volume Z number 3

May /June 1978

Contents

3 Elephant Training

9 ZooNews

15 Keeping Cool

20 BookNews

21 FONZNews

23 Calendar of Events

Front Cover: Bathing in an elephant-sized

pool is part of the care and feeding program

for pachyderms at the National Zoo.

Back Cover: Twenty-five dik-dik have been

bred at the Zoo since the 12-pound

antelopes arrived in 1969.

Monica J. Morgan

Management & Production

Mary C. Massey

Copy Editor

Photographs on pp. 9 & 11 by Monica

Morgan; p. 14 by Leo Slaughter; all others by

Francie Schroeder.

the

Friends

of

ee

4 .

National

is anon-profit organization of individuals and

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As a FONZ, you and your family receive

FONZ Board of Directors 1977-78

Stephen T. Hosmer, President

John S. Brown, First Vice President

Nancy Porter, Second Vice President

M. Anthony Gould, Treasurer

Victor Delano, Secretary

Cecil McLelland

Sheila D. Minor

Robert L. Nelson

Peter C. Andrews

Theodore Babbitt

Edward G. Boehm

Janice A. Booker John B. Oliver

Montgomery S. Bradley Whayne Quin

Timothy V.A. Dillon Ross Simons

Donna Grosvenor Julia V. Taft

Julie P. Hubbard Lee Talbot

Nella Manes Sally S. Tongren

FONZ Staff

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Services

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THEZOOGOER is published bi-monthly and

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ington, DC 20008, third class mailing permit

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Zoo Staff

Dr. Theodore H. Reed, Director

Mr. Edward Kohn, Deputy Director

Office Chiefs

Mr. Jaren Horsley, Animal Management

Dr. Christen Wemmer, Conservation &

Research Center

Dr. Mitchell Bush, Animal Health

Dr. Richard Montali, Pathology

Dr. John Eisenberg, Zoological Research

Mr. Emmanuel Petrella, Facilities Man-

agement

Mr. David Booth, Construction Manage-

ment

Mr. Vince Doyle, Management Services

Mr. Robert Mulcahy, Graphics & Exhibits

Ms. Judy White, Education & Information

Mr. Samuel Middleton, Police & Safety

Elephant Training

by Bill Xanten

Curator of Mammals

he is served 160 pounds of

S food every day, drinks up to 60

gallons of water a day, and is

given frequent scrub baths and

pedicures.

The care and feeding of an 11,000

pound elephant is obviously a big

job! And it can be a long-time

commitment, since an elephant

lives 50 years or more. The

world’s largest land animal is rep-

resented at the National Zoo

by three specimens: ‘Nancy,’

a 23-year-old African female;

Previous Page: Two-year-old Shanthi (right)

plays like a puppy with her usually patient

roommate, 32-year-old Ambika.

“Ambika,” a 32-year-old Asian

female; and 2%-year-old “Shan-

thi,” a gift from Sri Lanka, for-

merly Ceylon.

Currently, the Zoo is “introduc-

ing’ young Shanthi to Ambika.

Since Ambika is much bigger and

sometimes tries to bully Shanthi,

it is necessary to chain Ambika

outside. So far the introductions

have been going well. Shanthi en-

joys Ambika, but makes a pest of

herself by constantly nudging and

bumping the older elephant.

Ambika is usually tolerant, but

will occasionally push Shanthi

away rather forcefully. Hope-

fully, both animals will be getting

along well together soon.

The Zoo’s day-to-day care and

feeding of elephants is as unusual

as it is interesting. As one might

expect, elephants eat a lot. Break-

fast consists of a five gallon mix-

ture of pellets and grain, while

lunch is a snack of 20 pounds of

alfalfa hay. The main meal served

at 3 p.m. consists of 50 pounds of

Timothy hay, 50 pounds of hydro-

ponic grass, 20 pounds of alfalfa

hay, and a five gallon mixture of

pellets and grain. The youngest

elephant, Shanthi, gets about

one-fourth of this diet as well as

fruits and vegetables. Adult

elephants drink up to 60 gallons

of water a day!

