In defense of zoos

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I just signed up to, once again, volunteer at the National Zoo -- this time in the Bird House.  Unlike 20 years ago, when I attended some exhibit-specific training and learned from the keepers, volunteering at the zoo now involves background checks and shots!  But I'm finished with the prelims and looking forward to starting my try-out period!  Since I've been thinking a lot about zoos lately, I thought I'd re-post about zoos:

An article in Conservation Magazine reported on research that suggests that, while zoos play an important role in conservation and species protection, they might want to try to better coordinate their efforts – more bang for the buck.  This report made me think about why it is I still love zoos.  Here’s an earlier post on the topic:

I’ve often heard people say, “I hate going to zoos.  It’s so cruel to keep the animals in cages.”  Recently, there have been news stories regarding the mistreatment of crocodiles by zoogoers in China.  Since I love going to the zoo, these statements and news storiestrouble me, and I rethink whether zoos should exist in our modern world.  Truth be told, I’d prefer to see zoos that don’t concentrate heavily on the “charismatic megafauna” – lions and tigers and bears, oh my!  I’d rather see animals like invertebrates, Amazonian exhibits where we work to see the sloth in a tree, or birds flying freely in large enclosures.  But let’s be honest, most folks won’t visit the zoo unless they can see an elephant or a tiger or a panda.  Despite this difference of opinion on the ideal fauna for a zoo, I believe that, when the animals are treated in humane conditions, zoos do indeed have an important role to play in today’s society.  Here’s why:

• I’ve never seen one of those!  Most of us will not be able to travel to the Galapagos or Kenya to encounter wildlife in its native habitat.  Zoos are often the only place where people can encounter and appreciate animals other than pets and farm animals.  Schools often do not allow animals in the building and field trips to observe local wildlife are pretty much non-existent.  As Richard Louv states in his book, Last Child in the Woods, “In the patent-or-perish environment of higher education, we see the death of natural history as the more hands-on disciplines, such as zoology, give way to more theoretical and remunerative microbiology and genetic engineering.”  The zoo is one of the last homes of environmental and zoological education.  At the zoo we can hear a lion’s roar, feel a sea urchin in the invertebrate house touch tank, smell the musky smell of the maned wolf during breeding season, and even be splashed as the seals and sea lions dive into cold water.
• What?  I can help out?  Zoos are a great volunteer opportunity for people interested in learning more than can be taught in a short weekend visit.  I was a volunteer at the Smithsonian National Zoo for over 5 years, first at the Invertebrate House and then at the Conservation Research Center in Front Royal.  What a great experience!  Under the guidance of expert zookeepers and curators, I learned about animals as varied as the octopus, the hissing cockroach, the Przewalski horse, and the leaf-cutter ant.  I helped feed many of the animals, cleaned their tanks and enclosures, taught zoo visitors about the animals, mourned the loss of old animal friends, and celebrated new births at the zoo.  For an aspiring Dr. Doolittle, it just doesn’t get any better than that!
• The modern ark.  Zoos serve as a last preserve for animals that have either disappeared in the wild or are in danger of going extinct.  Zoos host breeding programs for many of the world’s most endangered species.  The Smithsonian National Zoo sponsors breeding programs for the Guam rail, scimitar-horned oryx, black-footed ferret, maned wolf, and the Panamanian golden frog, just to name a few.  Scientists and students from around the world come to study the latest captive breeding techniques, as well as field biology methods for surveying animals in the wild. 

Many, although not all, of today’s zoo animals were born and bred in captivity, or cannot be returned to the wild because of injury.  When a zoo is well-maintained (see accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums) and animals live in stimulating, enriching environments, I believe zoos have much to offer.  Why not visit and support your local zoo this weekend?

Sources:

Conde D.A., Colchero F., Gusset M., Pearce-Kelly P., Byers O., Flesness N., Browne R.K. & Jones O.R. 2013. Zoos through the Lens of the IUCN Red List: A Global Metapopulation Approach to Support Conservation Breeding Programs., PLoS ONE, PMID: 24348999

Goldman, J.G. 2014.  Is Conservation Work in Zoos too Random?  in Conservation Magazine 1/22/14.  Accessed 1/23/14 at http://conservationmagazine.org/2014/01/conservation-work-zoos-random/

Louv, R.  2008. Last Child in the Woods.  Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.  ISBN-13: 9781565126053.  390 pp.

