A Future for Gorillas

summer 2009
A Future for Gorillas
president’s message
summer 2009
Table of Contents
President’s Message ................................................................1
Cover Story:
Dear Members:
In this edition of Wild Times, we return to one of Zoo Atlanta’s best-known
and most beloved species: gorillas. Gorillas have served as flagship animals
at the Zoo for more than 20 years, and we recently received word that
Zoo Atlanta now houses the nation’s largest collection. With this distinction
comes an even larger responsibility for ensuring a future for the world’s
great apes.
Throughout this issue, you’ll also read more about the breadth of Zoo
Atlanta’s conservation work for endangered species around the globe.
As Members, you’re aware of our Rare Care Sponsorship program. If you
have a favorite Zoo animal, or are shopping for a meaningful gift for a loved
one, remember that this is a great opportunity to make your own individual
difference in the lives of animals here and in the wild.
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Zoo Atlanta Around the World ............................................9
What Else Goes If They Don't Stay?
Zoo Atlanta stands to lose more than a few cute bears .................12
Staff Profile: Tara Stoinski, PhD ..........................................13
13
Wild Buzz .............................................................................15
Wally’s Wild World ..............................................................16
With summer here, the main idea on the minds of our Members and guests
is family fun. You know that the Zoo provides that in abundance! But it’s
important to remember that even though Zoo Atlanta is a perfect destination for good times and education,
we are also an active and influential conservation organization that spends every day committed to saving
the wild animals and ecosystems represented by the ones you see, know and love here.
Enjoy the summer, and bring your friends!
A Tale of Two Silverbacks:
Two Leaders, Two Lives, One Future ....................................3
Mark Your Calendar ............................................................17
Meet the Animals .................................................................18
16
Zoo Atlanta thanks our Wild Times staff:
Managing Editor: Rachel MacNabb
Dennis W. Kelly
President and CEO
Wild Times Designer: Kathy Cahill
Creative Director, Zoo Atlanta: Richard Hezlep
Contributing Writers: Laurel Askue, Brigitte Clifton, Rachel MacNabb, Zoe Nieminen,
Lani Schoedler, Amy Walton
Contributing Editor: Zoe Nieminen
Staff Photographer:
Adam K. Thompson
Mountain gorilla photography: The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International
800 Cherokee Avenue, SE
Atlanta, GA 30315
www.gorillafund.org
1
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On the cover: Macy B., western lowland gorilla. Photo by Adam K. Thompson.
2
a talE
of TWo
siLvEr
bAcks
3
3
By Rachel MacNabb, Managing Editor; Western lowland gorilla photography by Adam K. Thompson;
Mountain gorilla photography courtesy of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International
Two Leaders,
two lives,
one future.
C
onservationists call it “silent forest syndrome.” The name conjures thoughts of beauty marred by an eerie quiet. There’s a sense that
something’s missing, and it doesn’t take long to realize what that something is.
There are places in the world where unfettered acres of pristine wild land
are gradually becoming uninhabited by native wildlife. In western Africa,
there are spectacular jungle landscapes that should be home to gorillas — but
aren’t. While habitat loss is the most encompassing problem for the world’s
endangered wildlife, it isn’t the only issue. Sometimes, the question isn’t one
of space, but of proximity — particularly in the case of species so similar to
us that they can catch our diseases, or animals whose homes have been too
frequently invaded by poachers. In 2008, these and other factors succeeded
in earning the western lowland gorilla a dubious status upgrade: critically
endangered.
The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), the Convention on the
Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) and the Great
Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP) have declared 2009 The Year of the
Gorilla. Zoo Atlanta and the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International (DFGFI)
are partners in preserving a future for these irreplaceable great apes
through research, education and community awareness.
At the heart of the matter are the apes themselves — gorilla families living
on separate continents, leading separate lifestyles and sometimes, sadly,
meeting separate ends. Similarities or differences, Zoo or remote forest, their
destinies are intertwined.
Taz :
Strength of a generation
It’s mid-afternoon in Zoo Atlanta’s Gorilla Habitat Three, and
the forest is anything but silent. The Ford African Rain Forest is
teeming with visitors, each here to watch, learn, love and enjoy.
Many are visibly affected by the activities of a family that so closely
reminds them of their own. Some are hesitant to leave the
Takamenda Deck, even with a whole Zoo left to see.
Taz, a 19-year-old male western lowland gorilla, forages in the
center of the yard. He may appear to be at leisure, but he’s not
idle. He is 365 pounds of lean muscle, six feet at his tallest,
capable of moving at a thundering run. His group members –
females Kudzoo, Kuchi, Lulu and Sukari and their offspring Kali,
Kazi, Macy B. and Gunther – are always in his sight. Taz is a
quintessential silverback, successful in a role far more complex
than his status as largest and strongest. His family’s protector,
mediator and occasional disciplinarian, he is also a tolerant father,
gentle in play and restrained in bouts of roughhousing.