The Zoo’s elephants are bathed

twice a day in the winter. During

the summer, they soak in their

own private, outdoor pool. The

elephants stay in during the win-

ter and whenever the outside

temperature falls below 40°F. If

there is snow or ice in the yards,

they are kept inside to avoid

slipping and injuring themselves.

Because they are not allowed ac-

cess to their outdoor pool in win-

ter, elephants are bathed fre-

quently and scrubbed with a

brush. The water softens the skin,

and the brushing helps to remove

dead particles of skin.

The bottom of an elephant’s foot

has a tough but spongy sole

which often develops small

The Zoo’s elephants get a spray and scrub

bath twice a day in winter. In summer,

they soak in their own outdoor pool.

crevices where bacteria can col-

lect. Unless the feet are cleaned

and the dead tissue trimmed off,

a crippling disease called “foot

rot’ may develop. Along with the

need to trim the bottom of the

feet, it is also necessary to trim

an elephant’s nails and cuticles,

which become ragged and over-

grown. This is done by having the

elephant lie down or by putting

its foot up on a platform. The

keeper trims with a rasp and a

hoof knife. It must be done with

great care and skill. If the keeper

cuts too deeply, the elephant

could be crippled. This procedure

requires the experience of a

trained keeper and a strong trust

on the part of the elephant. In

summer, the need for foot

trimming is lessened because the

soles and nails are worn down

naturally by the elephant’s

Crevices on the bottom of an elephant’s foot can cause foot rot unless the feet are routinely

cleaned and dead tissue trimmed off.

scuffing and digging in the gravel

and dirt of the outside yards.

Because of their large size, in-

telligence, and the type of care

required, elephants need to be

controlled by their keeper. Train-

ing is anything but routine and re-

quires skill, interest, and lots and

lots of patience on the part of the

keepers. Since elephants must be

conditioned to accept this train-

ing, mutual respect and, above

all, trust are musts.

While some zoos use their ele-

phants to perform in shows, the

National Zoo trains its elephants

only for basic management

needs. The training consists of a

series of disciplines, such as

lifting each foot (for foot inspec-

tion and trimming), lifting the

trunk (to check teeth), lying down

(for foot trimming and bathing),

standing still (for bathing and

general inspection of the body),

and backing up (for positioning).

The use of foot chains is perhaps

the most misunderstood pro-

cedure of all the training dis-

ciplines. Because of the ele-

phant’s mammoth size, chaining

is the only means of restraint

short of chemical immobilization,

which is used only under the most

serious circumstances because of

the risks involved. Regular vet-

erinary examinations require that

5

the elephants be restrained in

a safe manner. Elephants are typi-

cally mischievious and will take

each other’s food or reach incred-

ible distances with their trunks to

destroy hoses, signs, doors, and

other objects. Chaining them at

night often prevents them from

getting into mischief. Sometimes

chaining doesn’t even work! An

elephant’s trunk tip has a finger-

like projection—one in the Asian

species and two in the African.

Like our own fingers, it has

amazing dexterity. The elephants

have, on occasion, unscrewed the

link pin that holds the chain, so

padlocks are now used. The re-

straining chains are quite long to

permit normal movement. Chains

are used on one front leg and one

hind leg to prevent tangling as the

elephant moves about.

Training is conducted at a set

time early every morning when

there is minimum distraction by

the public. The elephants learn by

repetition and positive reinforce-

ment. Once a specific procedure

has been decided upon, a com-

mand is given and a long wooden

pole with a blunt hook at the end

is used to apply pressure. This

helps the elephant to relate the

Previous Page: Training an 11,000 pound

elephant to lift its feet and trunk is vital for

a close-up check of toenails and teeth.

command to the act itself. For

example, to ask an elephant to lift

its front foot, the trainer says

“foot” while exerting firm pres-

sure on the back of the ankle of

the front foot. The command is

repeated with the pressure until

the elephant lifts its front foot.

Then the elephant is rewarded

with a pat on the shoulder and a

small piece of its favorite food.

Consistency is essential in train-

ing. Elephants are notorious for

trying to test their keepers. They

may, for instance, not lift their

foot as high as they should. If

allowed to get away with this be-

havior, an elephant becomes less

and less obedient, and training

must begin all over again.

