Zoo Logic

With science proving to be an easy target lately for those looking to politicize it, what lasting harm is done to the public discourse and society's faith in anything the research community has to report in those rare instances when unsubstantiated, misleading or unethically crafted papers clear a respected journal's peer review process? Heather Hill a principle author of a rebuttal letter to one such troubling peer-reviewed paper on orcas joins researcher Jason Bruck to discuss the implications for us all.

When pleas for help went out across the US for medical professionals to assist the city hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, like nearly 100-thousand of his peers, Ohio surgeon Dr. Ray Gagliardi answered the call. Working at a Bronx hospital ICU at the epicenter of the pandemic, he describes the myriad of ways the deadly disease attacks the body, making it much more than just a respiratory illness. Covid-19 is like nothing he and his colleagues with decades of medical expertise have ever seen.

John Lukas is president of the Okapi Conservation Project which works in the often volatile Democratic Republic of Congo to study, protect and preserve the elusive large mammal known as okapi, nicknamed the ghost of the forest. Despite its large size for a forest species, the okapi, a relative of the giraffe, was only recently described by western civilization in the early 1900's. It's mass enables it to plow through dense jungle which serves to camouflage it from predators like leopards as well as humans.

Dolphin Research Center's, Dr. Kelly Jaakkola describes a Connecticut bill intended to ban all relevant activities surrounding cetaceans in human care. The bill's timing coincides with a federal import permit application by the state's only marine mammal facility, Mystic Aquarium, seeking to add a few beluga whales born at a crowded facility in Canada. Given the aquarium's well-regarded research programs, the bill seems more concerned with ending public display than ensuring the best welfare for animals.

The National Marine Mammal Foundation has been studying chronic effects from the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, one of the largest oil spills in history. The NMMF's Director of Medicine, Dr. Forrest Gomez describes some of the findings from field research and wild population assessments on cetacean health, particularly for bottlenose dolphins. The data shows dolphins are still experiencing toxic effects more than 10 years later with some populations not expected to recover for decades.

San Antonio Zoo CEO Tim Morrow describes recent acquisitions, habitat improvements, and the William Smith Zoo School for preschool children at the historic zoo. In a story playing out at zoological facilities across the nation and world, Tim describes the sudden financial challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has presented to this non-profit facility that is entirely dependent upon earned revenues and donations to fund its operations. Meanwhile, dedicated teams continue to provide great care to the animals.

Conservationist Julie Scardina introduces Wild Earth Allies and its director Katie Frohardt. WEA works globally with a focus on Central Africa and the preservation of gorillas. Partnering with scientists experienced at conserving mountain gorillas from extinction, WEA is working to save endangered Grauer's gorillas. One effort to help gorillas and communities that depend on the same resources is the sorting of gorilla dung to identify preferred foodstuffs and to collect seeds for use in restoring forests.

American Humane CEO Dr. Robin Ganzert works to improve welfare across the companion, military, farm, entertainment, and zoological animal world. As the SARS-CoV-2 continues to spread AH is providing online materials and support to organizations and animals in need. She argues the current pandemic is the latest evidence of how humans have violated our social contract with animals. Plus, Dr. Dominic Travis joins us again discussing the implications of a tiger at Bronx zoo that tested positive for COVID-19.

University of Minnesota researcher Dominic Travis, DVM specializes in wildlife epidemiology examining the interface between humans, domestic animals and wildlife species and how that interface affects our health, food safety, and conservation. How has our polarized political environment contributed to the public's confusion over the value of mathematical models as government agencies scramble to use their evolving predictions to inform and communicate effective health policies addressing the global crisis?

Following a personal message of unity to zoo fans and professionals from Jungle Jack Hanna, the CEO of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) shares the impact of COVID-19 on its nearly 300 members. As the global alliance of regional associations, national federations, zoos and aquariums, dedicated to the care and conservation of animals and their habitats around the world, WAZA is coordinating its messaging and resources with the latest guidelines from the World Health Organization.

As COVID-19 spread, Seattle Aquarium was one of the first facilities in the U.S. to announce it was closing to the public. Their new Director of Life Sciences, Grant Abel, is all too familiar with dealing with regional pandemics from previous posts in Asia. He describes the decision process, evolving plans, and the fiscal and operational challenges to ensuring the aquarium's collection of fish, marine mammals, birds, and staff members are well cared for as the medical community hopes to "flatten the curve."

Director of Conservation for San Antonio zoo, Dr. Dante' Fenolio, says zoos are unique in their ability to take funds designated by families for entertainment and repurpose them for conservation research. This is especially important for overlooked species like the reticulated flatwoods salamander because zoos are willing to invest time, money, and expertise to preserve unknown, uncharismatic, and endangered species like these and other amphibians. He cautions that conservation biology can't be rushed.

As a species, the odds of survival are stacked against cheetahs. From habitat loss and fragmentation, high infant mortality rates, poaching for the pet trade, and conflicts with humans Cheetahs face a myriad of threats. The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium has been supporting cheetah conservation, reproductive research, and public education through its ambassador program for over 20 years. Recently they announced the first ever successful births of cubs conceived through in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer.

Animal trainer Ken Ramirez has worked with dozens of species living in zoos and the wild.  In part 2 of our conversation, Ken describes his years-long effort to use behavioral science to teach a large herd of wild African elephants to avoid a centuries-old migratory route through a conflict zone.  It's a hopeful example of the growing role for modern training methods in wildlife conservation and preservation.  Plus, Ken has a new book unlike any he's written before.

For over 40 years, author, consultant, zoological manager, behaviorist, and teacher, Ken Ramirez has explored and observed the natural world with a keen eye for animal training. Few species living in human care haven't benefited from his work as a positive reinforcement-based animal trainer. His new book available at ClickerTraining.com is a series of essays entitled, "The Eye of the Trainer: Animal Training, Transformation, and Trust." His latest field work connects conservation with behavioral science.