“It’s been great to watch Taz develop into such a successful group
leader and father,” says Curator of Primates Charles Horton, who
has known the silverback since birth. “Zoo guests also get an
accurate idea of what gorilla family life might be like in the wild.”
5
Taz’s skills could be viewed as remarkable, considering the fact
that he didn’t grow up with a leader to emulate. Born July 19,
1989, he is among the first generation of gorillas born at Zoo
Atlanta to African-born parents. His mother, 50-year-old Shamba,
is the Zoo’s oldest great ape; his father, Rann, died when Taz was 5.
As a youngster, he joined two peers, Kekla and Stadi, in the Zoo’s
first bachelor gorilla group. When 15-year-old Taz was
recommended by the Gorilla SSP to join a group of females, no one
was entirely sure the longtime bachelor would know how to behave.
(Initially, it didn’t look as if he did: there is a humorous early video
of an intimidated Taz being chased by his future mates.)
Compared to life in the wild, where resources are never
guaranteed and hazards abound, Taz’s existence seems almost
charmed. Citrus fruits and apples spontaneously appear in the
yard at 3 p.m. The gorillas are expected and encouraged to forage for other snacks, just as they would in the wild, but there’s
always something to forage for. Inside their night quarters, there
are additional comforts – fresh nesting materials, nutrient-rich
primate chow, juice and entertaining play structures for the little
ones. Taz’s group also has regular access to veterinary treatment
– flu vaccinations, antibiotics, annual physicals, even dental care.
Each has his or her individual health plan, and if anyone gets sick,
there is an entire team of professionals committed to a quick and
comfortable recovery.
Taz’s apparent ease of life aside, observers should never be lulled
into mistaken notions that he and his family aren’t still wild animals.
Were anyone ever foolish enough to threaten his territory or
his group, the response would be swift and devastating. While
Taz does get chances to glower skyward at low-flying aircraft or
thump his chest in challenge when he spots other males in separate
habitats, danger isn’t quite the expected guest that it would be
thousands of miles to the east, in the gorillas’ native Africa.
6
Two lives, one future
Happily, the reports aren’t all bad. Mountain gorillas are an
important success story, an example of endangered wildlife being
wrenched literally from the brink of extinction. (A number like
700 sounds perilously small, but when Fossey began her work in
the 1960s, mountain gorillas numbered fewer than 300.) Their
cousins the western lowland gorillas – Taz’s wild counterparts –
are an alarming recent addition to global conservation priority,
but there is reason to believe that they, too, can benefit from the
single greatest hope for their species: people care. And people
should, for reasons far more numerous than just the saving of
one group of animals. Gorillas are a flagship species affecting an
ecological balance for countless others, including our own.
Bwenge:
Hope on the mountain
Bwenge lives in Rwanda’s Virunga Mountains. He is 19, the same
age as Taz, and is also a leader and father. Bwenge and his group
– females Cyiza, Faida, Ginseng, Ikaze, Kwiruka, Maggie, Ntobo,
Nzeli and two infants – are among the 110 individuals currently
observed daily by DFGFI. Like Taz, he is a prolific father, but only
two of his seven offspring have survived.
Field staff at DFGFI’s Karisoke Research Center have been
watching members of Bwenge’s extended family for more than
40 years, beginning with the work of the late Dr. Dian Fossey.
Bwenge’s uncle was Digit, the gorilla whose interactions with
Fossey were immortalized in Gorillas in the Mist. (Digit died
defending his family from poachers in 1977.) Titus and two other
males, Cantsbee and Shinda, served as the primary leaders of the
groups observed by Karisoke researchers for nearly two decades.
In 2007, however, Bwenge made an extraordinary move.
He left his father’s group and struck out on his own with two
females, later attracting six more. In doing so, Bwenge became
the first male in 40 years of study to successfully recruit and,
more importantly, retain, females from his family group.
Unlike Taz, Bwenge spent his first 17 years in his birth group,
where an easygoing atmosphere prevailed under the leadership
of the even-tempered Titus. Bwenge, who seems to have inherited
his father’s mellow personality, grew up with ample opportunities
for play with numerous siblings – youthful shenanigans that may
have even made it to the silver screen.
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Dr. Tara Stoinski, Zoo Atlanta’s Manager of Conservation
Partnerships and DFGFI’s Pat and Forrest McGrath Chair of
Conservation and Science, accompanied actor Andy Serkis to
the Virungas during pre-production of 2005’s King Kong. (Serkis
sought to model his role as the legendary gentle giant not on the
upright-walking monster of earlier treatments, but on authentic
gorilla behavior.) During his visit, Serkis witnessed a particularly
mirthful play session between Bwenge and a younger brother.
