He

Friends

of the

National

is a nonprofit organization of indi-

viduals and families who are in-

terested in supporting Zoo pro-

grams in education, research, and

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As members of FONZ, you and your

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and invitations to special programs

and activities—to make your zoo-

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ZooGoer (ISSN: 06313-416X) is

published six times a year by

Friends of the National Zoo, Na-

tional Zoological Park, Washing-

ton, D.C. 20008. Third class mailing

permit 44282.

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© 1981, Friends of the National Zoo.

All rights reserved.

FONZ Board of Directors,

1980-1981

Whayne S. Quin, President; Cecil McLelland,

First Vice President; Victor Delano, Second

Vice President; Robert L. Nelson, Treasurer;

Sally S. Tongren, Secretary; Knox Banner;

Samuel Biddle; Janice A. Booker; William C.

Bryant; Janet Dewart; M. Anthony Gould; Al

Hackl; Stephen T. Hosmer; A. Jose Jones;

Nella C. Manes; Georgianna S. McGuire;

Roscoe M. Moore, Jr.; Monica J. Morgan;

Terry R. Peel; Sylvia L. Samenow; Nancy M.

Schneck; Ross B. Simons.

FONZ Staff

Sabin Robbins, Executive Director; Dennis

Baker, Associate Director; Donna M. Schlegel,

Volunteer and Educational Services; David K.

Krohne, Publications, Fran Bernstein, Mem-

bership; Lonnie Wornom, Merchandising;

James Mustakas, Food Service; Kevin Polen,

Transportation; Norma Gay, Business

Manager.

National Zoological Park Staff

Dr. Theodore H. Reed, Director; Dr. John

Eisenberg, Assistant Director for Animal Pro-

grams; Gaetano Calise, Assistant Director for

Support Services; Vincent J. Doyle, Office of

Management Services; Dr. Robert Hoage,

Special Assistant to the Director; Jaren

Horsley, Executive Assistant, Office of Animal

Programs.

National Zoological Park

Department Heads

Dr. Edwin Gould, Mammalogy; Dr. Eugene

Morton, Acting, Ornithology; Dr. Dale

Marcellini, Herpetology; Judy White, Edu-

cation; Dr. Mitchell Bush, Animal Health,

Dr. Richard Montali, Pathology; Dr. Devra

Kleiman, Zoological Research; Dr. Christen

Wemmer, Front Royal Conservation Center;

Donald Muddiman, Construction Manage-

ment, Emanuel Petrella, Facilities Manage-

ment; Robert Mulcahy, Graphics and Ex-

hibits; Samuel Middleton, Police and Safety.

Volume 10, Number 3

May-June 1981

David K. Krohne

Editorial and Art Director

Mary C. Massey

Consulting Editor

Scott Bushnell

Graphics Assistant

Contributors

Facing the Challenge of Feeding

Time at the Zoo.

A former Smithsonian intern, Leila

R. Mathur now writes for the Na-

tional Institutes of Health.

Secrets of Animal Language

Revealed.

Madeleine Jacobs is a science

writer with Smithsonian News

Service.

The Saga of the Surinam Toads.

Billie Hamlet, former Chief of the

Public Affairs Office, is now re-

searching and writing the defini-

tive history of the National Zoo.

Front Cover:

The striking Colobus monkey is only one

of 2400 wild creatures whose dietary require-

ments pose special and daily challenges for

Dr. Olav Oftedal, one of only two profes-

sional animal nutritionists in the American

zoo world, (Photograph by Jessie Cohen, NZP

Office of Graphics and Exhibits.)

IN THIS ISSUE

ZOOGOER FEATURES

Facing the Challenge of Feeding Time at the Zoo...... 5

Leila R. Mathur

Secrets of Animal Language Revealed................. 11

Madeleine Jacobs

The Saga of the Surinam Toads ....................-- 16

Billie Hamlet

ZOOGOER DEPARTMENTS

PAG OWS. oo oc oc co ca bh ee ee ee

FON Z INCWS: « «cc xeoule balee sO eRe ee eee

Summer at the Zo. «< ..463 i644 Mae ee ee ewe

alld, Apuvig

Facing the Challenge of

Feeding Time at the Zoo

Satisfying a pet dog or cat with acan

of food is so easy that most pet

owners never think twice about

feeding time. But Dr. Olav Oftedal

faces the challenge of feeding time

every day for the National Zoo's

2400 animals. Because commer-

cially prepared foods are not suita-

ble for a wide range of exotic ani-

mals, Oftedal, the Zoo's animal nu-

tritionist, must determine whether

the tasty crickets eaten by the

Madagascar day gecko lizards will

cause bone problems or whether the

worms munched on by the New

Zealand kiwis contain enough

vitamin A.

