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Conservation is Sweet: DZS Plants Fruit Trees in the Heart of the Amazon

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By Claire Lannoye-Hall, director of education for the Detroit Zoological Society (DZS). 

Follow Claire on her journey through Peru when you read this blog on StoryMaps!

For more than two decades, the DZS has partnered with CONAPAC, a nonprofit organization in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest. With the generous support of Amazon Explorama Lodges, a travel company with more than 50 years of commitment to the region, the partnership supports the conservation of this globally essential ecosystem. Each year, thousands of students and teachers receive school supplies, teachers participate in professional development workshops, and families have access to clean, safe drinking water. 

In addition to the partnership’s commitment to education and safe drinking water, we support economic opportunities for interested communities. As part of this initiative, several thousand fruit trees have been planted in select communities as a source of added nutrition for families. As the trees mature and produce excess harvest, fruits are sold as a source of income. 

During the first week of December 2023, four team members from the Detroit Zoo traveled down to Peru to participate in fruit tree planting. The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation provided funding for fruit trees that are native to the Amazon rainforest to be grown and transported. Pedro Paurcarcaja, an arborist in Iquitos, Peru, grew the trees from cuttings and seeds. Each tree was cared for and allowed to grow to a size that could be successfully transplanted. The trees were then placed in crates by type and transported down the Amazon and Napo Rivers on a cargo barge. Thousands of trees were delivered to the designated communities. 

Each morning, we joined a group of volunteers and representatives from the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation, CONAPAC staff and an experienced guide and translator from Explorama. We all took a boat to reach the designated community. Some of the trees went to individual families who expressed their interest and commitment to growing trees on land they have available. The families were responsible for planting their trees. Several hundred additional trees were planted in community spaces and for the schools. 

Before our arrival, the communities prepared areas previously used for agriculture, such as corn and banana palms. With shovels and post-hole diggers in hand, the FTPF representative carefully demonstrated how to plant the saplings to ensure they had the best chance of surviving. We worked alongside members of the community, especially the children, and planted the trees designated for the community and school areas. The planting wrapped up each morning shortly before lunchtime.  Spending several hours at each community provided opportunities to learn each other’s names, communicate in various forms (even if it was just smiles!), and gain a glimpse into the day-to-day life of our partners. 

For the final two days, we visited an additional community in the afternoon. Both communities planted trees several years ago through the FTPF initiative and proudly showed us the trees’ growth. Ramon Castilla shared with us that more than 90 percent of their trees had survived, which is an impressive feat considering the risk of insect and flooding damage. Their success was a testament to the trees being planted in the right areas and their commitment to caring for them. The community of Jorge Chavez treated us to fruit fresh off the trees, including papaya and star fruit. 

The community visits were also an opportunity to check in on the water purification systems, ensuring things were working correctly and the communities had access to safe, clean drinking water. For more information about CONAPAC’s clean water programming, click here.

Conservation work, especially when conducted in international settings, often does not address the needs or fundamental rights of the people who are directly impacted by laws and regulations that are put in place in the spirit of protecting animals and natural resources. While time-consuming, building meaningful relationships with individuals and communities who live adjacent to or share the same space as essential conservation areas can create vitally important allies. To do this well takes time and an investment in the wealth of knowledge and expertise of individuals who have lived for generations in the conservation areas. This partnership exemplifies the benefits of what collaborative conservation can accomplish. 

To contribute to the vital conservation work in the Amazon rainforest, click here.

Collaboration in Conservation: A Striped Newt’s Story

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By Mark Vassallo, curator of amphibians

It’s just before dawn in the Apalachicola National Forest of Northern Florida, and light is glinting off the dew of the long-leaf pine trees as the humidity peaks. These conditions are just right for one of nature’s most adaptable animals to undertake an incredible journey. A striped newt (Notophalmus perstriatus) stirs under the water of a temporary pond.

Today, this young newt is preparing to travel from the relative safety of this ephemeral pond, to which he has been introduced with the help of the Coastal Plains Institute (CPI) and the Detroit Zoological Society (DZS). CPI has been dedicated to preserving the long-leaf pine ecosystem since 1984 and continues to work to maintain this unique habitat through scientific research, land management, and environmental education within Florida. The striped newt, recently listed as “threatened” in Florida, needs all the help it can get.

This very pond where the newt plans to emerge has been constructed and maintained through the work of CPI. The DZS and CPI have been collaborating on releases such as this one since 2017, and this particular newt has been bred and raised at the Detroit Zoo by staff who specialize in amphibian care with this moment in mind, the opportunity to re-introduce species and preserve biodiversity.