Allowing an elephant to test a

keeper and get by with it can be

extremely dangerous. More deaths

and injuries have been caused in

zoos and circuses by elephants

than by any other animal. The

elephant must respect the keeper

as well as have complete trust in

him or her. The keeper must also

feel this same relationship.

Keepers who are afraid, cruel, or

impatient risk injury to them-

selves and their co-workers.

Sometimes there arises an im-

mediate dislike between elephant

and keeper. Should it occur, it is

essential that the keeper admit

the problem and remove himself

from the elephants. Otherwise,

the situation will continue to get

worse and lead to problems.

Elephants by nature are not ag-

gressive or mean. In captivity,

they generally enjoy a good re-

lationship with their keepers. An

elephant which turns aggressive is

usually one that has been mis-

treated or badly trained.

Male elephants, however, can

present an entirely different situa-

tion. Very few zoos keep “bull”

elephants, because they do not

have isolation quarters needed

when the male goes into rut, or

“Musth,” as the Indians call it.

Musth occurs seasonally in

mature Asian species. Much less

is known about African species,

but the males also go through a

rutting period similar to that of

the Asiatic elephant.

During Musth, a bull elephant be-

comes moody and aggressive and

can be extremely dangerous.

Skilled trainers can detect the on-

set of Musth and must take extra-

ordinary precautions to avoid

being injured during this period.

While females do not exhibit this

type of seasonal behavior, they

can become unruly and cause in-

juries on occasion. Since ele-

phants have caused a number of

injuries, they should never be

taken for granted by their keepers.

7

The National Zoo has four

keepers assigned to the elephants.

Each keeper has been trained in

the proper methods of working

with the elephants and has taken

a special training course at Busch

Gardens in Tampa, Florida.

It is hoped that with the dedica-

tion and interest shown on the

part of these keepers, the Na-

tional Zoo’s elephants will con-

tinue to be as well cared for and

well trained as possible. (]

Skinny dipping is a daily summer treat thanks to the Zoo’s spacious outdoor pool.

Five Years with Ling-

Ling and Hsing-Hsing

by Devra Kleiman

Reproduction Zoologist

An American frustration has

developed because of a pair of

black and white headliners

named Ling-Ling and _ Hsing-

Hsing. Despite every effort, the

giant pandas have yet to breed

successfully. What magic ingredi-

ent(s) might be missing? My re-

cent visit to China convinced me

that the perfect recipe for breed-

ing pandas does not exist and that

patience is a virtue, which hope-

fully will be rewarded.

A brief history may explain the

reasons for the frustration. Al-

though Chinese zoologists had re-

ported that giant panda females

typically do not have their first

estrus until age six, the Zoo’s Ling-

Ling was precocious and ex-

hibited clear signs of heat and

receptivity in 1973 when she was

apparently two-and-a-half years

old. The Chinese now suggest that

they may have made an error in

estimating her age (she may be

Trying but not succeeding in this spring’s

breeding encounters, the Zoo’s pandas

are now ona diet to bring them down to

ideal mating weights.

one year older) or that the rich

Washington diet may have

triggered early puberty.

Since Ling-Ling was precocious,

we expected Hsing-Hsing to act

similarly. Detailed observations

of the pair alone and together,

awake and asleep, in and out of

reproduction condition, sug-

gested to us that our male had

matured sufficiently so that suc-

cessful breeding could be ex-

pected by the following season.

Yet each year nothing happened.

In 1974 and 1975, Hsing-Hsing

was interested in the female and

did attempt to breed. However,

his mounting position was usually

incorrect and often his mounting

looked more. like play than

mating. Our hopes again were

smashed during the Bicentennial

year when an error in timing re-

sulted in the pair being intro-

duced too late in the female’s

estrus. By then, Hsing-Hsing was

still only five years old, one to

two years before the reported age

of puberty. In 1977, we were cer-

tain we had a chance. However,

not only had Hsing-Hsing just

barely improved his technique,

but the pair had a fight, which

gave Ling-Ling a sprained forefoot

during the peak period of re-

ceptivity. Whenever mounted,

she would flop over onto her side

under the weight of the male.