Like human nutrition, animal nu-

trition is drawing increased atten-

tion. At stake are the well-being and

health of the animals. Some are en-

dangered species, and many of them

are rare. For such animals, zoos may

provide the last chance for survival.

David K. Krohne

Leila R. Mathur

Analyzing the nutritional value of Zoo food—from crickets to kale—is an important part of

nutritionist Dr. Olav Oftedal's work.

Opposite: Oftedal discusses the diet of the rare ruffed lemurs with Monkey House keeper Bruce

Kirtley-Hodess.

Oftedal’s study of Zoo diets includes preventing vitamin deficiencies in endangered species such as

the brown pelican.

Money is a factor, too. ‘The expense

of purchasing and transporting

animals has made zoos realize that

improving animal nutrition can

save them a lot of money,” Oftedal

says. “If a baby bongo antelope—a

rare species—died because of

malnutrition, it would cost about

$30,000 to buy a replacement from

another zoo.”

The consequences of neglecting

dietary requirements are sometimes

dramatic. Four years ago, five of six

newly arrived brown pelicans died

suddenly of a vitamin E deficiency.

To prevent such disaster, Oftedal

has been studying and revising the

diets of the animals at the Zoo for

three years.

A major problem facing the animals

is that of adjusting to a new home.

“Animals that have been relocated

from another zoo or from their

natural habitat sometimes won't eat

readily,” he notes, ‘so we may have

to feed them anything just to get

them to eat. After that, we worry

about a nutritionally balanced diet.”

Even when a diet seems to be work-

ing, it may not provide everything

that is needed. Take the case of the

black and white Colobus monkeys

from Africa. These striking long-

haired monkeys with expressive

eyes eat high-fiber leaves in the wild

and have adapted to this by de-

veloping large forestomachs where

they ferment the leaves. They de-

rive energy from the fermentation.

The monkeys survive on the kale

and other vegetables they are fed at

the Zoo, but the diet probably does

not contain all the fiber they need.

Commercially prepared biscuits

also do not provide enough fiber.

The result can be severe gastro-

intestinal disturbances. To resolve

the problem and simplify feeding,

Oftedal hopes to develop a high-

fiber biscuit for the monkeys that,

he says, “may have an impact on

many zoos in this country.”

Oftedal will probably use a com-

mercial fiber source, such as wheat

bran or alfalfa, rather than the gas-

producing fiber from cabbage and

kale. “We'll test different products

to see which the animals prefer and

to see which products are most di-

gestible,”’ he says. By analyzing the

feces of the animals for fiber con-

tent, he will be able to determine

how much fiber is being digested in

the body. These results will be com-

pared with data already obtained on

the current low-fiber diet.

“Many times it is difficult to tell if

the animals are getting the correct

nutritional balances,” Oftedal says,

“because, like humans, individual

animals have different needs. But

unlike humans, animals can't tell

you directly how they feel. And a

Jessie Cohen, NZP Office of Graphics and Exhibits

Colobus monkeys require a high-fiber diet, so testing different fiber sources is crucial to deter-

mine which the animals prefer and which are most digestible.

Brandy Clymire

The Kjeldahl unit enables the Zoo nutritionist to determine the protein content of various foods

for the animals.

marginal vitamin deficiency might

escape detection initially.”

Nervous disorders, loss of hair, and

eye problems are among the symp-

toms of nutritional deficiencies.

The number and health of a Zoo

denizen's offspring and the health

of the animal itself are indicators of

the adequacy of a diet.

Still, it is often a process of trial and

error for the Zoo's curators and

keepers. Before Oftedal came to the

Zoo, the female Madagascar day

gecko lizards developed rubbery

bones. The Zoo pathologist diag-

nosed a calcium deficiency. The

calcium needed by the small (about

five inches long) bright green liz-

ards for their own bodies was being

used up to produce eggs.

The geckos were fed a mixture of

calcium and honey as a cure, but

apparently the mixture was not

properly balanced since some liz-

ards wound up with calcified in-

ternal organs. Efforts are under way

to manipulate the calcium and

vitamin content of the insects used

in feeding, and the ultraviolet

strength of the lights under which

the lizards are kept has been in-

creased.