In Defense of Zoos–a repost

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An article in the January 22 Issue of Conservation Magazine reported on research that suggests that, while zoos play an important role in conservation and species protection, they might want to try to better coordinate their efforts – more bang for the buck.  This report made me think about why it is I still love zoos.  Here’s an earlier post on the topic:

I’ve often heard people say, “I hate going to zoos.  It’s so cruel to keep the animals in cages.”  Recently, there have been news stories regarding the mistreatment of crocodiles by zoogoers in China.  Since I love going to the zoo, these statements and news stories trouble me, and I rethink whether zoos should exist in our modern world.  Truth be told, I’d prefer to see zoos that don’t concentrate heavily on the “charismatic megafauna” – lions and tigers and bears, oh my!  I’d rather see animals like invertebrates, Amazonian exhibits where we work to see the sloth in a tree, or birds flying freely in large enclosures.  But let’s be honest, most folks won’t visit the zoo unless they can see an elephant or a tiger or a panda.  Despite this difference of opinion on the ideal fauna for a zoo, I believe that, when the animals are treated in humane conditions, zoos do indeed have an important role to play in today’s society.  Here’s why:

• I’ve never seen one of those!  Most of us will not be able to travel to the Galapagos or Kenya to encounter wildlife in its native habitat.  Zoos are often the only place where people can encounter and appreciate animals other than pets and farm animals.  Schools often do not allow animals in the building and field trips to observe local wildlife are pretty much non-existent.  As Richard Louv states in his book, Last Child in the Woods, “In the patent-or-perish environment of higher education, we see the death of natural history as the more hands-on disciplines, such as zoology, give way to more theoretical and remunerative microbiology and genetic engineering.”  The zoo is one of the last homes of environmental and zoological education.  At the zoo we can hear a lion’s roar, feel a sea urchin in the invertebrate house touch tank, smell the musky smell of the maned wolf during breeding season, and even be splashed as the seals and sea lions dive into cold water.
• What?  I can help out?  Zoos are a great volunteer opportunity for people interested in learning more than can be taught in a short weekend visit.  I was a volunteer at the Smithsonian National Zoo for over 5 years, first at the Invertebrate House and then at the Conservation Research Center in Front Royal.  What a great experience!  Under the guidance of expert zookeepers and curators, I learned about animals as varied as the octopus, the hissing cockroach, the Przewalski horse, and the leaf-cutter ant.  I helped feed many of the animals, cleaned their tanks and enclosures, taught zoo visitors about the animals, mourned the loss of old animal friends, and celebrated new births at the zoo.  For an aspiring Dr. Doolittle, it just doesn’t get any better than that!
• The modern ark.  Zoos serve as a last preserve for animals that have either disappeared in the wild or are in danger of going extinct.  Zoos host breeding programs for many of the world’s most endangered species.  The Smithsonian National Zoo sponsors breeding programs for the Guam rail, scimitar-horned oryx, black-footed ferret, maned wolf, and the Panamanian golden frog, just to name a few.  Scientists and students from around the world come to study the latest captive breeding techniques, as well as field biology methods for surveying animals in the wild. 

Many, although not all, of today’s zoo animals were born and bred in captivity, or cannot be returned to the wild because of injury.  When a zoo is well-maintained (see accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums) and animals live in stimulating, enriching environments, I believe zoos have much to offer.  Why not visit and support your local zoo this weekend?

Sources:

Conde D.A., Colchero F., Gusset M., Pearce-Kelly P., Byers O., Flesness N., Browne R.K. & Jones O.R. 2013. Zoos through the Lens of the IUCN Red List: A Global Metapopulation Approach to Support Conservation Breeding Programs., PLoS ONE, PMID: 24348999

Goldman, J.G. 2014.  Is Conservation Work in Zoos too Random?  in Conservation Magazine 1/22/14.  Accessed 1/23/14 at http://conservationmagazine.org/2014/01/conservation-work-zoos-random/

Louv, R.  2008. Last Child in the Woods.  Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.  ISBN-13: 9781565126053.  390 pp.

So you slept through science class, part 9–what’s a “niche”?

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The Los Angeles Times recently reported (12/5/2013) that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering listing under the Endangered Species Act 11 tarantula species found in India and Sri Lanka.  These beautiful creatures are threatened by the international pet trade.  We’ve also written about other endangered spider species – the Kauai Cave wolf spider.  So why should we care about spiders?  The answer is because they fill a specific “niche” in their environments. 

Often, when it comes to endangered species conservation, the public wants to concentrate on the big, exciting animals – lions and tigers and bears, oh my!  We call these creatures “charismatic megafauna.”  They certainly are fun animals to watch and photograph, but remember that each of these large species depends on a healthy, functioning ecosystem to survive. 

As we discussed in part 5 of the science class series, ecosystems depend on biodiversity to stay healthy – each ecosystem requires the proper mix of plant and animal species in order to function properly.  The reason these plant and animal species are necessary, is because each species plays a very specific role in the ecosystem.  Ecologists call this role the “niche.”  The niche includes everything that an animal eats, everything that the animal might feed (if it’s a prey species), any changes it makes to its environment as it finds shelter, etc.  To put it in human terms, your niche would be your home, job, hobbies, etc.  If one species disappears, its role or niche is no longer filled.  The loss leaves a hole in the ecosystem structure (picture a spider web with a big hole poked in it). 