10

Although disappointed again, we

looked forward to 1978, since

Hsing-Hsing seemed more serious

in his breeding attempts.

In late April of this year, the fe-

male still had not come into heat.

For several days, we feared that

Ling-Ling, whose estrous periods

had been as regular as clockwork,

would fail us. Two days before |

left for China and after two weeks

of periodically introducing the

pair, Ling-Ling began to show

signs of receptivity. As | headed

for talks with both Japanese and

Chinese panda experts, the pair

were once again unsuccessful in

breeding. Ling-Ling flopped onto

her side when mounted, even

without a sprained forefoot, and

Hsing-Hsing was so frustrated and

ageressive that he terrified his

mate during two very noisy fights.

Based on their performance so

far, one could ask why we are still

optimistic. For one thing, the

Zoo’s pandas do not suffer from

certain problems that beset the

Chinese captive pandas. The

National Zoo’s pair are usually

compatible when the female is in

heat. They do try to breed. More-

over, the female has had regular

and very clear-cut heat periods

each year. From the results of

spring and autumn night watches

by FONZ volunteers, it is clear

that Hsing-Hsing is showing a

spring rut. The Chinese have

suffered from having incom-

patible pairs that only fight. They

also have males as old as ten

years (Hsing-Hsing is only seven

years old) who have never even

shown sexual interest in a female.

And there are females who have

erratic, weak estrus.

What then is the problem, or does

a problem really exist? One sug-

gestion from the Chinese was that

we be patient. Although male

pandas usually reach puberty

between six and seven years old,

there is considerable variation.

Thus, Hsing-Hsing may still not be

completely mature. In support of

this idea are several observations

we have made during the pre-

vious two breeding seasons. It

appears as though Hsing-Hsing

has lately been showing more in-

tense mounting bouts and has an

erection more frequently. We

now believe that he may have

ejaculated this year for the first

time and that one serious fight

may have been triggered by this

event. Moreover, he has recently

become much more aggressive

and dominant over Ling-Ling.

A second suggestion from the

Chinese has caused more of a stir.

Chinese zoologists believe that

the best breeding weight for

pandas is 100 kg (220 Ibs). When |

informed them that Ling-Ling and

Hsing-Hsing averaged 125 kg (275

lbs), they suggested delicately

that our pandas might be over-

weight. This could account for

Ling-Ling’s frequent flopping over

when mounted and Hsing-Hsing’s

rather poor orientation. The diets

of the pair have been reduced

and are being revaluated.

In any case, breeding pandas is

not like breeding rabbits, as | dis-

covered from the Chinese. China

is the only country which has had

success, and only in the Peking

Zoo have young been raised. The

first panda birth in captivity

occurred in 1963 in Peking. To

date ten litters have been born at

the Peking Zoo, with a total of 16

infants (six of the litters were

twins). Of the 16 young, only

seven survived infancy, and there

have been no second generation

births. The zoo in Shanghai has

had two births, but the young did

not survive. The Chinese estimate

that there are currently 25 or 26

giant pandas in Chinese zoos,

most of which were wild-caught

as adults. They have never tried

to breed a pair wild-caught as

infants, as Ling-Ling and Hsing-

Hsing are.

Is there hope for the future? Yes,

according to the Chinese, be-

Cause our pair are compatible

and show sexual interest in each

other. An additional fact which

has reduced our anxiety is that

pandas live longer than we

thought. The lifespan was origin-

ally said to be 16 to 17 years.

Thus, although we are still some-

what frustrated by our lack of

success, we still hope that next

year may be the “Year of

the Panda.”

Ling-Ling takes a rest break after one of her

strenuous chasing-mating sessions in May.

Tiny Dik-Dik Are Big

Breeders at Zoo

by Karl Kranz

Research Assistant

The dik-dik at the Zoo quietly

added a member to their rapidly

expanding population on May 20,

1978. The birth is the twenty-fifth

since the tiny antelope arrived in

1969. The Zoo now has one of the

largest groups in captivity.

“Galen” weighed just over a

pound at birth and may reach 12

pounds as an adult. Galen and his

parents are on display with the

red kangaroos across from the

Panda House. The best time to

see this group is late afternoon.

