Foxpaws - The Living Desert

MAY, JUNE, JULY 2016
IN THIS ISSUE
1 WHAT’S NEW AT THE ZOO
2 THE PLIGHT OF THE MAJESTIC
GIRAFFE
3 THE ZOO’S TOP CHEF
4 GIVING BACK TO THE LIVING DESERT
5 ZOOBILEE! ON SAFARI
6 UPCOMING EVENTS
7 STARRY SAFARI OVERNIGHT
ADVENTURES
SOCIAL
BUTTERFLY!
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you’re at The Living Desert. Tag us or use #thelivingdesert, and you
may see your photo in the next issue of foxpaws!
BOARD OF TRUSTEES, 2015/2016
Chairman: Roger Snoble *
Vice Chairman: Rick Carlson *
Treasurer: Bill Appel *
Secretary: Mary O. Cone *
President/CEO & Assistant Secretary: Allen Monroe *
Peggy Bernthal
Nancy Burke
Susan E. Cooper *
David Givner
Harry M. Goldstein *
Patti Grundhofer *
H. Earl Hoover II
Sis Jackson *
Michael Kiner *
Louise Knowles
Janet Lanterman *
JoAnn McGrath
Peter Scheer
There are 230 AZA-accredited zoos and
aquariums that work collaboratively to protect
endangered species from extinction and restore
them to healthy sized populations in the wild.
Project SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) is
the current focus of this effort to engage over
180 million annual zoo and aquarium visitors and
partners across the world to protect habitat,
decrease threats and restore populations to
sustainable levels.
Ex-Officio – Ann Schaffner,
Volunteer Council
PRESIDENT EMERITA
Karen Sausman
TRUSTEE EMERITUS/EMERITA
Curt Ealy
Miriam U. Hoover
Sherman A. Smith
SECRETARY EMERITUS
Dorothy L. Weber
In the last year, AZA members spent over $154
million on conservation efforts that helped
776 species in over 130 countries. Close to 25
endangered species have been saved by AZA zoos
and aquariums and over 40 species have been
reintroduced into the wild through AZA managed
breeding programs (SSP Species Survival Plans).
LEGAL COUNSEL
Brian S. Harnik
Roemer & Harnik, LLP
ADVISORY COUNCIL
City of Indian Wells – Mayor Dana Reed
City of Palm Desert – Councilman Van G. Tanner
Coachella Valley Water District – Jim Barrett and Ed Pack
Wayne Connor Associates – Wayne Connor
Greater Palm Springs CVB – Scott White and Judy Vossler
Sabby Jonathan
Bill Powers
Carol Wright
officials to help protect local endangered species
such as the Mexican Wolf, Peninsular Pronghorn
Antelope and the Desert Tortoise.
Because there must be suitable habitat protected
for all the desert’s plants and animals, The
Living Desert has developed partnerships with
the cities of Palm Desert and Indian Wells, the
Coachella Valley Water District, Friends of Desert
Mountains and the Coachella Valley Mountain
Conservancy to set aside land in permanent
conservation easements.
The task ahead of us is great if we are to slow
down the destruction of wild places and the loss
of endangered plants and animals. Individually,
it is hard to make a big impact, but by working
together we can accomplish much more for our
conservation and education missions.
By visiting The Living Desert, you can partner
with us to help protect the plants and animals
that call the desert home.
Allen Monroe, President/CEO
Here in the Coachella Valley, The Living Desert
works with both State and Federal conservation
ON THE COVER:
Animal: Reticulated Giraffe
Photo Credit: Bert Buxbaum
* Board of Directors
ZOO
One of the great joys in working at The Living
Desert is the opportunity to develop partnerships
with other organizations that share our mission of
providing environmental education and conserving
imperiled habitats and endangered species. This
occurs at the national level with other institutions
that are part of the Association of Zoos and
Aquariums (AZA) as well as organizations right
here in the Coachella Valley.
Dick Shalhoub *
Betts Simon
Bill Simpkins *
BJ Skilling *
Phillip K Smith Jr.
Mary Lou Solomon *
Larry Spicer *
Sam Spinello *
Sandra Cooper Woodson *
Foxpaws editorial staff:
Project Manager: Erin Scott
Contributors: RoxAnna Breitigan, Bert Buxbaum, May
Guzman, Christine Janson, Ivy Lewis, Allen Monroe,
Angela Woods
WHAT’S NEW AT THE
We can’t wait to hear from you!
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THE PLIGHT OF THE
MAJESTIC GIRAFFE
The majestic giraffe – an animal that vividly conjures
images of the African savannah. There are nine subspecies of giraffe, and here at The Living Desert we
are lucky to have seven Reticulated giraffes. The Living
Desert’s first birth of 2016 was a male giraffe calf, born
on January 20, 2016. His birth is not only a wonderful
sight for our guests, young and old, but is an impactful
reminder of the giraffe species’ current plight.