So even a creature as small as a spider plays an important role in its ecosystem; that’s why we care about conserving spiders!

Want to learn a few fun spider facts?  Here we go!

1. North America is home to over 3,000 of the approximately 40,000 species of spider worldwide!
2. The largest spider is the Goliath Bird-eating Tarantula, which can grow as large as a small dinner plate!  Check out this National Geographic video:  http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/animals/bugs-animals/spiders-and-scorpions/tarantula_goliath/
3. Spiders are not insects – they’ve got 8 legs and 2 body parts (as opposed to insects with 6 legs and 3 body parts)
4. Spiders don’t have internal skeletons – they’ve got exoskeletons made of chitin (the second most common carbohydrate on Earth!)
5. Some spiders spin webs each day and eat them at the end of the day to recycle the protein in the strands!
6. Pound for pound, spiders’ silk is one of the strongest fibers on Earth!
7. Spiders have been sent into outerspace!  For more information on these “spidernauts”, see NASA’s website.  Check out Esmerelda as she dines at zero-gravity on the international space station!

Sources:

Earth’s Endangered Creatures.  2006-2013.  http://www.earthsendangered.com/.  Accessed 10/31/2012.

NASA.  2011.  International Space Station, Research Website. http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/space_spiders_live.html.  Accessed 10/31/2012.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.  2006.  Kauai Cave Wolf Spider (Adelocosa anops), 5-Year Review:  Summary and Evaluation.

In Defense of Zoos

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I’ve often heard people say, “I hate going to zoos.  It’s so cruel to keep the animals in cages.”  Recently, there have been news stories regarding the mistreatment of crocodiles by zoogoers in China.  Since I love going to the zoo, these statements and news stories trouble me, and I rethink whether zoos should exist in our modern world.  Truth be told, I’d prefer to see zoos that don’t concentrate heavily on the “charismatic megafauna” – lions and tigers and bears, oh my!  I’d rather see animals like invertebrates, Amazonian exhibits where we work to see the sloth in a tree, or birds flying freely in large enclosures.  But let’s be honest, most folks won’t visit the zoo unless they can see an elephant or a tiger or a panda.  Despite this difference of opinion on the ideal fauna for a zoo, I believe that, when the animals are treated in humane conditions, zoos do indeed have an important role to play in today’s society.  Here’s why:

• I’ve never seen one of those!  Most of us will not be able to travel to the Galapagos or Kenya to encounter wildlife in its native habitat.  Zoos are often the only place where people can encounter and appreciate animals other than pets and farm animals.  Schools often do not allow animals in the building and field trips to observe local wildlife are pretty much non-existent.  As Richard Louv states in his book, Last Child in the Woods, “In the patent-or-perish environment of higher education, we see the death of natural history as the more hands-on disciplines, such as zoology, give way to more theoretical and remunerative microbiology and genetic engineering.”  The zoo is one of the last homes of environmental and zoological education.  At the zoo we can hear a lion’s roar, feel a sea urchin in the invertebrate house touch tank, smell the musky smell of the maned wolf during breeding season, and even be splashed as the seals and sea lions dive into cold water.
• What?  I can help out?  Zoos are a great volunteer opportunity for people interested in learning more than can be taught in a short weekend visit.  I was a volunteer at the Smithsonian National Zoo for over 5 years, first at the Invertebrate House and then at the Conservation Research Center in Front Royal.  What a great experience!  Under the guidance of expert zookeepers and curators, I learned about animals as varied as the octopus, the hissing cockroach, the Przewalski horse, and the leaf-cutter ant.  I helped feed many of the animals, cleaned their tanks and enclosures, taught zoo visitors about the animals, mourned the loss of old animal friends, and celebrated new births at the zoo.  For an aspiring Dr. Doolittle, it just doesn’t get any better than that!
• The modern ark.  Zoos serve as a last preserve for animals that have either disappeared in the wild or are in danger of going extinct.  Zoos host breeding programs for many of the world’s most endangered species.  The Smithsonian National Zoo sponsors breeding programs for the Guam rail, scimitar-horned oryx, black-footed ferret, maned wolf, and the Panamanian golden frog, just to name a few.  Scientists and students from around the world come to study the latest captive breeding techniques, as well as field biology methods for surveying animals in the wild.  

Many, although not all, of today’s zoo animals were born and bred in captivity, or cannot be returned to the wild because of injury.  When a zoo is well-maintained (see accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums) and animals live in stimulating, enriching environments, I believe zoos have much to offer.  Why not visit and support your local zoo this weekend?