One of Oftedal’s current challenges

is to review the diets for the Zoo's

190 species of birds. Various experi-

mental food pellets are being tested,

and some food items are being

analyzed for vitamin and mineral

content. After comparing the dif-

ferent foods, the most suitable type

of worm, insect, or pellet for the

bird's diet will be chosen.

The tons of food needed for the

Zoo's animals is expensive, costing

more than a quarter of a million

dollars a year. In a single year, the

animals eat about 110,000 pounds

of fish, 150 tons of hay, 47,000

pounds of meat, 170,000 rats and

mice, over a million crickets, and

53,000 eggs—plus tons of bananas,

apples, oranges, and grain.

Sometimes the Zoo gets lucky and

saves a hefty expense. Two years

ago, the Zoo received 88,000

pounds of frozen meat free. It had

been stolen from Army bases and re-

covered and held in freezers for

three years while court proceedings

went on. The meat was damaged by

freezer burn and was not fit for

human consumption, but it was

suitable for animals once proper

supplements were added.

Oftedal was the first highly trained,

full-time animal nutritionist em-

ployed by a zoo in this country.

(More recently, the Brookfield Zoo

in Chicago has also hired an animal

nutritionist.) He finds his job ex-

citing, but adds, “It’s quite difficult

because very little work has been

done before me. I'm still scratching

David K. Krohne

Lion-tailed macaques clamor for a treat of sunflower seeds, enabling Oftedal to check their

condition.

Brandy Clymire

Samples of animal foods, feces, and milks are stored in a freezer prior to analysis. Here Oftedal

examines a vial of milk from a large fruit bat.

10

the surface of what can be accom-

plished.”

The Zoo built a special nutrition

laboratory where Oftedal engages in

research analyzing foods, feces, and

the milk of various animals. He

spends about half his time doing

research and the remainder dealing

with the practical problems of Zoo

animal feeding. The role of milk in

the nutrition of young animals is an

area of particular research interest

for him.

Oftedal was originally educated as a

human nutritionist. His graduate

studies at the Massachusetts Insti-

tute of Technology took him to

Pakistan to plan human nutrition

programs there. But he found that

“dealing with human nutrition is

dealing with politics,” and he

switched to a Ph.D. program in

animal nutrition at Cornell Uni-

versity.

“Since I've always been interested in

exotic animals,” he says, “I'm now

doing professionally what I once did

as a hobby.”

Secrets of Animal

Language Revealed

Madeleine Jacobs

An aggressive woodpecker and an

angry African elephant might not

appear to have much in common,

but according to Dr. Eugene S.

Morton, research zoologist and

acting head of the ornithology de-

partment at the Zoo, the two are

literally “birds of a feather.”

What the woodpecker, the ele-

phant, and a whole menagerie of

birds and mammals—including

humans—share is a similar ap-

proach to communication, Morton

says. After more than a decade

studying sounds used by animals to

“talk” to each other, Morton has

developed a theory with enormous

potential for understanding the

evolution and meaning of all animal

language.

Simply stated, the theory proposes

that there are three major elements

Jessie Cohen, NZP Office of Graphics and Exhibits

Dr. Eugene Morton is an expert on animal communication but he insists that, unlike Dr. Doo-

little, he does not talk to the animals!

11

whine

growl

This sonagram illustrates the whine, growl, and bark of Carolina wrens.

found in all animal language: a low,

harsh sound, or “growl,” used in

hostile or aggressive situations; a

higher, tonelike sound, or “whine,”

used in appeasing or friendly situa-

tions, and a sound that falls some-

where in between, a so-called

“bark,” which is used to indicate

indecision or to attract attention.

With these three elements and their

variations, Morton says, animals can

express a wide range of feelings or

motivations. Most important, the

actual physical or acoustical struc-

ture of the sounds directly reflects

the animal's intention. Morton's

12

theory explaining why this system

evolved is compatible with Darwin's

theory of natural selection—that,

because of more efficient reproduc-

tion, well-adapted or “fit” individ-

uals thrive and poorly adapted indi-

viduals die out.

It may seem strange to think of

birds barking and growling and

elephants whining, Morton admits.

But if you ever stood in a cornfield

and listened to a crow attacking a

rival, you would recognize the

crow’s sound as a definite growl.

bark

“The Carolina wren barks, growls,

and whines,” says Morton, an

ornithologist by training who has

studied the species in detail, ‘‘de-

pending on whether or not it sees

something alarming, is attacking a

rival, or is approaching its mate.”

The African elephant makes a deep,

roaring, rumbling sound when it is

charging and a high-frequency

sound when it is being “friendly.”