“Bwenge was playing with his brother, and both of them were
laughing the whole time,” remembers Stoinski. “Andy was very
affected by what he saw. There’s a scene in the film where Kong’s
laughing … I think Bwenge probably inspired that scene.”
It’s not a misnomer: gorillas do laugh, but the low-pitched
vocalization can be difficult to hear. (In the Zoo, look for the
open-mouthed play faces.) But it’s not all good times and games
for the approximately 700 mountain gorillas living in Rwanda, the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda. Rwanda is
the most densely populated country in Africa, with one of the
continent’s highest poverty rates. Fortunately, most Rwandans
view their apes as a valuable and even lucrative natural resource,
as a portion of tourism dollars generated by trips to see the gorillas
is returned to local communities. Poaching remains a significant
problem in neighboring DRC, where civil war and general unrest
undermine the ability of rangers to protect park lands. (Gorillas,
naturally, do not observe national borders, and move frequently
between the Rwandan and Congolese sides of their habitat.)
“Protecting gorillas protects thousands of other plants and animals
and saves watersheds that are ultimately important for human
survival. If we don’t address the current causes of decline, then
not just gorillas, but all apes will go extinct in the wild in our
children’s lifetimes,” says Stoinski. “Having these animals on the
planet makes the planet more interesting … they have a right
to be here.”
The home of the nation’s largest collection of gorillas and a
globally-recognized center of excellence in the care and study
of great apes, Zoo Atlanta is committed to ensuring that Africa’s
gorillas continue to exercise that right. The Zoo partners directly
with DFGFI by providing office space and resources for DFGFI’s
international headquarters, which are located on Zoo grounds.
Zoo Atlanta also manages a successful cell phone recycling program,
the proceeds from which go straight to DFGFI park patrols,
ranger supplies and field necessities in Africa.
The Zoo’s most enduring contributions to gorilla conservation,
however, are Taz and the 21 others sharing habitats in The Ford
African Rain Forest. Thousands of guests a year see Taz’s family,
many of them returning as Zoo Members to watch his offspring
grow. Only a tiny percentage of these visitors have or ever will
have the chance to see wild gorillas in Africa. And it is here that
there is an unbreakable connection between two lives, two
continents and two silverbacks whose paths will never cross.
Both are effective leaders, protective mates and devoted fathers.
Both are signs of a new time – Taz, one of the first gorillas born
at Zoo Atlanta; Bwenge, a symbol of youthful future leadership.
And both stand to benefit from the changing views, values and
support of their surrounding communities. Both Taz and Bwenge
set excellent examples of silverbacks committed to protecting
their families, exhibiting behavior they innately know.
If the survival of wild gorillas were merely up to leaders like Taz
and Bwenge, perhaps there’d be no doubt about the future. The
responsibility for protecting their kind rests not on their silver
shoulders, but on our own.
The responsibility for protecting their kind rests not on their silver shoulders, but on our own.
8
Zoo
Atlanta
around the world
by Zoe Nieminen, Director of Capital Giving
Great apes, giant pandas, reptiles and amphibians are nationally-recognized centers of
excellence for Zoo Atlanta, yet these animals comprise just a portion of the endangered species
represented in the collection. Established in 2008, The Mabel Dorn Reeder Foundation
Conservation Endowment Fund enables the Zoo to influence the future of an even broader
spectrum of wildlife around the world. Zoo Atlanta maximizes the impact of the Endowment
by partnering with established conservation organizations. The Mabel Dorn Reeder
Foundation permitted a portion of its initial contribution to be directed to the immediate
support of select conservation projects. Late last year, the Zoo’s Conservation and Animal
Welfare Committee approved the exciting first set of field projects that have already been
supported by small grants. (See opposite page.)
African elephants – Namibia
As a complement to the Fund, Zoo Atlanta worked with the Foundation again in early 2009 to
establish The Mabel Dorn Reeder Foundation Chair of Conservation Research. This endowed
position is focused on the Zoo’s conservation centers of excellence: primates; giant pandas; and
amphibians and reptiles. Together, the Fund and this Chair position serve to strengthen and
protect the future of Zoo Atlanta’s status as an international zoological leader in research and
conservation. The Chair of Conservation Research position will ultimately be held by different
Zoo staff within the primate, giant panda and amphibian and reptile areas, depending on the
Zoo’s most critical conservation focus at the time. The holder of this position will demonstrate
a strong commitment to research in his or her area by:
Golden lion tamarins – Brazil
International Elephant Foundation
Movement, Population and Social Dynamics of African Elephants in Kunene and Omusati Regions of Namibia
Drills – Afi Mountain, Nigeria
Pan African Alliance Sanctuaries/Pandrillus Drill Rehabilitation & Breeding Center
Drill Monkey Reintroduction Project
Associação Mico-Leão-Dourado (Golden Lion Tamarin Association)
Connecting Forest and People for the Long Term Survival of Golden Lion Tamarins
Orangutans – Borneo
Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation
Medical supplies to Nyaru Menteng Rehabilitation Center
¤Managing one of the Zoo’s animal collections within the established centers of excellence;
¤ Conducting scientific research on that collection to be published in peer-reviewed publications; and
Rhinos – Kenya and Zimbabwe
¤ Making demonstrable contributions to conservation of species within that collection.
