Conservation Camp

This week was quite different for me. Instead of working at the zoo with the keepers, I played camp councilor to 32 Belizian kids ages 12-17. They were here for the week and learned about the conservation efforts and struggles in their country. They had guest speakers about the lionfish issue, scarlet macaw poaching, and problem jaguars. They also watched several documentaries about conservation and what they can do to help, and (partly due to my recommendation) they also watched The Lorax. Although I missed the zoo and caring for the animals, I learned so much about the country through the eyes of these kids, and got a much better understanding of their relationship with the wildlife around them. We also went on many trips, from Mayan ruins to cave systems. I got to see a lot of the country I wouldn't have been able to have under normal circumstances. 

Here are some of the pictures of my week with the campers. 

First zoo tour. 

Feeding jags with Sharon. 

Hiking in the bush. 

Cave exploring. 

Field trip to Lamanai the Mayan ruins. 

I made a lot of great friends at camp and it was a week I won't forget. Everyone here was so incredibly accepting of me, which is something I love about this beautiful place. I'll admit it, I didn't know how to be in charge of kids, but we had fun and we all learned a lot from each other. 

It really made me wish that there were things like this in the states. Something that teaches the importance of water and recycling and conserving species. Children especially are who we are going to rely on, and I think Belize and the zoo are making great strides with this camp and educating its youth. 

A Tale of Many Water Samples

Name: Rachel Dalton

Class Year: 2016

Hometown: Columbus, OH

Internship: Conservation Science Research Intern, the Wilds

Location: Cumberland, OH

Amazingly, we are now in week 8 out of our 10 weeks here at the Wilds! I cannot believe how quickly time has gone. Our final few weeks will definitely be a sprint to the finish as the time for data collection finishes up and data analysis/Results & Discussion writing/poster & powerpoint making begins. During our last few weekly class sessions we have been learning how to use "R", a code-based statistics program, to analyze data. I found R a little intimidating initially, but I am becoming more comfortable with it. Here is a screenshot of what working in R looks like:

We have also been learning about some of the more advanced multivariate statistical tests, such as principle component analysis, analysis of similarity, etc. A lot of my fellow interns have studies that incorporate multiple environmental variables and call for these more intense, heavy-duty stats. They are a little more challenging to wrap your mind around, but I have read other primary literature papers that use them, so I thought it was really helpful to go over them and gain a better understanding of how they are used.

Over the last couple of weeks I have been collecting and filtering water samples from the lakes we are attempting to detect rhino eDNA in. Because we are trying to filter out any DNA or DNA-containing tissue fragments, the filters we use are quite intense in terms of their ability to catch very small particulate matter-- including any silt or dirt suspended in the water. As such, filtering is a quite time consuming step. This may sound less than thrilling to some, but, I recently discovered that there are a lot of David Attenborough documentaries on Netflix! So, while I am filtering for extended periods of time, I am also learning about humpback whales, wolves, birds of paradise, and much more. What zoology nerd does not love a good David Attenborough wildlife documentary? 

This week I will be collecting and filtering the last of the water samples we need, and then a plethora of DNA extraction and PCR work begins! I am really excited to see how far down the lake system we will be able to detect rhino eDNA. Not much eDNA work has been done with terrestrial mammals yet. 

One of the lakes in the rhino pastures that we sampled.

Here's one of the residents of the rhino pastures-- Sonya the Indian rhino. She was grazing a little distance away, looking over at us occasionally.

Here I am taking water samples from one of the wetlands!

Wading through wetlands in the name of science! I had a sampling site that was beyond this stream. 

The rushes and reeds around the wetlands are so tall! They often tower several feet above us.

PS: It's Mollie's birthday today! Happy Birthday Mollie!

I don't always have eDNA work to do everyday, so when this is the case, I often go out in the field with another intern assisting them with whatever they are surveying/studying. Mollie and I have logged quite a few hours trekking through the wilderness together now in search of the ever elusive terrestrial salamanders. Here's Mollie blazing a trail through some rather dense forest brush! 