The pet dog often growls when

another dog invades its territory,

but it may well whine or whimper if

it is trying to make friends or back

off from a fight. In short, from the

rhinoceros to the chickadee, a wide

variety of birds and mammals share

these vocal elements.

Morton originally came to this con-

clusion after studying the sounds

that birds use in a variety of situa-

tions. He expanded his studies to

mammals and found the same pat-

terns, which have been confirmed

by analyzing animal sounds with a

sonagraph.

A sonagraph is an instrument that

converts sounds into a two-dimen-

sional picture, or sonagram, show-

ing frequency or pitch changes with

time. When sonagrams of growls,

barks, and whines are examined,

certain common pictorial features

are obvious. The growl, whether

from a pelican or a pig, shows up asa

thick, black band at low frequency;

the whine becomes a thin line at

higher frequency; and the bark or

grunt is chevron-shaped.

“The physical structure of sounds is

not arbitrary,” Morton says, ‘but

has evolved in such a way as to

signal motivation in circumstances

that increase the reproductive suc-

cess or fitness of the sender.”

He explains how this theory works

in practice. A person observing a

male and female bird chattering

away at each other might imagine

that the male is telling the female

about a glorious worm he has

Jessie Cohen, NZP Office of Graphics and Exhibits

Morton uses the sonagraph to convert animal sounds into two-dimensional pictures, or sonagrams,

that show frequency or pitch changes.

caught and where to find one like it,

or that the male is trying to tell the

female how pretty she is. Actually,

the birds are doing neither of these

things, Morton maintains, because

animals do not “talk” to each other

in the sense that people do.

Instead, one of several things may

really be happening. If the female is

making high-pitched “cooing”

sounds, for instance, she is probably

signalling a friendly motivation and

perhaps her willingness to mate.

Mating is not only essential for

survival of the female’s genes

through her offspring, but in some

species it may be essential to sur-

vival of the individual bird itself.

Female Carolina wrens, for exam-

ple, are unable to hold a territory

alone; they are rapidly driven away

by adjacent pairs of wrens.

“The best words to describe what is

happening when animals ‘talk’ to

each other are ‘vocal expression,’

the same term used by Darwin more

than 100 years ago,” Morton says.

Darwin's theory provides a frame-

work for explaining how vocal ex-

pression evolved. The earliest land

animals probably had no means of

13

vocal communication. In fact,

primitive amphibians such as

salamanders still do not make

sounds. Animals lacking a means of

vocal expression must literally fight

off every intruder since they do not

have a voice to signal their in-

tention.

Because larger animals will usually

win in a fight with smaller animals,

this system promotes survival of

larger and larger animals. The dino-

saurs may have evolved in part be-

cause of this selection factor. But

then comes the Catch-22. Big ani-

mals also need a lot of food to

survive; this means they have to

spend more and more time fighting

for food resources, and as Morton

says, this makes the species prone to

extinction.

Nature's way of balancing larger

body size versus limited food re-

sources was pragmatic—the evolu-

tion of vocal expression to signal

intent. The frequency of a sound

depends on the tension, length, and

thickness of the vibrating mem-

brane in an animal's voice box.

Larger animals, because they have

larger membranes, are capable of

making lower-frequency sounds.

Over the eons, the use of low-

frequency sounds came to signal

the size and aggressive intent of the

sender to the recipient.

As voices evolved, animals no

14

longer needed to grow to enormous

size to indicate their strength and

fitness; they could use their voice to

send a message. Small animals, like

the chickadee and the mouse, could

make low, harsh sounds that made

them seem larger. The low-fre-

quency sound also signalled an

aggressive motivation; perhaps the

recipient, understanding the intent

of the message, might back off from

the fight.

On the other hand, high-pitched,

tonelike sounds indicate a small

size. Even if the animal is not really

small, that sound gives the right

signal to the recipient. An animal

making a high-frequency “whine”

indicates that it wants to appear

“small” or meek.

In practice, the whine also helps

increase fitness. It could prevent an

animal from being attacked and

possibly killed or injured in a situa-

tion where another animal is being

aggressive. The whine helps baby

birds in a nest competing for food

with siblings by giving an appeasing

and, therefore, attracting message

to the parents. Human infants act

much the same way.

People also share this evolutionary

legacy of communication; it is

found in the intonation of speech

patterns. In virtually every human

culture studied, Morton says, high,

rising, tonelike sounds are used to

indicate friendliness; rising and

falling tones are used to ask a ques-

tion or attract attention; and low-

frequency “growls” are common in

aggressive or hostile encounters. Of

course, in addition to this structure

of sounds, humans also have words

to help them define their motiva-

tion or feelings.