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Kenya
Rhino and Grevy’s Zebra Conservation
In addition to providing long-term stability for the Zoo’s core animal areas, the endowment of
this position will enable the Zoo to continue to attract, support and retain high-quality talent
dedicated to conservation research. The Chair of Conservation Research position is currently
held by the Curator of Carnivores, who oversees the Zoo’s internationally recognized work
for conservation of the highly endangered giant panda.
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International Rhino Foundation
Lowveld Rhino Project, Zimbabwe
10
we’re all Panda Fans.
What else goes if they don’t stay?
Zoo Atlanta stands to lose more than a few cute bears.
Zoo Atlanta’s giant pandas are among Atlanta’s best-known
animal celebrities. Lun Lun and Yang Yang took Zoo attendance
to 1 million for the first time in its history, and guests stand in line
for a glimpse or a photo. Xi Lan and Mei Lan are the apples of
the eyes of thousands of PandaCam watchers who may never
see them in person. Virtual communities have formed around the
Zoo’s giant pandas, and they are almost universally adored for
one physical trait: pure cuteness.
But you already know all of that.
If the giant pandas return to China, the loss will be greater than a
bittersweet goodbye to an Atlanta institution. Most people know
that Lun Lun’s and Yang Yang’s 10-year loan is nearly up, and that
Zoo Atlanta will not be able to sustain any future arrangement
without a significant fundraising effort. What many may not know
is that 10 years of scientific discovery and progress will accompany
the bears on the plane.
Giant pandas have been a recognized center of excellence for
Zoo Atlanta for more than a decade. As with great apes, reptiles
and amphibians, giant pandas are animals for which the Zoo has
made permanent contributions to global understanding of an
enigmatic endangered species.
They make Zoo Atlanta unique. They make our city
special. And they make friends they’ve never even
met. Giant pandas bridge continents and unite
millions. Their kind has always been elusive in the
wild, but thanks to 10 unforgettable years, they’ve
never been elusive to you.
You can make a difference for the future of Zoo
Atlanta’s giant panda program.
• Become a Zoo Member.
• Sponsor giant pandas through Rare Care.
• Support Zoo Atlanta with an individual donation.
Help keep our giant pandas in Atlanta
givesotheystay.org
Reproductive and maternal behavior
Dr. Rebecca Snyder has known Lun Lun and Yang Yang since
they were cubs, but there’s more to that relationship than 10
years of memories. Snyder’s studies on reproductive and maternal
behavior are now multigenerational: two of her first subjects
were Lun Lun’s and Yang Yang’s mothers, Bing Bing and Ya Ya.
Research could ultimately shed light on a connection between
early rearing experience and adult reproductive success.
by Rachel MacNabb
Vocal communication
Dr. Ben Charlton recently returned from China, where he
spent several months collecting and analyzing audio of giant
panda sounds, as well as playing calls to giant pandas and
recording their reactions. His assessments indicate that individual
vocalizations hold cues to identity, and that females discriminate
between sounds from different males. Additionally, females
vocalize differently during their most fertile periods, and males
are sensitive to this cue. Charlton’s experiments fill an important
gap in our understanding of giant panda communication and
could prove very insightful to the zoological community’s
knowledge of giant panda breeding behavior.
Training
Zoo Atlanta was the first zoo in the world to publish material
on the use of positive reinforcement training with giant pandas.
Animal care staff has successfully trained Lun Lun and Yang Yang
on over 20 management behaviors. Mei Lan isn’t far behind, and
even Xi Lan is already familiar with several basic commands. The
Zoo’s shared expertise in this area has already proven beneficial
to other institutions in China and the U.S.
Who knew?
Numerous studies would never have been possible without Lun
Lun and Yang Yang. The bears have served as subjects for several
important research projects by current and former graduate
students from the Georgia Tech Center for Conservation and
Behavior: Angela Kelling, a groundbreaking study demonstrating
giant panda color vision; Bonnie Perdue, Master’s thesis on spatial
memory; Estelle Sandhaus, Master’s thesis on meal scheduling;
Pei Sun, Master’s thesis on effects of early rearing on breeding
behavior; and Dr. Lorie Tarou, doctoral dissertation on foraging.
Play behavior
Dr. Megan Wilson examines giant pandas at play. Wilson was
first author on a recently published study assimilating three years
of data from the Chengdu Research Base and Chengdu Zoo.