Giraffes, Giraffa Camelopardalis, are in the midst of a silent
crisis. And, unfortunately, the current perception is that
giraffe populations are plentiful and most people are
unaware that giraffes are in trouble in the wild. Recent
field surveys indicate that their numbers hover around
80,000 giraffes, down 40% over the past 15 years. And,
the current giraffe populations are limited to certain
pockets of Africa, which further fragment the populations.
For perspective, wild elephants number in the 450,000.
Can you imagine a world without giraffes?
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Even with the low survey numbers, the International
Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) only considers
two of the nine sub-species as endangered and of high
conservation priority. The Rothschild sub-species has
fewer than 1,100 wild giraffes on the planet, fewer than
the Giant Panda. And despite the popularity of giraffes,
they have been understudied and little is known about
their ecology and demography in the wild, especially in
the populations rapidly being affected by human land use.
The giraffes’ main threat are humans, which
includes poaching, habitat fragmentation and
degradation, war and civil unrest, as well as disease
transmission from livestock. The poaching of
giraffes has escalated as automatic weapons have
proliferated and other resources remain scarce,
especially food. In Kenya, there are 3,000 giraffes
and 12.5 million people who are food insecure;
and in the Karamoja region of Uganda, there are
54 giraffes and 785,000 people who are food
insecure. These odds are not good. So the big
question is, are we facing the next mega-faunal
extinction and what can be done to prevent it?
It is not too late to make a difference in the lives
of the world’s giraffes. If we all work together,
we can all provide hope for the future of giraffes.
There are 102 accredited AZA zoos who hold
giraffes and those zoos reach more than 85
million visitors annually. Everyone plays a part
to save these incredible animals. An accredited
AZA organization, The Living Desert, takes great
pride in caring for our current herd of giraffes.
Each one is special and our efforts help ensure
the population in human care continues to be
sustainable. The Living Desert is well equipped
and is a leader in the care of ungulate (hoofstock) animals and is a major supporter of the
Sahara Conservation Fund (SCF). Furthermore,
The Living Desert has four ungulate Species
Survival Plan (SSP) coordinators on site, and our
location lends itself very well to caring for ungulates
because of our space and environment.
Just by visiting The Living Desert, you help us support
field conservation work, education programming,
and the care of our animals. You can also help giraffe
populations by participating in World Giraffe Day at
The Living Desert. Held every year on June 21,World
Giraffe Day is not only a worldwide celebration of
these amazing and much loved animals, but it is an
annual event that raises awareness of their current
challenges and supports the conservation efforts in
zoos and in wild populations.
TWIGA – THE
LIVING DESERT’S
NEW ADDITION
FAST FACTS:
• Name: Twiga (Swahili for giraffe)
• Born: January 20, 2016
• At Birth: 5’9” and 130 lbs
• Mother: Dadisi
• Father: Hesabu
• Favorite activities: Roaming
and running around the
exhibit, making friends with
his neighbors and playing with
his brother, Kubwa and halfbrother, Ayo.
Twiga will double his size in the first
year of his life, and he has his own
unique, spot-like markings- no two
giraffe have the same pattern, similar
to our unique fingerprints.
The birth of Twiga helps ensure that
the population of giraffes in human
care continues to be sustainable
and ensures that the species does
not go extinct.Twiga’s role is to also
help teach our guests about giraffes’
current plight and empowers guests
to feel connected to their species
and want to make a difference.
Twiga received his Swahili name through
a generous donation from Candi and Jon
Holzgrafe at The Living Desert’s Annual
Zoobilee Gala held in March.
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THE ZOO’S
TOP CHEF
These days, a healthy lifestyle and good nutrition
are on everyone’s mind. This includes the healthy,
well-balanced diets of the animal residents of The
Living Desert, where each day hundreds of meals
are prepared and served to our animals. Their
nutrition is imperative and at the forefront of our
work. The staff at The Living Desert constantly
evaluate the food’s calories, vitamins, minerals,
and quality. Since each animal has unique needs
based on their age, history, and personality, the
utmost care and consideration is involved with
the daily menu planning. Furthermore, each
animal is unique and incredibly valuable, and we
strive to give them the highest quality of food
possible. The motto is “if we won’t eat it, we
shouldn’t serve it.” Now, I’m not saying I would
sample everything on the menu, but I think you
get the idea. To help explain what it takes to run
The Living Desert’s Commissary I’ve enlisted the
help of a couple of TLD staff who are integral to
keeping everyone well fed.