My last round of filtering for the day is finishing as I type this, so I will leave you now with a few more facts about the Indian rhino. They are the largest of the three Asian rhino species (the other two species are the Sumatran and Javan rhinos), and are capable of reaching speeds of 30mph when charging. They have fairly poor eyesight, but excellent hearing and a very sharp sense of smell. 

Until next time,

Rachel

Viva Belize! Week One

Hello everyone! Firstly I wanted to start with where in the world I am and what I am doing while I'm here. I am staying in Belize, a tiny Central American country settled between Mexico and Guatemala and although English is their first language, everyone knows Spanish and most default to speaking Creole. I am living at the Tropical Education Center which is conveniently located across the road from the Belize Zoo. The only internet access is in the dining room, and isn't always reliable, (which is why I have to cram my first week into one post... Sorry bout that!)

This is the dorm I am living at, and although it has no AC, they have given me a nice big fan and a bike for the mile trip to and from the zoo everyday. 

This is the beautiful gravel road I bike down everyday. 

My first day started right away. I met the keepers and curator, Sharon, all of whom are incredibly accepting and very funny. I am finally able to tell when they are making fun of me now. They also showed me the resident 'non-display-animals' like Bella, the Blue and Yellow Macaw. She lives in the back because she is not native to Belize and they only showcase native wildlife. 

And Amber the dog. She lives in the back because well... She's a dog.

After that I met Tim, who was in charge of the JAGUARS that day. I couldn't believe it. Day one and I working with the most important animal to this country. Anyway we started by chopping chicken for the 13 "problem jaguars" the zoo has. They are housed in the back away from the public and were taken from situations where they were causing problems, usually hunting livestock, and would normally be killed without a home at the Belize Zoo. This is what food for 13 jags looks like. 

Yummy right? Next it was time to feed them. All of the cats are hand fed, through the fence of course. 

They are incredibly strong and more beautiful than I imagined. Most had scars where people had shot at them trying to protect their cattle. Many of the cats also knew "tricks" like "high five" and "roll over" for food. 

The rest of the day was spent cutting up more chicken for their second evening meal (jaguars eat a lot of meat, go figure) and cleaning their enclosures. We sprayed down their indoor sleeping areas and scrubbed their pools. 

It was a lot of work, but incredible, and I got to do it all again the next day!

The day after that, so Wednesday now I got to work with a different keeper who was in charge of all the birds the zoo has. Many of then were either donated or seized from the pet trade.  

We started the day again by preparing their food, consisting mostly of local fruits, watermelon, papaya, banana, and mango... Apparently it's mango season here! The parrots and toucans also receive dog food, peanuts and occasionally hard boiled eggs. Here is all of their plates ready to go out for the morning. 

There are many beautiful and exotic birds at the zoo, but the super stars are their scarlet macaws. 

This pretty lady was very interested in eating my phone. 

I personally was amazed at how colorful the toucans were up close. 

And how quickly a playful parrot can go from sweet... To tearing your skin off...

Next we moved onto the birds of prey. The zoo is home to several BOP including several species of owl, hawk, vulture and of course the Harpy Eagle. 

Most of the smaller birds enjoy meals of baby chicks... Like this cute little guy :(

The Harpys eat chicken and are also hand fed. They have two, a male and a female. Both are enormous but the female is a little larger and is named The Queen, the male is called Panama. 

That's Panama... He looks huge right!? 

The next day I started out with birds in the morning but ended up helping another keeper with mammals at the end of the day. My dreams came true when I finally was able to feed a kinkajou. His name is Fuzzy and used to be someone's pet. 

I was a little excited...

I also got the experience of feeding their blind tapir named Bullethead. 

All in all it was an incredible, exhausting, hot, humid, itchy week and I can't wait to see what else this place has in store for me!