Newts are raised at The Detroit Zoo.

The striped newt can adapt to life outside the water, an ability that amphibians have been perfecting for millions of years. When conditions are right, the striped newt’s skin will begin to thicken and granularize, helping to hold moisture more efficiently than its typically slippery and smooth skin. The newt’s tail will become narrow, round, and less like a paddle, making traveling over dry ground much more efficient. This life stage is known as an “eft.”

As the newt slips out from under the water and moves onto land, its bright skin coloration advertises its toxicity to any potential predators who wouldn’t mind getting an early morning snack. Moving deliberately through the ground cover, the newt encounters a drift fence and travels along the edge of it. After a few feet, it drops into a 5-gallon bucket, which CPI staff soon recovers and processes. This fence and the corresponding bucket are all part of a scientific study undertaken by CPI to measure the success of introductions such as this one. Monitoring these drift fence arrays is no easy task, and CPI volunteers are tasked with checking these traps every day for up to seven months of the year.

Many months ago, the amphibian care staff at the DZS’s National Amphibian Conservation Center (NACC) began preparing to breed our resident population of striped newts. All the conditions for reproduction had to be just right. The correct water quality, depth, and egg-laying materials were painstakingly researched and implemented. With the addition of a specialized water filtration system, known as a reverse osmosis system, the amphibian department staff had complete control over the “makeup” of the newt’s water. It could reach the correct parameters to mimic the natural environment where these newts live in the ephemeral wetlands of Florida and Georgia. The plumbing required for this filtration unit was installed and tested by the DZS’s maintenance staff. The work required careful drilling through the walls of the NACC to run plastic plumbing lines to deliver the filtered water to the bio-secure and husbandry spaces where animals are kept. This was no small feat and proved to be a great example of how the DZS’s conservation success is a team effort spanning all the departments of the Zoo.

After all this effort to prepare, the real success occurs when the striped newt begins the reproduction process. The male will hold the female in an embrace known as amplexus; during this embrace, the male rubs the female’s snout with his chin and releases pheromones, which are fanned towards the female with his paddled tail. Once the female is receptive, the male will drop what is known as a spermatophore. From this point, the female will accept the spermatophore, and internal fertilization will occur.

Once the eggs are laid, usually on long emergent vegetation that has been placed in the habitats of the striped newts, the baby newts will begin to develop. This process can take several weeks and can be affected by temperature. The larvae are tiny, sometimes measuring about 8 millimeters, and very thin, resembling a small piece of wood or a twig, making them difficult to see with the naked eye. These tiny larvae are fed small invertebrates and aquatic worms, which have also been cultivated by the talented staff at the NACC. Once the newts have reached about 13 millimeters, they are eligible for release, counted and carefully shipped to Florida when conditions are just right in the wetlands for release. 

After a long journey from an egg in the bio-secure breeding room at the NACC to the Florida wetlands, our newt is now being counted and sent into the forest by the staff and volunteers at CPI. This newt will likely spend years in this “eft” life stage, moving through the long-leaf pines and feeding on invertebrates. If conditions are right in the coming years, the newt will be beckoned back to the temporary ponds by rainfall and favorable environmental conditions, where it could potentially breed naturally and help bolster the numbers of this unique and increasingly rare amphibian. In 2023, the DZS and CPI introduced 227 striped newts back into the wilds of Florida, increasing the numbers of this important animal and furthering the case for collaboration in conservation.

Volunteers from Coastal Plains Institute release newts into the wild.

The striped newt repatriation project ended the season with a beautiful surprise. Several months ago, CPI staff dip-netted two large, gilled paedomorphs out of the new, rubber liner-enhanced release pond, where CPI staff released 227 young larval striped newts. The newts had been raised here at Detroit Zoo, sent to Florida on July 11, then released on July 12 after an acclimation process. In the coming weeks, four of the 227 were encountered in drift fence buckets and inferred to be exiting the pond and going terrestrial as efts. No others were seen after that. We worried that most animals were lost to predation by turtles and predaceous invertebrates. However, to end the season and ascertain whether some newts had survived and opted to live an aquatic life, CPI captured the two paedomorphs.

These paedomorphic animals may represent a persistent aquatic ‘population’ there. We hope and expect they will go on to reproduce. That will be determined next year by dipnet and drift fence sampling. This is the best news of the 2023 striped newt repatriation project field season and one of the highest points in the 11-year ongoing recovery efforts.

DZS raise newts and prepare them for wild release.

Illuminate the Season by Recycling Your Holiday Lights at the Detroit Zoo

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The Detroit Zoo is collecting old holiday lights throughout January.