Kirk’s dik-dik (Madoqua Kirki) is

one of four dik-dik species in

Africa. The coat color is a griz-

zled gray brown. Adults may

reach a height of 16 inches; only

the males have horns. This bush

antelope is found in the dense

shrubland of East and South-

west Africa.

Dik-dik live in pairs and mate for

life. The pair share the respon-

sibilities of maintaining a_terri-

tory and rearing offspring. The

male marks the perimeter of the

territory with black waxy secre-

tions from a gland found just

beneath the eye. This warns other

dik-dik that this territory is oc-

12

cupied and to keep out. Com-

munal dung heaps are also used

to mark the boundaries between

neighboring territories.

The Dorobo, a tribe in Kenya,

give a different explanation for

the dung heap. The legend tells of

a dik-dik walking down a game

trail and tripping over a mighty

elephant dung pile. The enraged

dik-dik responded by creating one

of his own. However, the dik-dik

found that it was not large

enough to trip the elephant and

had to enlist the support of neigh-

boring dik-dik to make the pile

larger. We are not told if the dik-

dik was ever successful!

After a six-month gestation

period, a single calf is born. Dur-

Dik-dik behavior, from scent marking to maternal care, will be studied by Zoo researchers.

ing the first few weeks of life, the

young spend little time with their

mother. Rather they hide in vege-

tation around logs, trees, or

bushes. Baby dik-dik select their

own hiding places and do not, as

commonly believed, depend on

their mothers to be hidden. The

baby may only nurse once or

twice a day. Dik-dik mature very

quickly and are weaned by the

time they are six weeks old.

Dik-dik have often been con-

sidered difficult to maintain in

captivity and are exhibited in only

a few zoos. Using recent field

studies as a guide, the National

Zoo has been very successful in

maintaining pairs in a small en-

closure with plenty of cover.

Warm boxes are provided to help

the dik-dik withstand the rigors of

a Washington winter. Captive diet

includes fruits and vegetables,

grain, and hay.

The Zoo’s large group of dik-dik

provides a unique opportunity to

study certain aspects of behavior.

In the next year, the Office of

Zoological Research hopes to in-

vestigate scent marking, pair

bonding, and maternal care as

part of the ongoing research on

mammalian monogamy.

Breeding, Research

Boom at Front Royal

Center

At Front Royal, Virginia, the hills

are alive with the sounds of bark-

ing deer, bugling cranes, zebras,

camels, oryx, and wolves.

Thanks to successful breeding

and captive care programs, the

Zoo’s Conservation and Research

Center is now home for more than

200 animals of 32 different

species. More than 100 mammals

have been born there, and all

species old enough to reproduce

have done so except for the tree

kangaroos.

Recent births of special import-

ance include rare golden lion

marmosets and crab-eating foxes,

Onangers, scimitar-horned oryx,

camels, zebras, and Pére David's

deer. Maned wolves born and

reared by their mothers were the

first of their species ever mother-

raised in North America.

On-going research programs at

the Center have been designed to

improve breeding and care of the

growing exotic animal collection

and to learn more about their be-

havior, which would be all but

impossible in the wild. Five FONZ

summer interns assisted Zoo re-

searchers in carrying out team-

work studies on the behavior of

the Pére David’s deer, which no

longer survive in the wild. In the

course of last summer, the herd’s

social dynamics were intensely

documented on a daily basis, and

three 24-hour watches were con-

ducted. These studies will con-

tinue through this summer. Other

FONZ trainees have assisted in re-

searching bluebird population

and breeding at the Center; made

observations on the courtship and

breeding behavior of Grand Cay-

man parrots; and studied the

social development of marmoset

litters, including the handrearing

of one baby.

As the animal population and re-

search have grown dramatically,

so have the physical facilities.

During the past year, new indoor

and outdoor enclosures were

built and a brooder-incubator

building was equipped to im-

prove egg incubation and young

raising in exotic birds. Each of

some 40 new outdoor bird yards

include pool, heated shed, and

protective shrubbery. Half of

these yards temporarily hold

breeding pairs of four kinds

of cranes.