“It is a relatively simple system, it is

universal, and it seems to work,”

says Morton, who is continuing to

gain evidence for his theory

through detailed studies of Carolina

wren sounds. And just to test it out,

the next time your dog growls at

you, try growling back!

The three major elements of animal lan-

guage—the growl, whine, and bark—look the

same on a sonagram whether coming from a

pelican or a pig.

16

The Saga of the

Surinam Toads |

This is another chapter in the colorful

history of the National Zoo being

written by Billie Hamlet. By the way,

we are still waiting to hear from

someone who can tell us about John

P. Hermann, ‘‘the man of a thousand

songs.”

In 1931, Congress appropriated a

$2000 travel fund for the National

Zoo. The legislators had been im-

pressed by the fact that the previous

year, Zoo Director Dr. William M.

Mann had spent his own money

and vacation time collecting ani-

mals for the Zoo in Cuba and Cen-

tral America. It was the first time

Congress had financed a collecting

trip for the Zoo.

So Dr. Mann scooped up the money

and his good wife Lucy and set off

for two months—July and Au-

gust—in the wilds of British Guiana

(now Guyana). As usual, he had pre-

Billie Hamlet

pared a list of animals indigenous to

the area and hoped to bring back

such rare specimens as the manatee,

bush dog, giant armadillo, saki

monkey, a family of howler mon-

keys (fully believing that a family

did better in captivity than singles

or a pair), a harpy eagle, umbrella

bird, cock-of-the-rock, bell bird,

giant toad, dendrobates (arrow

poison frog), and—above all—some

Surinam toads.

His heart was really set on getting a

batch of Surinam toads. The life-

style of these curious creatures in-

trigued him. The female has many

small depressions in the skin of her

back in which the male deposits

eggs that stay there until meta-

morphosis is completed.

After three weeks in the field, the

Manns were disappointed with

their scant collection. All they had

to show for their own efforts were

one whippoorwill, four snakes,

three turtles, and twelve frogs. So

they decided to boat up and down

the rivers sending out word that

they would pay money for live

animals. By the time they were

ready to board the steamer for the

trip home, they had 75 crates con-

taining 20 mammals, 116 birds, 84

lizards, 54 snakes, 21 turtles, 32

South American toads, and one

frog!

There were no harpy eagles, no bush

dogs, and—worse still—no Surinam

toads. In spite of canals having been

drained and the ooze carefully ex-

amined, not a single Surinam toad

had been added to the collection.

In Paramaribo they met a man

named A. J. Jessurun who had

promised to collect some toads, but

during the time the Manns were in

17

the area, he had been unable to find

any because of high water. He said

he would keep looking, and when

he found some, he would send them

to Dr. Mann.

The following winter Dr. Mann re-

ceived a cable from Jessurun saying

that two boxes containing Surinam

toads would arrive in New York on

January 4. The Manns grabbed the

first fast train to New York so they

would be there when the ship

docked.

All the way to New York Dr. Mann

agonized that they were probably

getting just a bunch of common

South American toads. He groaned

to Lucy that he doubted Jessurun

knew a Surinam toad when he saw

one and was most likely sending

something else. He was so pessi-

mistic that he threatened to throw

them overboard if they turned out to

be just plain toads.

As the train sped on its way, he

questioned why they were in boxes,

because they should have been

shipped in pails. He mused that if

they were Surinam toads, they

would all be dead. His musing was

punctuated with the threat that if

the 100 Surinam toads had all dried

out, he would throw the captain

overboard! |

To add to the general air of pes-

simism and anxiety, the steamer

18

was twelve hours late docking. This

gave Dr. Mann even more time to

groan and question the cargo that

was being sent to him.

At last the steamer docked, and the

Manns raced aboard, hardly able to

contain themselves. The captain

was on deck to greet them and es-

corted them to the hold. When the

large wooden boxes were opened,

there they lay: 94 living Surinam

toads that looked like rough, brown

overlapping shingles. Ellis Joseph, a

friend who had accompanied the

Manns, scrounged up a couple of

five-gallon milk cans as a repository

for some of the toads. The re-

mainder had to be content with a

box. The containers were carefully

wrapped in blankets to protect the

toads from the winter cold.

For the return trip to Washington,

the Manns booked a compartment

on a Pullman train; they didn’t want

to entrust their precious cargo to

the baggage car.