Researchers examined videos of cub play-fighting behavior, both
with other cubs and with mothers. Findings revealed that juveniles
behaved differently when playing with other cubs than they did
when roughhousing with their mothers. These observations
could have implications for management of captive giant pandas,
but future studies are needed to observe the subjects’ behavior
as they mature.
… So what if?
None of these new strides will be for naught if the Zoo’s giant
panda program ends. The work is indelible now, used by countless
others interested in preserving a beloved but challenging species.
But if the Give So They Stay campaign is unsuccessful, these
efforts will end, too. The loss is not that the work will have no
value, only that it simply won’t continue.
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Staff profile:
Tara Stoinski, PhD
Manager of Conservation Partnerships, Zoo Atlanta
Pat and Forrest McGrath Chair of Research and Conservation, The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International
“It’s amazing to be that close, to be in and amongst the group,” she
says. “You’re there only because they allow you to be … it’s unlike
any other wildlife experience in Africa.”
She’s up-to-date on the social scene of male gorillas. She has the
highest admiration for gorilla mothers. And she can make vocalizations
that could fool any gorilla from here to Rwanda. She’s not one of the
gentle giants she studies, but she’s a credit to their kind: she’s one of
the nation’s foremost and most productive scientists in the field of
gorilla behavior.
In recent years, Stoinski’s human family has kept her closer to home.
She and her husband of 14 years, Andy Pachman, have two young
daughters, Rylee, 3, and Payton, 1. Both girls are already growing up
with a wildlife education – one of Rylee’s early accomplishments as a
baby was mastery of gorilla noises – and are frequent visitors
to Mom’s workplace.
Growing up in Haddonfield, N.J., Dr. Tara Stoinski probably never
imagined a career path that would someday be crossed by animals
that had once been observed by the late Dian Fossey, nor a job that
would someday influence a zoo’s management of adolescent male
apes. Stoinski majored in History at Tufts University, but had designs
on veterinary school. She went on to attain a Master’s degree in
Biology from Oxford University in England. Around that time,
however, she had an experience that transferred her aspirations
from hands-on-and-doctoring to hands-off-and-watching.
“I see the Zoo in a completely different light now that I’m a mother,”
says Stoinski, who lives in nearby Ormewood Park. “I’ve always
respected the Zoo’s ability to influence children’s lives and
perceptions of the world, but having children of my own really
drives that point home.”
Some of the foremost influences on Stoinski’s own motherhood are
some of the Zoo’s greatest experts – western lowland gorilla mothers
Choomba, Kudzoo, Kuchi, Machi, Shamba and Sukari. Photos of the
gorillas were among the necessities packed in the hospital overnight
bag for the births of both of Stoinski’s children, and she describes
their maternal skills with an almost reverential respect.
As a profession, research isn’t for everyone. It’s a vocation demanding
patience, consistency, time and constant data collection. By some
people’s standards, Stoinski’s first experience with field work might
have seemed frustrating and tedious. She had traveled to Zimbabwe
for a study on side-striped jackals – nocturnal canines so elusive that
the researchers never even saw the animals. The plains were dark,
the nights were cold, and the scientists could only base their
observations on transmissions from radio collars.
“They’re incredibly patient moms … they don’t even set their babies
down for the first four months,” she says. “We would all be doing
well to be half the mothers they are.”
“It was freezing at night, and we didn’t actually see a single jackal,”
Stoinski recalls. “But I loved every minute of it … I loved being in Africa.”
Africa would become a prominent port of call in Stoinski’s career,
but so would Atlanta. In 2000, she earned a PhD in Psychology from
the Georgia Institute of Technology as a student of Dr. Terry Maple,
then Zoo Atlanta’s President and CEO. Her graduate work at the
Zoo would lead to what would become her greatest professional
focus: social behavior of male gorillas.
When Stoinski launched her first study in 1995, little was known or
imagined in the zoological industry about the prospect of housing
and exhibiting male gorillas together. At the time, the general
assumption was that such a thing was impossible, that mature males
would never tolerate one another in close quarters. (All-male groups
had been observed in wild mountain gorillas, but far less frequently
in their western lowland cousins.) The formation of Zoo Atlanta’s
first bachelor trio suggested that, if introduced as juveniles in an
environment free of competition for females or resources, male
gorillas could live together not just tolerably, but amicably. In the 14
years since the introduction of the “boys,” Stoinski’s research, done
in collaboration with former Zoo Atlanta researchers Chris Kuhar
and Kristen Lukas, has deepened into a rich resource for every AZA
zoo housing gorillas, even revolutionizing the way the Species Survival
Plan manages recommendations for male gorillas nationwide.
13
“Not every male gorilla living in an AZA zoo is going to be
recommended to breed or head his own family,” Stoinski explains.