Creepy Salt and Calamari

Hello, everyone! I'm here with more updates and suchlike from the land of salt, water, and a combination of those things. I've been interning 3 days a week the past couple weeks, and because of that, I've been able to get the greatest grasp and understanding of the different things that go on to make the aquarium work so well. Have I put on a wetsuit and jumped into the shark tank? Disappointingly, no. Because apparently you have to be "trained" and "scuba certified" to do that. But don't you worry! That's another goal of mine for this wonderful 2014 year. ;) But I did make friends with a penguin. Her name is Simon. She's crazy adorable and loves flapping her wings.

BUT I know you guys do want to know all of the cool things I have gotten to do over the last few weeks, and honestly, one of the biggest things I've been doing is cleaning. SO. MUCH. CLEANING.

Just like the health inspector is to restaurants, the AZA is constantly checking in and making sure the aquarium stays in line and is continuing their excellent practices. One of the things we recently were told to clean up a bit was our salt creep. Now, as one can figure, with a basic understanding of the water cycle and knowledge that the aquarium contains salt water, it isn't a secret that when the water evaporates, it leaves behind the salt. The biggest areas we have the most problem with salt creep, are on these bio tanks, (they’re essentially just part of each tank’s filtration system) which are up high above your head, and is usually only reached with a ladder or standing on a nearby deck of a tank. From me to you, trust me when I say that salt creep is a SUPER BIG PAIN IN THE BUTT.

A giant chunk of salt creep that fell on my face.

Close your eyes (but not really) and imagine me standing on my tippy toes for about 30-45 minutes with a tiny shop vac, trying to vacuum up thick layers of salt on this cylinder about two feet above me. Got that mental picture? Good. Now add me trying to not drop the salt all over the floor and create more work for myself, and instead, getting salt ALL OVER THE PLACE; in my hair, in my eyes, on my shirt, on the deck I'm standing, and on the ground. My skin was incredibly red and shiny from all that salt. I’m surprised I didn’t dry out and shrivel up like a raisin right there on that deck. Talk about hectic. At one point, my poor legs and arms couldn't stretch anymore, so 3/4 of this cylinder is salt creep free, and then it's just complete solid salt! Oy; a clean freak's nightmare/biggest pet peeve.

High-tech transportation for our fish.

 And now I have some good and some more good (bad if you’re a fan of stonefish) news. This past week, I was given the duty to prepare for the shipment of our two stonefish. I had to measure some boxes and essentially have a sort of practice run to assure that they would fit properly in their boxes to be shipped off to their new destination. For those of you who don’t know, stonefish are one of the most venomous fish on the planet. Their antivenom is CRAZY expensive ($$$) and doesn’t have a very long shelf-life. Let me just say that I, personally, am so excited for those fish to go. They FREAK me out. Look them up. They look exactly like the coral/rocks around them, and they just stare at you when you’re trying to feed the lionfish. It’s like they’re staring into your soul, and it’s really uncomfortable. I’ve had both of them less than a foot away from my hands, and it gives me the shudders just thinking about it! So yeah, glad to see those guys go soon.  My other good news: we were able to introduce some new fish to our exhibits this past week. We now have a rather large tank dedicated to paddlefish, and they’re very energetic in their tank. I personally am not responsible for them, but I walk by their tank every day! I do, however, have a new fish in one of my tanks. I’m not sure what kind he is, but he’s super beautiful. A mix of reds and oranges, and the guy even changes color. His tank is a deep, royal blue, so he stands out well. He’s new to the tank, and even though he’s the 2^nd biggest critter in there (after our baby sea turtle, Josie) he gets pushed around and bullied for being the new guy. In fact, I found out he changes colors by watching him get pushed around by an angelfish, when he turned all pale white except for his face. It was quite hysterical, and I assure you he is doing better now, and we’re hoping it stays that way! I actually got to be the one to transport our fish from his quarantined tank to his new, current home. If you want to know how this was done, we honestly used a trash can. Yes, it was clean, and it actually had never been used as a trash can. It was just something that was big enough and could easily be wheeled around without causing awkwardness and difficult transportation.