Ben Klopf is the Animal Care Manager who oversees
the Animal Kitchen, or the Commissary as it is
commonly called in the zoo world. He is our very
own restaurant manager, and he took some time to
answer some frequently asked questions.
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WHAT ARE SOME SPECIALTY ITEMS YOU
PURCHASE?
There are quite a few specialty items, including bones,
frozen rodents, vitamin supplements, beef hearts,
insects, and fish.
HOW MANY POUNDS OF FOOD DO YOU
GO THROUGH IN A DAY?
Not including hay, bones or whole prey items, the
commissary prepares over 102 pounds of food
per day, which adds up to over 37, 836 pounds of
food per year!
The best person to answer some other questions
is Emily Schwartz, the Commissary keeper, who can
be looked at as our very own executive chef for the
animals. Her specialized background and education
in animal nutrition gives her the expertise needed
to ensure we are providing the highest quality of
diets to The Living Desert’s animals.
WHO PREPARES ALL OF THE FOOD?
COMMISSARY FUN FACTS
• The Living Desert feeds approximately 2,853,344 insects to our animals every year.
• The Living Desert feeds approximately 12,220 pounds of carrots to our animals every year.
• Ben Klopf, Animal Care Manager, goes grocery shopping for most of the needed fruits and
vegetables on Wednesdays - Shopping cart, grocery list and all.
• Every morning, two commissary staff and a volunteer prepare all of the meals for The Living
Desert’s 600+ animals.
The commissary keeper team and a core group of
volunteers all play a role in preparing the meals of
the day. Each morning hundreds of diets are weighed,
chopped and mixed for the animals.
WHERE DOES THE FOOD FOR THE ANIMALS
COME FROM?
WHAT KIND OF THINGS DO YOU LOOK
AT BEFORE SERVING?
We feed such a variety of animals here at The Living
Desert so we can’t get all the food from one place.
The carnivores need their meat and the herbivores
need their veggies. There are companies that
specialize in zoo meats that deliver thousands of
pounds at a time to us. However, most of the
produce is purchased at a local grocery store
or delivered to us in bulk amounts just like it is
delivered to the restaurants you and I visit. And,
the hay and other grains come from local farmers.
DO YOU DELIVER THE FOOD?
Overall quality and quantity of each item, as well
as the nutritional value. The size of items is also
important; you don’t want bite sizes to be too big or
too small for an animal to eat.
The keepers are the servers. They pick up the diets
each day and deliver them to each enclosure for the
animals. They bring back the empty dishes and then
it all starts over the next day.
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A VERY HAPPY
ANNIVERSARY
STEEDMANS
BY: MARIANNE STEEDMAN
My husband, Robert, and I discovered The
Living Desert 15 years ago, when we first
began dating. We love the animals, hiking
trails, beautiful gardens and welcoming staff
and volunteers. The Living Desert is our
favorite place to visit during our getaways to
the Palm Desert area.
We were married on October 8, 2005.
While visiting The Living Desert on our
one-year wedding anniversary, we decided
that the best anniversary gift we could give
one another is to do something to help The
Living Desert through the Adopt an Animal
program. So, every October we adopt a
new animal and receive a fascinating
behind the scenes chat with the animal’s
keeper. So far, we’ve adopted ten animals
ranging from the Harris’s hawk to this
year’s adoptee, the beautiful giraffe.
This is a special anniversary tradition that we
will continue year after year.
While in the park following their
‘Adopt an Animal’ giraffe keeper
chat, Robert and Marianne learned
of the ‘enrichment wish list’ of needs
that RoxAnna Breitigan, Director
of Animals, had developed. Robert
and Marianne are not the type of
supporters to wait. They immediately
went shopping and brought back a
wonderful selection of enrichment
treats for our animals! They want
everyone to know how easy it is to
make a difference! Check out The
Living Desert’s website to see how
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you can help too, at LivingDesert.org.
THE LIVING DESERT’S
HERITAGE SOCIETY:
Living Desert Trustee Emeritus Col. Sherman A. Smith, USMC (ret.) and
his wife, Lady, are long-time supporters of The Living Desert and members
of The Heritage Society. In 2007, as part of the financial planning for their
remaining years, the Smiths wanted to develop an income stream from
a portion of their assets, while ensuring The Living Desert would be the
beneficiary after their passing. They decided to utilize a Charitable Gift
Annuity (CGA) to achieve their financial goals.
Eight years later, the Smiths have decided to establish a second CGA.
Referred to as “laddering,” donors establish a series of charitable gift
annuities over time which allows the interest rates to be diversified and
ultimately provides a higher payout than through just one CGA.
