When a dolphin dies at the Shedd Aquarium or a local television station investigates a zoo’s animal transactions, the stories generate widespread publicity.
But what gets little coverage is how zoos and aquariums implement their increasingly complex missions on a daily basis.
That’s the story of the Arabian oryx and the Micronesian kingfisher, the two-striped white-lipped Lake Victoria cichlid, Przewalski’s horse, the Mexican wolf and various other species that would not exist if it weren’t for nationwide zoo and aquarium breeding programs.
You don’t have to be very old to recall when zoos were little more than organized menageries. The animals were displayed primarily to amuse the public. Today, an increasing number of animals are found at zoos-including Brookfield and Lincoln Park-because there is nowhere else for them.
Zoos successfully have reintroduced some animals back to the wild, such as the Arabian oryx (a kind of antelope) or a little monkey called the golden lion tamarin. However, aside from the expensive proposition of reintroduction and the complexities involved in teaching captive critters to find their own food, zoos often simply have nowhere to reintroduce the animals because habitat destruction often is what endangered the species in the first place.
So zoos are working with field biologists and geneticists in a life-or-death game of “Beat the Clock” that Chicago-area residents can watch.
The Javan rhinoceros, for example, is losing the game. In the wild, this rhino is dwindling fast; there are so few that males and females aren’t able to find each other. Because the rhino isn’t found in zoos, it’s headed for extinction.
The future is more secure for the black rhinoceros, an African relative of the Javan rhino. If the beleaguered black rhino continues to be poached in the wild, there’s at least a viable back-up population found in zoos.
Field researcher Dian Fossey, who studied the mountain gorilla and was the subject of the motion picture “Gorillas in the Mist,” once was critical of zoos that held her beloved great apes in captivity. Near the end of her life, however, Fossey clearly had a change of heart. She offered this prophetic view: “In a perfect world, I’m not sure that zoos would be absolutely necessary. However, we don’t live in a perfect world. Ultimately, zoos will be responsible as caretakers-saving species and protecting their rights.”
Steve Thompson, director of conservation science at Lincoln Park Zoo, says Chicago’s appreciation of mountain gorillas began with Bushman, Sinbad, Otto, Koundu and other Western lowland gorillas found at Lincoln Park. “Zoo animals are ambassadors for their wild cousins. As dramatic as Fossey’s TV specials were, they wouldn’t have touched so many hearts if so many people hadn’t seen gorillas up close and in person.”
It’s ironic that the mountain gorilla, the gorilla subspecies studied by Fossey, is more seriously imperiled than ever because of political upheaval and related violence in Rwanda. Mountain gorillas (unlike Western lowland gorillas) are not found in zoos, so they will disappear from the earth forever if driven from their mountain homes.
Even for wildlife lucky to find a refuge in zoos, the future is not guaranteed: Better catch some of them while you can. The Micronesian kingfisher, for example, was eradicated from its native home on the island of Guam by the brown tree snake. The snake was introduced to the island by accident and has wreaked havoc on the native bird species, eating eggs and killing chicks and adult birds. Zoos rescued the few remaining Micronesian kingfishers and another dwindling species found on the island, the Guam rail.
The rail has bred well in captivity, and a program has been implemented to reintroduce this bird species to an island (without brown tree snakes) near Guam. The kingfisher is persnickety about breeding in captivity, however. The entire future of the species rests on the 56 birds found at 19 zoos and the ability of zoo professionals to figure out a way to promote breeding. (The shovel once was the basic tool used by many zoo professionals. Today, it’s computer programs used to determine genetic diversity and breeding viability.)
At Brookfield Zoo, an entire building will open in May devoted to conservation work. With an investment of $1 million, the zoo’s former veterinary hospital reopens as the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Conservation Biology and Research Center. There will be lab space for geneticists and nutritionists and office space for behavior biologists.
For many endangered species, a cooperative effort among zoos called the Species Survival Plan dictates which animals will be encouraged to breed.
Zoos rarely have so-called excess animals, because zoo staffs practice their version of planned parenthood. When the plan or the staff recommends against breeding, animals are given contraceptives or simply separated by gender.
There are 2,834 individuals that call Brookfield Zoo home. They represent 416 species, 41 of which are designated as endangered. At Lincoln Park Zoo, there are 1,100 individuals representing 250 species, and 37 of those are endangered. You can tell an animal is endangered by reading the graphic display at each exhibit.
For those seeking to learn more about what zoos are doing for endangered species, or to have questions answered about the expanding role of zoos, “Endangered Wildlife: A Plan for Survival” is a lecture hosted at Lincoln Park Zoo by Dennis Meritt, director of collections, at 7:30 p.m. April 12. Admission is $9.
Kids (age 6 and up) can learn about endangered “Birds of Prey” at 1:30 p.m. April 18; registration is $7.50. To sign up for either program, call 312-742-7692.
The Brookfield Zoo offers behind-the-scenes talks with keepers and the chance to observe what goes on “Backstage at the Zoo,” offered throughout the spring and summer. “Backstage with the Big Cats” is one of several programs that includes endangered species. Admission is $23, and the tour includes breakfast. For a complete schedule call 708-485-0263.
Additionally, both zoos have exhibits that visit nursing homes and other facilities for shut-ins throughout the year. Both zoos also provide materials and programs to teach schoolteachers. “Suitcase for Survival” is just one Brookfield program geared to school-age kids.
Using animal artifacts, zoo representatives explain the global effects of illegal trade of endangered species. At Lincoln Park, more than 200,000 schoolchildren visit each year; education programs such as “The Traveling Zoo” reach out to more than 1 million people.
Even with all these programs and sophisticated statistical models, practical considerations also apply. Animals whose gene pools are considered unacceptable for breeding, or are simply too old to breed, live their lives out on the zoo grounds. For example, when the old Lion House at Lincoln Park was renovated, nearly all the big cats were sent to other zoos to reside permanently or on breeding loans. The exceptions were a pair of elderly cats-an Asian lion named Anthony and Denise, a Bengal tiger-who were deemed too frail to move.
Aside from breeding within the confines of the zoo, institutions are expanding their reach. Brookfield Zoo was one of the first to do so, establishing the Brookfield Conservation Park in South Central Australia 25 years ago. The work by Brookfield staff and volunteers has helped to protect the remaining wild habitat of the Southern hairy-nosed wombat and other plant and animal species that live on the 16,000-acre reserve.
Today, Brookfield funds or partially funds 26 field biology/conservation projects in 19 countries, and the zoo’s own staff is involved with 15 additional projects in 10 countries. Similarly, the Lincoln Park Zoo recently has devoted a considerable effort to establishing and encouraging field biology/conservation throughout Latin America.
“As time goes on, the distinction between captivity and the wild gets increasingly fuzzy,” says Tim Sullivan, chairman of the department of conservation biology at Brookfield. “For example, zoos are being called upon to lend support and advice for those who manage game parks. For their own protection, animals such as rhinos, giant pandas and Yangke river dolphins are found within the boundaries of fenced-off natural habitats. In essence, they’re just large zoos. Sadly, there are very few truly wild spaces left in the world.”
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The Lincoln Park Zoo, 2200 N. Cannon Dr., Chicago; 312-935-6700. Zoo hours: daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is free; on-street parking or parking in zoo lot, $5.
The Brookfield Zoo, First Avenue at 31st Street, Brookfield; 708-485-0263. Zoo hours: 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily (extended summer hours). Admission is $4, $1.50 for ages 3 to 11 and seniors, free under 3 years. (Zoo admission is half-price on Tuesdays and Thursday from April through September.) Parking, $4.