Real quick, I also want to add this really cool bit of information I learned this past week. One of our biologist vets, Jolene, over the past year or so has been conducting research with our freshwater rays and birth-control. Now if you’re like me, you initially thought “heh, come again?” Yep, that’s exactly it. Jolene informed me that freshwater rays have absolutely NO preference and will breed with literally just about anything. You might be thinking “okay, kinda weird, but what’s the problem?” This is a problem because this can create hybrid species, which is a species that is a mix of two distinctly different species that aren’t typically bred together; a common example of this is a liger (tiger+lion) or a mule (horse+donkey). Hybrid species lack the ability to reproduce, and therefore are just kind of a nuisance and can cause problems on the “regular” species. So, Jolene was suggested to try out the effects of the birth-control on the rays, to see if that prevents the formation of hybrid species. We don’t have any official results yet, but either way, this research will be extremely helpful, but it will either inform us that: 1) yes, this BC does help, and can be used on our rays to prevent the forming of hybrids in our enclosures, or 2) no, this BC doesn’t seem to have any effect, but maybe this other particular BC will show changes. As a reliable facility that wants to help the growth, conservation, and breeding of rays, the best way to do this would be to assure “true” rays, and not hybrids that won’t be able to reproduce themselves and be successful in their environments. I can’t wait for Jolene to conclude her experimentation and share her results. I really enjoy getting to shadow underneath her from time to time, because she’s incredibly knowledgeable about all kinds of things, and I love listening to the different stuff she does, day-to-day, for the aquarium.

For your entertainment, and patience for reading all of my crazy adventures and blah-blah stories, here's a video of us feeding one of our eels in one of the tanks I help take care of. He's actually eating a piece of squid, and as you can see, he doesn't like to share! 

Now, who wants some calimari? 

22 Months and Hard Labor

Semba our pregnant elephant 

Matt and I have been busy reading about elephants and preparing for Semba's birth watch and training. We have been put in charge of scheduling docents and volunteers for the birth watch. Starting June 29th, daytime birth watch will begin and on July 8th we will begin 24 hour birth watch! The keepers have already begun weighing Semba daily as opposed to the usual weekly weighing. According to previous elephant births, the cow may drop a good amount of weight before the birth. So far Semba's weight is keeping steady. 

On Tuesday, Matt and I hosted our first docent training session. For those not familiar with this term, a docent is a zoo volunteer that educates visitors at different exhibit locations through out the zoo. Morning through early afternoon birth watches will be slightly different than those over night. Instead of tablets, afternoon volunteers will use a time sheet and record location, behavior and proximity to another elephant, every five minutes. They are given different locations through out the pool yard, and a list of behaviors to choose from. We will have two more training sessions before June 29th. 

We have started taking turns watching Semba throughout our daily shifts. We are using the same methods we created for the docents/morning watchers. This is so we can determine a baseline of Semba's normal behaviors. Once we can recognize what is normal for her, it will be easier to determine what isn't, like the subtle signs of labor. 

Side view of Semba

Speaking of labor! The baby is due between July and August. Due to the long gestation of elephants (22 months!) often times it can be difficult to determine a due date. We can only make an educated guess as to when the baby will be born using urine tests and based on when Semba and Mabu mated. Another option would be to take blood samples daily and test them for progesterone levels. Right before the birth those levels would increase. However, because of the long gap of when the baby could be born, the keepers haven't done blood sampling because they could end up doing it each day for over a month! This most likely this would not be comfortable for Semba. Without any other indications by Semba of being close to labor, it doesn't seem logical to begin blood testing at this time.

The keepers have been keeping busy "baby proofing" the exhibit and barn. The exhibit wasn't originally designed to have such a small elephant running around. There is fencing that separates the pool and grass yards, and contains the elephants to separate them from keepers. The first and second rows of chain are about a foot or so apart but the baby could easily roll through that opening to the opposite side of mom, causing a panic for everyone. So the keepers took more chain and added it between the first two rows. This should keep the baby safer!

Soon we will be starting our 24 hour observations and Matt and I will be doing night shifts. And if the three hour time difference wasn't enough to throw us off, working from 10PM to 7AM will definitely take some getting use to! 

That's all for now here at Reid Park Zoo! 

Semba and her second born; Sundzu