Nearing completion is a large

complex of wire-covered yards

for hardy birds able to live out-

doors year-round. In addition,

work is about half done on

erecting the 17 miles of eight-

foot-high chain-link fence to

completely enclose the 3000-

acre facility.

13

On all counts—from_ breeding

and care to behavior studies—the

Zoo’s Conservation and Research

Center is living up to its name by

playing an ever-expanding role in

conserving endangered wildlife

for future generations to enjoy.

Shaggy Bactrian camels are among the more

than 100 mammals born so far at the Zoo’s

3,000-acre Conservation and Research

Center in Front Royal, Virginia.

Keeping Cool

by Bess Frank

Keeper

umans are not the only ones

H who have a problem keeping

their cool on hot days. Mammals,

birds, and reptiles all have to

cope with extreme heat, either

from external or internal sources.

External heat may come from hot

desert air or warm weather in

temperate zones. The_ internal

source of heat is the body’s

metabolism. The amount of in-

ternal heat can be increased by

exercise. Whatever the heat

source, the ability to cool down is

vital to all animals whenever their

body temperature approaches its

upper limits.

There are different ways that

animals keep a relatively con-

stant body temperature. Since

heat flows from a warm area to a

cooler one, animals can lose heat

to their surroundings. The blood

vessels closest to the skin surface

expand and allow body heat to

move easily to the cooler air

around the animal. If there is a

breeze, the cooling process is

Previous Page: Since sweating is difficult

for furred animals, the Zoo’s lesser pandas

reduce heat build-up by panting.

By flapping their ears, elephants cool them-

selves faster. The blood vessels in their ears

dilate and give off heat.

more efficient. An elephant’s ears

have a large surface area for heat

dissipation. The blood vessels in

the ears dilate and give off heat,

but when an elephant flaps its

ears and creates air currents, the

cooling is hastened.

If the surrounding air is too hot or

cannot cool the animal’s body

quickly enough, a “heat load”

can build up. Exercise can create

internal heat rapidly, and the

animal must have a way to cool

down. The best way is by the

evaporation of water from the

surface of the skin or the respira-

tory tract. This process can be

demonstrated by wetting the

back of your hand and blowing

on it. Notice how much cooler

the wet spot feels because of the

heat lost through evaporation.

There are three ways animals lose

heat by evaporation: sweating,

panting, and spreading water over

its body. An animal may rely pri-

Kangaroos and other marsupials keep cool by licking their bodies to spread water that then evaporates.

marily on one of these methods,

supplementing it with others.

The spreading of water is used by

animals as different as the kang-

aroo and the elephant. Kangaroos

and other marsupials lick their

bodies, moistening themselves

with saliva. Elephants spray them-

selves with water to cool off, but

if there is no water nearby, they

will collect saliva in their mouths,

then remove it with their trunks

and spray it on themselves.

Spreading water is not an effi-

cient cooling system, but if an

animal neither pants nor has

sweat glands—and the elephant

does not— it is the only means be-

sides the dilation of blood vessels

that is available.

Many mammals have _ sweat

glands that secrete fluid to the

body’s surface. Sweat moistens

the skin, cooling the animal as the

liquid evaporates. Sweating is a

highly efficient cooling system,

especially for man. The major

drawback is the amount of liquid

lost as sweat. The Dorcas gazelle

helps maintain its water balance

by curtailing its activities during

the hottest part of the day and

seeking shade. The difference of

a few degrees between the tem-

perature in the shade and in an

open area can mean a great

Saving in water.

Sweating is difficult for an animal

with a heavy coat. The hair acts

as insulation, protecting the skin

from the surrounding air. With-

out exposed surfaces for evapora-

tion there must be another way to

Dorcas gazelle, like many humans, cope

with hot days by resting in the shade.

release heat. Since the surfaces of

the mouth and upper respiratory

tract are always moist, they allow

for cooling by evaporation. By

increasing the air flow over these

surfaces, which is what happens

when an animal pants, a great

deal of heat may be lost. In the

Zoo, panting can be easily seen in

the lesser pandas. On hot days

their heavy coats can cause heat

loads, relieved by panting.