This holiday season has been filled with twinkling lights adorning houses, trees and festive sculptures across metro Detroit. But what happens when these lights dim and burn out, their glow reduced to mere electrical waste? 

With the holiday season now drawing to a close, the Detroit Zoological Society (DZS) is welcoming community members to recycle their retired holiday lights with us! Individuals and families can bring in unwanted, burned-out or broken holiday lights to be recycled free of charge. The light collection runs through January at the guest services office near the front of the Zoo.

Wild Lights at the Detroit Zoo features millions of twinkling lights — and those that burn out will be recycled sustainably!

Through this initiative, we can work together to alleviate the burden on landfills and champion a sustainable approach to handling electrical waste. As a bonus, donated lights will help raise money to fuel the Zoo’s sustainability programs. From planting trees throughout metro Detroit to inspiring the next generation of suitability leaders through GreenPrize, our programs are helping to build a greener future for all.  

By recycling your old lights at the Zoo, you’re not just disposing of unwanted holiday décor — you’re actively participating in a larger movement. You’re nurturing a cycle where discarded lights find new purpose, contributing to the DZS’s conservation work and supporting sustainability programs. 

Recycle your lights at the Zoo to help us ignite a brighter (and greener) future!

Five Reasons to Visit Wild Lights This Holiday Season

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Wild Lights at the Detroit Zoo, presented by Strategic Staffing Solutions, is back! On select nights through Jan. 7, you can embark on a luminous adventure where the magic of the holiday season comes alive. 

Wild Lights has been a treasured holiday tradition for more than a decade for a reason. At this incredible event, you’ll encounter enchanting animal-themed light sculptures that bring a whimsical touch to the festive season and create a magical experience for all ages. Be prepared to be mesmerized by millions of twinkling LED lights transforming the Zoo into a winter wonderland. 

Still need a reason to visit Wild Lights this year? Here are five: 

Spectacular Light Displays: Marvel at millions of twinkling lights illuminating nearly 500 unique displays, creating a stunning and immersive spectacle for visitors of all ages. 

Toyland and Wishing Tree: Dive into a joyful wonderland filled with life-sized toy sculptures, including a 40-foot-long train, perfect for festive photos. Don’t forget to make a holiday wish at the wishing tree! 

Holiday Entertainment: Enjoy live entertainment in the Wild Lights Lodge. Listen to festive music that will have you tapping your feet and getting into the holiday spirit. 

Seasonal Treats and Beverages: Indulge in delicious seasonal treats and warm beverages as you explore, keeping you fueled and cozy during your magical winter adventure.  

Dancing Lights Spectacle: Enjoy the mesmerizing synchronized light shows, where vibrant displays dance to cheery holiday tunes. It’s a visual feast that will leave you in awe. 

We hope that was enough to convince you to bundle up and join us for a wild and wonderful holiday experience at the Detroit Zoo’s Wild Lights! Purchase your tickets here. 

While you’re here, don’t forget to bring a pair of new gloves or mittens to donate to Mittens for Detroit this year.  

Wild Lights is also sponsored by Burns & Wilcox, Kroger, Michigan First Credit Union, Suburban Subaru of Troy, KeyBank, DTE, Buddy’s Pizza, Doetsch Environmental Services, Lincoln of Troy, Michigan Panthers, IBEW Local 58, Genisys Credit Union, Gray’s Outdoor Services, Hagopian, National Flag Football and Aqua Tots. 

Celebrating National Zoo Keeper Week 2023!

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By Mary Humbyrd, coordinator of behavioral husbandry for the Detroit Zoological Society (DZS)

National Zoo Keeper Week starts annually on the third Sunday of July. Representative Susan A. Davis introduced House Resolution 509 on June 21, 2007. This resolution was proposed to encourage individuals on a national level to engage in programs, activities and ceremonies during National Zoo Keeper Week that encourage species conservation and public awareness of the important role of zoos in wildlife conservation.

It is an absolute honor to celebrate our DZS zookeepers. Zookeepers are a unique bunch and have many amazing talents not often seen by zoo guests. Our animal care team is creative, innovative and can build just about anything with some zip ties and duct tape. Zookeepers brave the hottest days of summer and the freezing days of winter. Animal care specialists are on a constant quest for knowledge to improve and raise the bar to provide the best care of the animals they adore. They are involved with the animals from birth to passing and build lifelong relationships. They have their heart and soul in the profession. Zookeepers are advocates, educators, scientists and enjoy sharing their passion with anyone and everyone they encounter. As no day is ever the same, zookeepers have an incredible ability to go with the flow — but with precision and accuracy. Their passion for all living things is inspiring and enlightens all of us who have the privilege of hearing their stories.