Source:

Louv, R.  2008. Last Child in the Woods.  Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.  ISBN-13: 9781565126053.  390 pp.

5 Reasons to save the Delmarva Fox Squirrel

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This week’s endangered species is the Delmarva Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger cinereus)(photo from newsforsquirrels.blogspot.com).  For those folks not in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, “Delmarva” is the peninsula that runs along the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay;  the Delmarva fox squirrel was historically found all along the Delmarva peninsula.  According to the species recovery plan, it’s now down to just 10% of its historical population (it was listed as federally endangered in 1967).  It is currently found in eight counties on the Eastern Shore of Maryland (all but Cecil) and Sussex County, Delaware and Accomack County, Virginia (from U.S. FWS Species Profile).  What’s causing the decline of this species?  I know I’m sounding like a broken record in these endangered species posts, but once again, the main culprit seems to be habitat fragmentation and loss. 

According to the Chesapeake Bay Field Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the fox squirrel likes to live in old growth hardwood and pine forests, eating nuts or mature green pine cones.  During the spring, these squirrels add a little variety to their diets in the form of buds, flowers, fungi, seeds, and even insects.  Delmarva fox squirrels prefer to live in dens in hollowed-out trees, but will build nests in the branches of trees, much like the more familiar gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis).   Delmarva fox squirrels breed in the late winter and early spring; after a 44 day gestation, they give birth to a litter of up to 6 squirrels between February and April.

Here are 5 reasons to save the Delmarva Fox Squirrel:

1)  By preserving the forests on which these squirrels depend, we’re also helping many other, less charismatic but equally important, species

2)  The Delmarva fox squirrel population seems to be responding positively to reintroduction attempts (see MD DNR update) – there’s hope!

3)  Species such as the Delmarva fox squirrel, that move and eat seeds and nuts, help to maintain forest ecosystem health and reproduction

4)  Research indicates that these squirrels can survive in a landscape managed for agriculture and sustainable timber harvest

5)  Oh my gosh, how cute are these little guys?

Saturday Stream Monitoring

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It was a chilly Saturday morning, with temperatures in the 30s, and the first Saturday in a very long time without an early morning hockey game or two.  Was it the perfect morning for a sweet greenmomster to let the family sleep in and surprise them with a breakfast of whole wheat waffles covered in fresh fruit and organic whip cream?  Au contraire!  I woke the family up, told them to put on their jackets, and get ready to wade in ice-cold water – we were going stream monitoring!

To the quiet hum of children moaning and complaining, we drove off to help out with the search for benthic macroinvertebrates (large bugs and other animals without backbones that live on the stream bottom) in one of our local streams.  I chose a stream that I knew was in our local watershed.  A watershed is an area in which all water (rain, snowmelt, etc.) runs into the same stream or river.  Any water that people in my neighborhood use to water plants, rinse off the driveway, or wash a car can eventually end up in this particular stream (see Friends of Accotink Creek).

In order to survey the stream, you need people to hold the net and people to “dance,” or stir up the stream bottom to catch any invertebrates that come swimming away.   Then, the group takes a look in the net and counts all of the various critters.  High biodiversity, or variety in the types of animals we see, is one indicator of a healthy stream.  The good news is that the kids actually enjoyed themselves (heh, heh, I knew they would!) and learned a little something about their local environment.  The bad news is the lack of biodiversity in the stream.  How can we help get our streams healthier?  Decrease use of pesticides and fertilizers, plant native plants because they need fewer chemicals than non-natives, and fix any oil or antifreeze leaks in your car.

Activities like this one are happening throughout the country – a quick search of your local area will turn up the schedule of activities that anyone can join.  These activities are great for a number of reasons.  First, kids really see the fun side of science.  Instead of sitting in a classroom, listening to the teacher or reading a textbook (both of which are important activities), kids are out in the stream, churning up water, and counting critters.  They get to see the scientific process at work.  Second, we all begin to see our role in protecting our local environment.  An interesting study in PLoS ONE by Ballouard, et al (2011) showed that the internet seems to be making our children aware of charismatic, exotic animals (like tigers), at the expense of knowledge about local species.  Kids and adults are starting to lose touch with their local environments and their role in protection of that environment.  I see this phenomenon all the time in my classroom; students can tell me about animals in the rainforest, but they can’t tell me 5 bird species we might find outside the classroom window.  The third reason this is a great activity is that we’re contributing to “citizen science.” More and more, everyday citizens, as opposed to professional scientists, are making valuable contributions to data collection.  I used citizen scientists in my dissertation research.  Without my more than 50 volunteers, there’s no way I could have surveyed over 100 butterfly gardens each week for 2 years!

You can sleep late some other day!  Get out and enjoy the environment in your own backyard!

Click on photo to see "stream dance" video