Surinam toads have two distinct

calls, one of which is a long, drawn-

out p-e-e-pa, and the other a pene-

trating, metallic clackety-clack. The

compartment was filled with the

sound of the vocalizing toads. Dr.

Mann sat up all night, tapping first

one can and then the other in a

fruitless effort to keep the toads

quiet, expecting at any minute to

get complaints from other passen-

gers who were trying to get a good

night's sleep.

Although the Manns had been told

they could sleep on the train until

8:00 a.m., at 5 o'clock Dr. Mann was

tapping Lucy on the shoulder and

telling her to get up and get dressed.

She glanced at her watch and

wailed, ‘But Bill, it's only 5 o'clock!”

“T know," he replied, “but I want to

get off this train before we get

thrown off!”

At the time, there were only about

four specimens of this rare toad in

American zoos, so to have 94 all at

once was something of a zoological

coup. The little uglies, which had

cost 40 cents apiece, were deposited

in various aquariums in the Reptile

House. Later some were distributed

to zoos that had reptile houses, and

others were sent to students of the

batrachians.

Thus ends the true story of how the

National Zoo got its first Surinam

toads.

LUO NEWS

Diamonds in the Ruff

Leaning on its haunches, stretching

its legs, and facing the sky, the

ruffed lemur basks in the morning

sun. Because of this behavior, na-

tives of Madagascar (now the

Malagasy Republic) believed it to be

a sun worshipper and, therefore, a

holy and protected animal. For

hundreds of years the ruffed lemur

was relatively safe in Madagascar's

eastern coastal rain forests until

civilization destroyed the old beliefs

and agriculture destroyed the

forests. Today there are very few, if

any, ruffed lemurs remaining in the

wild.

The ruffed lemur is a primate, one

of the group called prosimians. Pro-

simians, or ‘‘pre-monkeys,” most

nearly resemble the primitive an-

cestors of all primates and form the

largest of the four groups of pri-

mates. The ruffed lemur is the only

prosimian currently on exhibit at

the National Zoo. Unlike other

primates—monkeys, apes, and

humans—which rely on sight, the

prosimians are distinguished by a

well-developed sense of smell. The

olfactory lobe in the brain is large,

and in most species the snout is

long; these adaptations increase

the power of the sense of smell.

Jessie Cohen, NZP Office of Graphics and Exhibits

The birth of four ruffed lemurs in May was a major event since the likelihood of these en-

dangered prosimians producing quadruplets is less than one chance in 33.

However, like other primates, pro-

simians have grasping hands and

feet that make them well-suited for

living in trees. The ruffed lemur

lives in the forest canopy from 50 to

200 feet above the ground. It ranges

widely over the forest following its

preferred food—the ripening fruit.

The vivid pattern of its black and

white fur blends into the lights and

shadows cast by the leaves.

Ruffed lemurs travel in family

groups of two to five animals. In

captivity, the female comes into

heat one day each year, and the

young—usually twins—are born

102 days later in a nest box the

mother has lined with straw. As

they mature, the males are allowed

to remain with the family, but the

females are driven out when they

are about eighteen months old.

Last spring, five-year-old Luke and

nine-year-old Leia, on loan from the

San Diego Zoo, produced twins

Lerna and Levy, the first ruffed

lemurs born at the National Zoo.

This year, however, they really out-

did themselves: four babies were

born on May 12. Twinning is com-

mon for these endangered primates,

19

but the chance of quadruplets being

born is less than three percent.

Initially, Leia kept the babies hid-

den in a nest box where she nursed

and cuddled them and kept other

family members away. Unlike most

primates, an infant ruffed lemur

does not cling to its mother; instead,

it is carried around in the mother’s

mouth. The quadruplets are nowon

exhibit with their family at the

Monkey House.

Ruffed lemurs are rarely seen out-

side the Malagasy Republic because

of strict export regulations. Be sure

to see this rare family when you

visit the Zoo!

Art at the Zoo

Kouprey Sculpture Dedicated

A bronze sculpture of the kouprey, a

wild member of the cattle family

that is either extinct or very near

extinction in its native Cambodia,

was dedicated on May 11. The

sculpture is mounted at the en-

trance to the Education Building

and honors Dr. Harold J. Coolidge'’s

efforts in the conservation and

preservation of wildlife in general

and the kouprey in particular.

California Condor Sculpture

Exhibit

The Zoo has opened an exhibit of

California condor sculptures by

Erwin Hauer. The three life-size

20

figures with nine-foot wing spans

will be on display in the lobby of

the Education Building through

August 28.