Panting is the primary way birds

cool off. The respiratory system

of birds differs from that of

humans. In birds, several air sacs

join the trachea and lungs. When

birds pant, they use their air sacs

as well as their lungs to increase

the surface area available for

evaporation. Reptiles, too, de-

pend to some degree on panting

as a cooling mechanism.

Small mammals, like rodents,

that have difficulty maintaining

their water balance seek other

ways to stay cool. Since water

loss from sweating or panting can

be dangerous for small animals

that have trouble finding water,

they do neither. Rodents in arid

climates, like prairie dogs and

antelope ground squirrels, live in

burrows. Because soil is a poor

heat conductor, a burrow a few

feet below the surface will be

much cooler and damper than the

air above the ground.

So, as you walk around the Zoo

on a hot summer day, watch how

the animals regulate their body

heat to keep cool.

Heavily furred animals, whether lions or dogs, keep cool by panting, which provides cooling at the mouth area

through evaporation.

BOOK\\S

Editor's Note: All books reviewed

are available through the FONZ

Bookstore and Gallery — 232-4047.

On the Fifth Day

by Terry Gercke

Edited by Richard Knowles Morris

and Michael W. Fox, Acropolis

Books Ltd., 240pp, 1978, copy-

righted by The Humane Society

of the United States, $12.50.

On the Fifth Day

Creation of Beings began

Their fate determined by Man

For either good or ill

And so it continues still.

Anonymous

Animals have been worshipped,

abused, eaten, slaughtered,

studied, and protected by man

over the years. Whatever the

treatment, philosophers have

justified it by differing and often

contradictory theories.

How and why humans—from

ancient Greeks to today’s con-

servationists — have treated wild-

life is explained in this collection

of essays by noted scientists,

theologians, and philosophers.

The Greek Pythagorean School of

philosophers claimed that

20

humans and animals had inter-

changeable souls which moved

from animal to human or human

to animal in ongoing incarna-

tions. The belief is humorously il-

lustrated by the following story:

“When a neighbor was beating a

dog, ... Pythagoras asked him to

stop, for ‘it is the soul of my late

friend: | can tell from his voice!’ ”

Some disagreed, saying that both

man and animals were mere

machines without souls, and that

death was the absolute end.

Other classicists claimed that

everything existed for “human

pleasure,” which, of course, led

to the Roman era of circuses.

“Thus Pompey provided a show

of 500 lions, 18 elephants, and

410 other African animals; and

Caligula caused 400 bears and the

same number of animals from

Africa to tear each other

to pieces.”

It was not until the theory of

evolution that some continuity of

thinking about the relationship of

man and animals was established.

However, thinkers from many

professional communities carried

the theory of ‘survival of the

fittest” to the extreme conclusion

that man was the fittest of all

creatures. In this way, they

justified man’s increasing com-

petition with animals and de-

struction of wildlife as being in

the interest of the survival of the

fittest. Thus, man’s materialism

and self-centeredness continued

to threaten the animal kingdom.

Should animals be accorded stan-

dards of ethical and legal rights?

One author claims that, at the

very least, animals deserve a

basic right of humane treat-

ment. On some mechanized

farms of today, an “animal

spends the major part of its life

unable even to turn round in its

pen... . Lack of movement can

lead to boredom, boredom to so-

called ‘vices’ such as tail-biting in

pigs and featherpecking in birds.

Rather than overhaul the system,

the producer then further de-

prives the animal, either of light

to see its fellows clearly, or by

mutilation—the hen or part of

her beak or the pig of its tail.”

Explored in another essay is the

“myth” of man’s innate aggres-

sion to explain violent and cruel

behavior toward animals.

“Are We Right in Demanding an

End to Animal Cruelty?” asks the

Humane Society of the United

States, which published this

volume. We have, they say, a

“right” to end the fur trade, to

insist on humanely controlled

slaughterhouses, to stop the kill-

ing of whales, and to modify

rodeos and laboratory experimen-

tation so that animals are not

tortured, killed, maimed, and

crippled for fun or profit.

On The Fifth Day concludes that

scientific, logical, and philosophi-

cal insights can lay a foundation

for rational and emotional con-

cern for all living creatures.