Each planned gift strategy is unique to each individual and family.Always review
these options with your professional advisor. Contact Jan Hawkins, Director
of Development, for a meeting to learn how your legacy gift will positively
impact The Living Desert for years to come (760-346-5694 ext. 2161).
Members of The Heritage Society, The Living Desert’s Annual Giving
program, meet annually and have a unique, shared bond. Look for the blue
pin with the coyote on it and ask anyone wearing it why they have made
their gift. Then come join us!
EVENT RECAP
ZOOBILEE GALA
ON SAFARI!
Thank you to our steadfast sponsors and supporters who made Zoobilee 2016 the most successful
gala ever! We thank you!
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Take a Wild
Animal into
Your Heart
Become a proud parent
of an animal at The Living
Desert today!
To adopt or for more info call or email
760-346-5694 ext 2126
adopt@livingdesert.org
STARRY SAFARI OVERNIGHT
ADVENTURES
BY CHRISTINE JANSON, EDUCATION PROGRAMS
We’re finally snuggled in our tents after a long,
eventful evening spent trekking through the dark,
uninhabited park catching glimpses of wildlife along
the way. A sounder of warthogs, a few wild dogs,
porcupines, cheetahs and hyenas – they all seemed
interested in us as we stealthily made our way in the
dark. Even the East African Crowned Cranes honked
in alert as we passed them setting off the braying of
a small herd of Grevy’s zebra.
Now, we’re ready for well-deserved sleep – but
wait – what’s that far-off sound? Could it be the
leopard we spotted earlier in the evening? Listen!
He’s making the distinctive “sawing” sound calling
through the distance as he moves about his territory
in search of prey.
What should we do? Are we safe in our tents?
Sure we are-we’re not really in Africa-it only seems
like the real thing! We’re safely encamped at the Starry
Safari Overnight Adventures at The Living Desert
where not only did we spend time in “Africa”, but we
also journeyed to the deserts of North America to spot
mountain lion, bobcats, Mexican wolves and peccary.
Our evening started out tame enough with up-close
animal presentations where we even got to touch
some of the smaller animals while learning about them.
Children can explore natural habitats, encounter exotic animals, discover
scientific concepts, go behind the scenes, and have the most fun under the
desert sun! Each themed class focuses on an entertaining and education topic
geared for the specific age level. Summer ZooCamp offers week-long morning
camps (8am-noon) that will excite and inspire budding naturalists. Registration
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is now open! For more information, please contact the Education Department
at 760-346-5694, ext. 2501 or by email at ZooCamp@livingdesert.org
At the campsite, we were treated to a campfire
program where we sang a silly song about
conservation and the role of modern zoos while
learning what we can do to help save plants and
animals from extinction.
Before bedtime, we roasted s’mores while sitting
around a roaring fire telling tall tales and reminiscing
about what a fun night we had.
After sleeping soundly, (well, we did hear more braying
from the zebras and wasn’t that a coyote howling?) we
woke early to a continental breakfast before spending
the day at The Living Desert for a trek through the
park to see what we might have missed in the dark.
Want to join us for an exciting evening at Starry
Safari Overnight Adventures? It’s easy, just signup, pack your bags and bring a sleeping bag. We
provide everything else – tents, sleeping mats,
camp chairs and lanterns, campfire program and
continental breakfast.
Check our calendar for dates, or contact us at
StarrySafari@livingdesert.org.
Overnight Adventures are great for families,
school or scout groups and individuals.
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4 7 9 0 0 P O RTO L A AV E ,
PALM D E S E RT, C A 9 2 2 6 0
CALENDAR OF EVENTS - APRIL - MAY - JUNE - JULY 2016
MAY 2016
TUESDAY, 3
Living Desert University:
Hike – Pinyon Crest and
Shumway Ranch
9:00 am – 12:00 Noon
WEDNESDAYS, 4, 11, 18, 25
Me & You at the Zoo
9:00 – 10:00 am
Me & You in the Garden
10:00 – 10:30 am
6, 14, 20, 28
Starry Safari Overnight
Adventures
6:30 pm – 8:30 am
JUNE 2016
SATURDAY, 7
Train Day
10a – 2p
THURSDAY, 12
Member’s Only Bird Walk
7:30 – 9:30 am
SATURDAY, 14
ZooCamp
9:30 – 11:30 am
FRIDAY, 20
Endangered Species Day
WEDNESDAY, 1
Summer Park Hours Begin
Week 1: 20-24
Week 2: 20-July 1
Summer ZooCamp
8:00 am – 12:00 Noon
TUESDAY, 21
World Giraffe Day
JULY 2016
Week 3: July 4- 8
Week 4: July 11-15
Week 5: July18-22
Week 6: July 25-29
Summer ZooCamp
8:00 am – 12:00 Noon