The California condor is the largest

bird found in North America and is

also one of the most critically en-

dangered. There are probably no

more than 60 California condors

still alive. The population has been

decreasing steadily, and ornitholo-

gists predict that the species will

become extinct by 1995. The birds

are presently restricted to a moun-

tainous area of central California.

The reasons for the decline of the

species are not certain, but it is be-

lieved that changes in the bird's

natural habitat, inadvertent poi-

soning, and capricious shootings

have played roles in reducing the

population.

The California condor's great size

and graceful soaring flight distin-

guish it among American birds.

Hauer’s sculptures capture the form

and elegance of this unique bird,

and the exhibit brings the Cali-

fornia condor to people who might

not otherwise have the opportunity

to appreciate this magnificent

creature.

Who's New at the Zoo

A pair of white rhinos and three

young female zebras have recently

been placed on exhibit at the Zoo.

The rhinos are making their home

at the Elephant House in the area

formerly occupied by Tarun, the

Zoo's male Indian rhinoceros.

Tarun has been loaned to the Bronx

Zoo, where he has joined his son

Patrick and three eligible young

female Indian rhinos. If offspring

are produced by our males and the

Bronx Zoo's females, we can expect

to have the species in Washington

again. In the meantime, King's

Dominion has loaned the Zoo a pair

of square-lipped, two-horned Afri-

can rhinos. The rhinos are not really

white; the name comes from the

Dutch word wejd (meaning wide}

and refers to their broad upper lip. A

strip of cartilage on the lower lip

allows these rhinos to feed on

grasses: other rhinos usually feed

on shrubs or bushes.

Three young female zebras have

been brought to Washington from

the ever-expanding herd at the

Zoo's Conservation and Research

Center at Front Royal, Virginia.

They are sharing the African water

hole exhibit opposite the Panda

House with the white-bearded wil-

debeests. Their stripes, which are

now brown, will darken to black as

they grow older.

FUNZ NEWS

Call for Nominations

In accord with Article II of our By-

Laws, the FONZ Board of Directors

is hereby soliciting nominations

from the membership.

Board Responsibilities

As members of a “working” Board,

FONZ Directors “administer and

manage the affairs” of the Friends of

the National Zoo. The Board of

Directors establishes the policies of

the Corporation, approves budgets

and expenditure of funds, and

otherwise directs and supervises

the activities of FONZ officers and

employees. Much of the Board’s

work is accomplished through ac-

tive committees which develop pro-

grams, budgets, and policies for

various FONZ activities and which

oversee their implementation. The

principal committees include:

O The Finance Committee, which

institutes, develops, and supervises

the fiscal operations of the Corpora-

tion.

1 The Education Committee,

which participates in the develop-

ment of FONZ-supported educa-

tional programs and supervises all

educational activities authorized by

the Board.

Ol The Membership Committee,

which is responsible for recruiting

new members to FONZ and for

developing membership activities.

O The Publications Committee,

which supervises the publication

and distribution of ZooGoer and

PawPrints.

O The Visitor Services Committee,

which oversees the management

and operation of the FONZ gift

shop, food, parking, and other visi-

tor service facilities at the Zoo.

11 The Administration Committee,

which establishes and supervises

administrative policies and pro-

cedures for FONZ employees.

All Board members serve on at least

one of the above committees, and

many attend two or more FONZ

meetings each month. Board mem-

bers serve on a voluntary basis

without pay.

Criteria for Selection of Directors

The criteria by which potential

candidates are judged for nomina-

tion to the Board of Directors are the

candidate's strong interest in sup-

porting zoological education, re-

search, and conservation in ac-

cordance with the purposes of our

Corporation; experience or skills

which are needed and would benefit

directly the management and op-

erations of FONZ; and willingness

and time to serve on the Board of

Directors and to participate fully in

FONZ work and activities. Candi-

dates must be dues-paying mem-

bers of FONZ.

In 1981, the Nominating Commit-

tee feels it is important to strength-

en Board expertise in the areas of

food and merchandising manage-

ment, fund-raising, and community

leadership.

Nominating Procedures

Nominations may be made only by

dues-paying family, couple, or in-

dividual memberships in good

standing. (Senior citizen, contrib-

uting, and patron memberships of

FONZ, and members who previ-

ously joined the Corporation as life

members are entitled to all rights

and privileges of dues-paying

21

family, couple, or individual mem-

berships, as appropriate.) Employees

of FONZ or the National Zoo are

not eligible for membership on the

FONZ Board of Directors. All

nominations must be submitted on

an official FONZ nominating form

with a biographical sketch of the

nominee attached. Nomination

forms can be obtained at the FONZ

office or will be mailed upon re-

quest.