“But every individual still needs appropriate housing, habitat and
social interactions. What we’ve learned about gorilla behavior has
helped to address one of the biggest problems facing captive
populations today.”
Some primate researchers work in zoological settings, studying
residents; others work in the field, observing wild animals. Stoinski
has the rare opportunity to enjoy equal parts of both. She divides
her time between Zoo Atlanta and the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund
International (DFGFI), where she serves as the Pat and Forrest
McGrath Chair of Research and Conservation. Stoinski’s affiliation with
DFGFI has frequently led her to Rwanda, where her research
on mountain gorillas parallels and complements her work with Zoo
Atlanta’s western lowland collection.
Despite numerous trips to Africa, Stoinski has never grown immune
to the experience of sitting mere meters away from wild gorilla
families. The privilege is an earned one: she has spent countless
hours observing their body language and learning to mimic their
calls, particularly the “belch” vocalization, a low, unassuming noise
that communicates that a newcomer is friendly and means no harm.
Although Stoinski stays occupied with work and a busy family that
includes cats Tia, Tigger and Big Taz (named, of course, for his
owner’s favorite silverback), she remarkably finds time for what she
calls her “other children” – printed offspring that underscore her
status as one of America’s most influential primate behaviorists.
She has edited two books, Great Apes and Humans: The Ethics of
Coexistence and Conservation in the 21st Century: Gorillas as a Case
Study, and has written or co-written more than 40 peer-reviewed
scientific papers in her field. Stoinski also sits on the Executive
Committee of the Primate Specialist Group’s Section for Great
Apes in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature;
chairs the AZA Ape Taxon Advisory Group; serves as Secretary of
the American Society of Primatologists; and acts as advisor to the
Gorilla Species Survival Plan.
With curriculum vitae that already read like an introduction to a
lifetime achievement award, not to mention dual appointments at
two dynamic wildlife organizations, one might surmise that she has
difficulty prioritizing home and career. It’s an understandable
assumption, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. Family comes
first with Stoinski, who is one of many fiercely devoted human
mothers at Zoo Atlanta. Still, she looks forward to a day sometime
soon when her career path will once again be crossed by gentle
giants in the mountains of Africa.
“I do miss Africa,” Stoinski says. “I originally started going because of
the animals, but I’ve truly grown to appreciate the people and the
cultures.”
Why gorillas? Similar questions are often asked of Zoo professionals
who devote their lives to the study, understanding and protection
of a specific group of animals. Stoinski’s answer is powerfully
understated: “They deserve to be here.”
No doubt, Zoo Atlanta and DFGFI hope to continue to deserve
Dr. Tara Stoinski.
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Wild Buzz
News of Zoo Atlanta’s Animals and Staff
Hi, l’m Wally!
published
Welcome Jenny Kvapil, Keeper I, Birds, and Erin Tompkins,
Keeper I, Large Mammals.
Lips, K.R. and Mendelson, J.R. III. 2008. Spread of disease in
Latin American amphibians. In Stuart, S., Hoffman, M., Chanson,
J., Cox, N., Berridge, R., Ramani, P. and Young, B. (eds.)
Threatened Amphibians of the World, pp. 105.
STAFF EXTRAS
Laurel Askue, Manager of Education Marketing and Development,
recently led the latest installment of the Academy for Conservation
Training in Haerbin, China, from June 18 to July 1.
Curator of Birds James Ballance recently returned from a
workshop at White Oak Conservation Center, where he
discussed the status of wild and captive cassowaries.
Large Mammal Keeper I Robin Pepper attended the bi-annual
Rhino Keepers Workshop in Tampa, Fla., in May.
Hoffman, M., Church, D., Collins, J.P., Gascon, C., Mendelson,
J.R. III, Moore, R.D., Stuart, S.N. and Zippel, K.C. 2008.
Amphibian conservation – responding to the global declines of
amphibians. In Stuart, S., Hoffman, M., Chanson, J., Cox, N.,
Berridge, R., Ramani, P. and Young, B. (eds.) Threatened
Amphibians of the World, pp. 114-124.
Robbins, A.M., Stoinski, T.S., Fawcett, K.A. and Robbins,
M.M. 2009. Does dispersal cause reproductive delays in female
mountain gorillas? Behaviour. 2009. 146 (4-5), 525-549.
Congratulations to Christina Davis, Keeper II, Birds, on scale
training both of the Zoo’s kori bustards.
Robbins, A.M., Stoinski, T.S., Fawcett, K.A. and Robbins,
M.M. 2009. Leave or conceive: natal dispersal and philopatry of
female mountain gorillas in the Virunga volcano region.
Animal Behaviour. 77 (4), 831-838.
The successful training of Chelsea the Sumatran tiger for
ultrasounds was a group effort: kudos to Carnivore Keepers
Jenny Brink, Layla Dampier and Kenn Harwood, as
well as to Dr. Sam Rivera, Veterinarian.
