. We had played around with the idea of starting our own bowling league, called "Zoobots", but this fell through. This is a great way to help the zoo, and I really hope a lot of people come out for the event. Interestingly enough, this past weekend is the first time I've gotten a good look at the rhinos here at the St. Louis Zoo. In fact, the animal I see most often in their yard is the groundhog that has burrowed its way in and makes frequent appearances out and about the exhibit. It's almost a lesson in surrealism; immersion offset by the realization you are still in the Midwest when a local critter is hanging out with the exotic wildlife. When the weather gets warmer I think I'll enjoy walking through Rivers Edge a little bit more. The Dwarf Mongooses are out (yes, mongooses. I checked) again; you can see them sunning themselves in their little yard in front of the Cheetahs. I wonder if sometimes the cheetahs curse fate for being so close to tasty little morsels and yet are so far away.

Over in Red Rocks the two infant Takins are the stars of the area. They are beyond ADORABLE.
The littlest one is constantly being bullyed by the older one, and they often tussle with each other. They run through their mother's legs and hop up and down the cliffs with such ease. Takins look like bears with hoofs but they are actually more closely related to goats than they are to cows (I have overheard several people make the mistake of assuming they are as such. I'd like to see a cow get up those rocks!)

Across from the Takins, the SWAs are growing up. The plan is to eventually divide the mothers/foals into two herds as they will be weened completely soon. It's weird to think of them as little adult asses...they'll always be infants to me.

Reading back over my posts, I've realized I have plenty of great pictures to post with them. Hopefully I can figure out how to post pictures at the bottom of posts and get some of those up!

EDIT: big brother Andrew helped me out with this :) thanks! 

Just Another Day

With the weather being so nice I've been walking to work every day. It's just under 4 miles round trip, so its a good walk. I've noticed some interesting patterns in my music I listen to as a I walk; it seems that it always starts out with JPOP from the apartment, down the sidewalk, and through the first light. At the first stretch of paved path in Forest Park and to the Skinker/Lagoon light, a Josh Pyke song. Today, it was "Memories and Dust" on the way to work and the same distance from the light coming back from the opposite direction it was "Beg Your Pardon". Down the sidewalk, past the golf courses, Morning Musume or Mini Moni up to the beginning of Art Hill. 3/4th of the way up the hill past the Art Museum, "God Only Knows" by the Beach Boys. It's almost like clockwork. Of course, this doesn't happen everyday, but it does happen a lot. Maybe I don't have enough variety on my cheap little mp3 player, though it does have about 250 songs on it.

Walking through the zoo is another story. In Forest Park, I walk quickly, justifying this as exercise. Once I hit the zoo gates, I maneuver around families, school groups, strollers, and renegade "dog children" (you know, the kids on leashes) who are just looking to trip somebody by darting out in front of someone. 

Once I get in, then well...its either off to foxes, or on a Monday, equid study. Students in Dr. Fiona Marshall's anthro course "bones to behavior" have been coming daily in the morning to observe the Somali Wild Asses, getting a feel for what we interns do. On Mondays, the interns collect real data. It's interesting to compare the changes in behavior from last fall to now. The mothers are more aggressive with their foals and the foals are always looking to cause trouble. Their play has gotten more aggressive, a turning point from infancy to adolescence. From what I understand, a new male, Josea, will be put into the yard next to the SWAs where the foals father, Abaii, lived until he was sent to Florida. A new female will be coming in as well to (hopefully) breed with Tokar, the brother of the mares. This may mean we'll have two herds at the zoo. Currently, I believe the count for Somali Wild Asses in the United States is 27, and only three herds are at zoos. 

It's great being outdoors again after being cooped up in the lab all winter. Soon I'll be starting a job with the education department as an interpreter, a job I'll be doing over the summer until I transfer schools. My schedule will get significantly busier, but it'll all be rewarding in the end. 

On a sadder note, the zoo's Polar Bear, Hope, passed away on March 30th. She was 23.5 years old; on average, captive polar bears live to be 20-22. She had been brought into the hospital due to her decrease in appetite and activity and was found to have advanced liver cancer. It was inoperable at this point and thus the most humane method left was to euthanize her. I had seen her on the treatment table through the windows on the double doors leading into the room, and as the other interns and I marveled at her size (a polar bear takes up A LOT of space on a table) we had no idea what was going on. We knew it was serious, usually doing operations the interns are allowed to come in if okayed by the curator. That day, the vets, techs, and keepers were busy. We didn't know it at the time, but I wouldn't want to be in their shoes to make the decision on the best course of action for one of the zoos most beloved animals. Polar Bears have always had a special place in my heart and Hope was one of my favorite animals in the zoo to photograph. I know the vets and the keepers are mourning her loss. For an official statement from the zoo, check out www.stlzoo.org

The zoo is coming back to life

Being in the Midwest, predictably the slowest time of year for the zoo is the winter. With the few nice days we've had lately, it's great seeing the zoo fill up with people again like it was when I started here in August. The equid study will resume shortly and I actually can't wait to begin taking data...live observations are definitely my favorite part. 

The best part about spring is all the babies that will be arriving! I haven't heard of any major confirmed pregnancies but I know a few babies have already been put on display. In the Takin exhibit in Red Rocks there is a brand new calf that likes to sit on the rocks with its mother. This makes three adolescent takins in the exhibit! In December, another baby giraffe was born. On super warm days they'll put the baby out in the yard with the other older baby (who will be a year old next month) and enjoy sunshine. It's odd to say a giraffe can look so small and yet so big at the same time. In the Primate house there is a new Ring-Tailed Lemur who is maybe only a quarter of the size of its mother. I only caught a glimpse of it as it was being groomed by mom high in a basket in the exhibit but it had the cutest little face and the tiniest tail. I've heard from another intern that a Cotton Top Tamarin was born as well, but I haven't seen it yet. 

With everything getting so green and new its odd to think that the "new babies" born last spring, before I even arrived at the zoo, are almost a year old. The Amur Tiger cubs look nearly as big as their mother now and the Somali Wild Asses are getting up there in  size. I went out to their exhibit and was amazed at how big they had gotten. Fortunately they're still retaining some of their infant qualities so its still easy to tell them apart characteristically as well as physically. Kalama, the infant Grevy's Zebra, has a wild mane that won't stay up and the top of it falls into his eyes, almost like an emo hairstyle. Finally, Sophia, the Amur Leopard, has gotten to the point where its getting harder and harder to tell when it is her in the second leopard exhibit or her mother. However, granted she's not napping, if she happily bounces up to the fencing to "play" with the guest then we know without a doubt its her. She just seems to have this happy quality about her and I can't help but take a thousand pictures of her everytime I go past Big Cat Country. 

Equid Observations start next week; we'll be working with a class from Washington University to demonstrate how data is collected. This will be a weekly thing and its exciting to know our work is important enough to have students involved. 

Another thing I can't wait for; Caribbean Cove opens in May! 

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.