For information and/or the required

forms, call 673-4950.

The deadline for submitting nomi-

nation forms and accompanying

biographical sketches is August 22,

1981.

Address submissions to:

M. Anthony Gould, Chairperson

FONZ Nominating Committee

National Zoological Park

Washington, D.C. 20008

Seal Gift Shop

FONZ’s new Seal Gift Shop is slated

to open early in July across from the

Sea Lion Exhibit in Beaver Valley.

The Seal Gift Shop will feature a

harp seal T-shirt designed es-

pecially for FONZ. Other new mer-

chandise will highlight the bears,

seals, and sea lions. Stuffed animals

include a new Smokey Bear and

both harp and grey seals. There will

ae

FONZ’s new Seal Gift Shop highlights the residents of Beaver Valley.

also be children’s jewelry, seal

mugs, a Smokey Bear Zookeeper

badge, and a variety of educational

items for children. The Seal Gift

Shop will be open year-round.

Be sure to stop by this new FONZ

gift shop when you visit the Zoo!

Photo Contest Winners

Congratulations to the winners of

the Fourth Annual FONZ Photo

Contest:

Adult—Color

First prize: Joseph Spies, Arlington,

Virginia. Second prize: Robert Sulen-

ski, Silver Spring, Maryland. Third

prize: John Mitchell, Silver Spring,

Maryland.

Adult—Black and White

First prize: Joseph Spies, Arlington,

Virginia. Second prize: Gloria Buck-

berg, Bethesda, Maryland. Third

prize: Gloria Buckberg, Bethesda,

Maryland.

Junior Division

First prize: Melissa Whitworth,

Laurel, Maryland. Second prize: Mat-

thew Bixler, McLean, Virginia. Third

prize: Eric Franklin, Gaithersburg

Maryland.

Mr. Spies’ prize-winning black and

white photograph is featured on the

back cover of this issue of ZooGoer.

Summer at the Zoo

Don't miss these super, free events

this summer at the National Zoo:

Monkey House

Daily, around 11 a.m. to 12 noon.

Look for keeper activities such as

handing out vitamins and hanging

swings.

Daily, around 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

Keepers are usually available to

answer questions and discuss the

animals.

Elephant House

Daily, around 9 a.m. and 5 to 6 p.m.

Watch keepers work with the ele-

phants during management-train-

ing sessions.

Beaver Valley

(Along the Polar Bear Trail)

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday,

11 a.m.

Follow a keeper on a feeding round;

visit different animals each day.

Check the announcement boards

near the otters and near the me-

chanical building (between the seals

and sea lions) for the meeting place.

Sunday, 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.;

Wednesday and Thursday, 5 p.m.

Watch the keepers’ management-

training sessions with the seals or

sea lions.

The activities listed above are de-

pendent on keeper schedules and the

weather. For each day’s happenings,

check the announcement boards in

the Monkey House and in Beaver

Valley.

ZooLab

Tuesday through Sunday, 12 noon

to 3 p.m.

ZooLab is a place to learn more

about the Zoo and its animals by

looking, touching, and reading.

There are bones, antlers, feathers,

eggs, books, and study boxes. Zoo-

Lab is located in the Education

Building. Free tickets are given out

at the information desk in the

lobby. Groups are permitted only by

prior arrangement. One adult must

accompany each three children.

BirdLab

Tuesday through Sunday, 12 noon

to 3 p.m.

BirdLab is a touch-and-discover lab

similar to ZooLab, but the focus is

on birds. It is located in the Bird

House, and space is limited.

Films

Daily, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m..

every hour on the half hour.

Zoo, abehind-the-scenes look at the

animals and people of the National

Zoo, and The Last Chance, which

describes the activities of the Zoo's

Conservation and Research Center

at Front Royal, are shown alter-

nately in the air-conditioned audi-

torium of the Education Building.

Puppet Shows

Tuesday through Sunday, July 7

through August 16, 10 a.m. to 3:30

p.m., every half hour.

Watch the puppet shows performed

by FONZ Zoo Aides outside

(weather permitting) near the Edu-

cation Building.

For daily additions to the schedule of

Zoo activities, check the information

stations below Lion-Tiger Hill, out-

side the Giant Panda House, in the

Education Building, and on the mo-

bile information cart.

23

Joseph Spies of Arlington, Virginia, won first prize in the Adult black and white division of the FONZ Photo Contest

swith this striking portrait of meercats. o ae |

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