Robbins, A.M., Stoinski, T.S., Fawcett, K.A. and Robbins,
M.M. Socioecological influences on the dispersal of female mountain
gorillas – evidence of a second folivore paradox. 2009. Behavioral
Ecology and Sociobiology. 63 (4), 477-489.
TRAINING ADVANCES
Stoinski, T.S., Vecellio, V., Ngaboyamahina, T., Ndagijimana, F.,
Rosenbaum, S. and Fawcett, K. 2009. Proximate factors influencing
dispersal decisions in male mountain gorillas. Animal Behaviour.
Wilson, M.L., Snyder, R.J., Zhang, Z.H., Luo, L.., Li, C.L.
and Maple, T.L. 2009. Effects of partner on play fighting behavior
in giant panda cubs. Transactions at Play: Play & Culture Studies,
9, 104-123.
Ssssee if you can find me on another page of this magazine. If you can, email
education@zooatlanta.org with your name, address, age and page number
and be registered to win your very own plush Wally!
by Lani Schoedler,
Individual and Family Programs Supervisor
book nook
➤ Ages 4 and under: Goodnight, Me by Andrew Daddo and
Emma Quay
➤ Ages 4-8: Little Bobo by Serena Romanelli and Hans de Beer
➤ Ages 8-12: Keep Your Hands Off My Orangutan: Zoey and Me!
by Mallory Tarcher
Arboreal: Animals that live mostly in trees are known as arboreal
animals. Many different types of birds, lizards, frogs, snakes and mammals
are arboreal, and these animals depend on trees for food and shelter.
Orangutans are the largest arboreal mammals in the world!
➤ Ages 13 and up: Dark Place in the Jungle by Linda Spalding
Beastly bookmarks
Make your own
orangutan puppet!
Materials
• Paper bag
• Construction paper
•Scissors
• Crayons
• Glue
Instructions
1.Draw an orangutan face on the
construction paper. Check the picture
for an idea, or ask an adult for help.
2.Color and cut out your orangutan face.
3.Glue your orangutan face to the bottom
of the paper bag. Make sure to wait for
the glue to dry!
4.Color the rest of the bag to complete
your orangutan’s body and long, thick hair.
Now you’re ready to put on a puppet show!
Spotlight
common Name:
Orangutan
Craft by Kurt Guard, Summer Safari Arts & Crafts Specialist
15
Scientific name:
Pongo abelii
Cut out this cool bookmark!
new faces
Find me in each issue of WILD Times so I can share some really ssssuper stuff
with you! In this issue, we’ll be taking at look at Asia’s amazing great apes – the orangutans!
16
Mark
your
Calendar
for these Wild Times!
Meet the Animals:
GAMBEL’S QUAIL
Place of origin:
WEEKLY, NOW THROUGH AUGUST 7, 9 A.M. TO 4 P.M.
All six of Zoo Atlanta’s Gambel’s quail
hatched at Brookfield Zoo.
Summer Safari Day Camp – There’s still time to sign the kids up for animal fun, games, crafts and new friends! Camp runs weekly
for 4-year-olds (must be potty-trained) to rising 5th graders. Every week is different! Register for one or multiple weeks. NEW in 2009:
Summer Safari Quest for rising 6th-9th graders! Older kids explore age-appropriate conservation adventures. Quest overnights
available for specific sessions. Register now on zooatlanta.org.
Range in the wild:
Southwestern U.S., into parts of Mexico
FRIDAY, JULY 24, 7 P.M. TO 10 P.M.
Bowling for Rhinos – Join the Georgia Chapter of the American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK) at Suburban Lanes
in Decatur, and bowl for a cause! Proceeds benefit rhino conservation. For more info, contact Shelley Raynor at 404.624.5967
or sraynor@zooatlanta.org.
Status in the wild:
Common
MOMMY AND ME
Foods in the wild:
Kids too little for Camp? Check out crafts, games and animal encounters for 2 to-3-year-olds and their favorite grownups! Three-week
sessions run Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays or Saturdays. Visit zooatlanta.org or call 404.624.WILD to register.
Beastly bookmarks
orangutan
Orangutans live in tropical forests
on the islands of Borneo and
Sumatra. Their arms are twice as
long as their legs, and they have
strong, hook-like hands to help
them move easily through the
treetops.
Orangutans eat mostly fruit, but
they also eat leaves, flowers, bark,
eggs and termites. Asia’s great
apes spend most of their time
searching the forest for ripe fruit
– scientists have counted more
than 400 different fruits eaten by
wild orangutans! Zoo Atlanta’s
orangutans eat fruits, vegetables,
nuts and leafeater biscuits.
Orangutans are critically
endangered due to habitat loss
and the pet trade. Orangutan
habitat is being cut down for palm
oil plantations. Palm oil is used to
make many different foods and
bath products. Help orangutans
by avoiding products that contain
palm oil, or buy products made
only with sustainable palm oil.