At times some of the essays may

be too “philosophical” to hold

the interest of the general reader,

but On The Fifth Day provides a

backbone for militant change in

human ethics and is worth read-

ing for its thought-provoking,

sensitive, strong, and beautiful

reverence for all forms of life. As

the Humane Society explains, the

book ‘grew out of the belief that

a significant reduction in animal

suffering will take place when the

relationships between human

beings and other animals are

more fully understood.”

FONZ\EV\S

FONZ Supports

Two New

Research Projects

Indonesia’s spectacular birds of

paradise and the endangered

Utah prairie dog will benefit from

the first two FONZ field con-

servation study grants.

Birds of paradise (there are 43

species in Indonesia, Australia,

and neighboring islands) are in

trouble. Their numbers have been

greatly decreased because their

forest homes have been razed

and poachers have killed them for

their magnificent plumage. Some

species have three-foot-long tails,

iridescent feathers, plume-tufted

flanks, and long “wires” hanging

from the neck. One observer

called them “flying rainbows.”

The FONZ grant will enable the

National Zoo to join with the

New York and Philadelphia Zoos

in an expedition to study the birds

and obtain specimens for captive

breeding programs at each zoo.

The conservation program is the

first major field project by these

three zoos, although there have

been efforts for more than a year

to set up joint breeding and

genetic pooling programs.

This summer, a scouting group to

West Irian will explore and select

sites, survey the birds, and deter-

mine how they can be success-

fully acclimatized for transfer.

Not only does this project

promise to bring a spectacular

breeding exhibit to the National

Zoo, but it will help Indonesia set

up its own breeding and exhibit

program at the Djakarta Zoo.

Less spectacular but no less im-

portant to the wild kingdom is the

second FONZ conservation effort

to aid the Utah prairie dog.

One of the five species of prairie

dog, Cynomys parvidens, is the

only endangered North American

small mammal exhibited at the

National Zoo. The Zoo’s colony,

located just below the Small

Mammal House, is probably the

only captive breeding group in

the world.

As farmers poisoned and hunted

the little animals because they

competed with domestic live-

stock for food and dug dangerous

burrow holes, their range and

numbers shrunk alarmingly. By

1968, the Utah prairie dog had

become an endangered species

and only about 6,000 animals sur-

21

vived, mostly on unprotected

private land. In 1973, the State of

Utah began transplanting the

animals from private lands to pro-

tected state and federal areas.

Now, FONZ will enable an expert

to spend six months evaluating

the results of the relocation by

spotting and counting the breed-

ing colonies.

Conservation is a primary mission

of the National Zoo, and FONZ is

proud to launch the first of what

will hopefully be many programs

around the world to directly save

endangered wildlife.

The Unusual Gift

is Commonplace

Shopping at the Zoo has taken on

a new and exciting dimension

with the opening of FONZ’s

Bookstore/Gallery in the Educa-

tion/Administration Building.

Specializing in one-of-a-kind

and unusual animal-themed

items, the shop has everything

from hard-to-find books and

prints to jewelry carved from

fossilized mastodon bones.

There are animal-themed batik

scarves and pillow covers,

22

ostrich eggs, ceramic and bronze

statues, belt buckles, ice buckets,

mugs, trays, and stationery.

Searching the world for the

unique, the shop has obtained

distinctive duck bowls hand-

carved from orange wood by a

rural Mexican family and animal-

themed fabrics appliqued by

the Cuna Indians of Panama

(see illustration). There are stone

carvings from Russia, paper

panda cut-outs from China,

napkin rings from Africa, and

lacquered boxes from Kashmir.

For children, there are put-

together wooden animals,

T-shirts, and coloring books.

Zoo visitors can now solve their

gift and Christmas buying the

easy and fun way at the new

Bookstore/Gallery, open daily

from 11 to 4. Don’t forget, FONZ

members receive a 10% discount

on all merchandise!

p thee Book

nstration will all be -

ee ee ot oe wildest

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1 about the anne who

proximately shies niles long,

7 8 rse Se ae of the Zoo's

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lucing a live wolf to the pudience the

| ae ers yous a 4 ere understanding

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. - An Jase el lecture es will he n igh ‘the _

ie a more ae please call the e membership,

future. office at 232- 7700.

23