17
Orangutans are highly intelligent
animals and are excellent problem
solvers. They have even been
observed using tools to complete
tasks. Chantek, an orangutan at
Zoo Atlanta, learned sign language
when he was young. He now
knows about 150 different signs
and can communicate with
people.
Wild diet includes grasses, seeds and fruits
Diet at the Zoo:
SATURDAY, SUNDAY and monday, SEPTEMBER 5, 6, 7
Super heroes Weekend – Even Super Heroes need a day at the Zoo.
Meet Spider-Man™, Wolverine™, Storm™ and Green Goblin™ at Zoo Atlanta Labor
Day Weekend! See the legendary Marvel Comics™ characters in six live-action
performances. Members of the audience enjoy an exclusive chance to meet the
heroes after the show! Visit zooatlanta.org for tickets, show times and event details.
Greens, grain, produce and insects
Marvel, Spider-Man, Green Goblin, Storm and Wolverine: TM & © 2009 Marvel Entertainment, Inc. and its
subsidiaries. Licensed by Marvel Characters B.V. www.marvel.com. All rights reserved. Super Hero(es) is a
co-owned registered trademark.
Both sexes display black top knots;
these features are more distinctive in
males (pictured), which also sport
red-capped heads.
DISTINGUISHING
characteristics:
Tickets are $10 for all Zoo Members; $24.99 for non-Member adults;
$20.00 for non-Member children; FREE for children 2 and under.
Non-Member ticket price includes Zoo admission.
BEHAVIOR:
2009 DISCOVERY TALK SERIES
Gambel’s quail are usually found running
along the ground in pairs or groups. The
birds can fly but rarely do; flight is usually
reserved only for escaping danger.
What goes on behind the borders of Zoo habitats? Book the babysitter now to find
out! Evenings begin with a stroll to visit the spotlight species. Enjoy complimentary
drinks and mingling in the Conservation Action Resource Center (ARC), then settle
in for a fascinating journey over the bridge between Zoo Atlanta and the world.
Exhibit visits begin at 6 p.m. Talks begin promptly at 7 p.m. Discovery Talks are
FREE for Adventure Pack Members and up; $5 for Family and Companion
Members; $7 for non-Members. Registration is required. Visit zooatlanta.
org or call 404.624.WILD to register.
August 13 – Birds
Humans have always had wing envy. Find out why as Curator of Birds James
Ballance leads a spirited soar through the Zoo’s avian universe.
October 15 – Gorillas
Clare Richardson, President and CEO of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International,
Dr. Katie Fawcett, Director of the Karisoke Research Center, and Dr. Tara Stoinski,
Manager of Conservation Partnerships, lead a roundtable discussion on the latest
from the field in the fight to save wild gorillas.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 5:30 P.M. TO 8:30 P.M.
Members Only Night – Members, it’s your night, and the animals stay
out until dusk as an exclusive gesture of appreciation. Highlights include live
entertainment, fun family activities and special keeper talks and feedings.
FREE for current Zoo Members.
Reproduction:
Look for the Gambel’s quail in
Boundless Budgies: A Parakeet Adventure!
Gambel’s quail lay large clutches of eggs,
hatching up to 18 chicks at a time. Chick
mortality is high, but those that survive are
able to fly within three weeks.
Lifespan:
Approximately 15 years
Natural enemies:
Bobcats, birds of prey, snakes, foxes and
coyotes
Primary care staff:
Katie Bagley and Jenny Kvapil
18
800 Cherokee Avenue, SE
Atlanta, GA 30315
404.624.WILD
zooatlanta.org
contact us!
Get in the know … get eUpdate!
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If you enjoy reading the latest Zoo news in Wild Times, but aren’t
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Help us serve you better by updating your records at membership@
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Stay in touch with Zoo Atlanta! Find us on Facebook! Join as our
MySpace friend: www.myspace.com/zooATL.
Follow us on Twitter: Twitter.com/ZooATL.
On September 26 from 6:30 to 11:30 p.m., Zoo Atlanta’s nocturnal
animals won’t be the only ones enjoying the night at the second-annual
JAZZOO! The creative cocktail party will feature 30 restaurant kiosks
from some of Atlanta’s favorite dining spots, a bevy of specialty bars
and several live music stages. Proceeds will benefit Zoo Atlanta’s
future Animal Care Complex.
Don your dressiest Zoo wear, defined as any comfortable attire that
would stop a lion in its tracks, make a monkey drop its banana, or quiet
a parrot’s squawk – just not too dressy to eat, drink and dance with the
rest of the wild beasts!
VANTAGE
REALTY PARTNERS
Visit www.jazzooatlanta.org for more information
on tickets and sponsorships.
VANTAGE