From ice cream socials and cookouts to food trucks and Tigers games, scroll through the gallery below to see how we celebrated the DZS animal care team this past National Zoo Keeper Week! 

Arctic Sea Ice Day is July 15: Exploring the Impact of Climate Change on Arctic Ecosystems, Sea Ice, Polar Bears

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Authored by Cameron Kniffen, Curator of Education for the Detroit Zoologocial Society.

The Arctic is a delicate and intricate ecosystem that supports many species, such as polar bears and seals, who depend on the annual ice cover for hunting and resting. Additionally, the ice cover helps to reflect heat energy from the sun, which is crucial in preventing the oceans from warming too quickly.

I, Cameron Kniffen (curator of education), and Bethany Wilson (education specialist) are embarking on a summit to Manitoba, Canada, in October as part of the PBI Climate Alliance Program. Our aim is to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of climate change on the Arctic ecosystems and polar bear populations on the Hudson Bay. This opportunity is possible through a strong partnership with Polar Bears International (PBI) and the National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation (NNOCCI). By observing the effects of climate change on arctic sea ice and polar bear populations at Hudson Bay, our team will bring home first-hand experiences from time spent with local knowledge holders, scientists, and experts that will contribute to further engagement in this critical field.

Cam Kniffen and Bethany Wilson.

The Arctic ecosystem is a complex and interconnected web of life, with sea ice playing a critical role as the foundation of the food chain. It is often said that sea ice is to the Arctic ecosystem as the soil is to the forest. Channels formed in the sea ice by the expulsion of salt from the freezing process create a habitat for algae, the base of the food chain in Arctic waters. Tiny organisms, like zooplankton, feed on the algae and other larger species, like Arctic cod, feed on them. Seals, in turn, feed on Arctic cod, and polar bears prey on seals. Polar bears rely on sea ice to catch their primary prey, seals, as they can out-swim polar bears underwater, but bears have the advantage on top of the ice, using it to stalk their next meal.

In addition to the crucial role that sea ice plays in the Arctic food chain, it is also vital for transportation and access to food for people living in the North. Sea ice has a global impact, acting like a global air conditioner, reflecting the sun’s light and heat back into space and helping to cool the planet. As Arctic sea ice declines in extent and thickness due to human-caused climate warming, the planet absorbs more heat, which can disrupt the climate system, leading to more frequent and extreme weather events around the world.

Today, there is thinner seasonal ice in some parts of the Arctic instead of the thicker, multi-year ice that used to be more common. This young ice is much more vulnerable to rapid melting and moves more easily, resulting in a treadmill-like effect for polar bears trying to find their next meal or mate. The last 15 years have had the lowest 15 sea ice extents in the satellite record, and the amount of old, thick sea ice is the lowest it has ever been. Studies show that Arctic open-water periods are projected to lengthen dramatically by 2,100 without action to reduce heat-trapping emissions. Longer open-water periods would greatly reduce the polar bear’s ability to hunt during these months, impact ice seal abundance and affect people and wildlife around the world.

Despite the threats, it’s not too late to save Arctic sea ice. Studies show there is no tipping point, and the ice will rebound if we work together now to shift away from fossil fuels, replacing them with renewable energy sources like solar and wind. Not only will this help reduce the carbon emissions that are causing the planet to warm and the sea ice to melt, but it will also create jobs, strengthen the economy and improve the overall environment and our health. We all have a role to play in safeguarding the future of Arctic sea ice, and there are many ways to get involved, from reducing head-trapping gasses in our atmosphere to advocating for policies that support renewable energy. By working together, we can protect the Arctic ecosystem and the countless species that depend on it, including ourselves. There are some easy ways to introduce yourself to the fight against climate change:

• Support climate-conscious policies and legislation: Speak up for Arctic sea ice. Urge officials to support renewable energy-cut emissions, and protect the ecosystem. Write, call, and attend meetings to make your voice heard.

• Raise awareness and spread the word! Spreading awareness about the significance of Arctic sea ice can contribute to preserving the Earth’s climate. Share reliable information and news with others through social media and conversations to encourage collective action.

• Adopt sustainable lifestyle choices: Switching to a plant-based diet or cutting back on meat reduces our environmental impact. The livestock industry contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, but sustainable dietary choices can help stabilize Arctic sea ice.

• Support research and conservation organizations such as Polar Bears International (PBI), the National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation (NNOCCI), the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) and more. Support Arctic research and conservation by donating time or resources to organizations working to prevent climate change and protect Arctic sea ice. 

As part of Polar Bears International’s Arctic Ambassador Center Network, the DZS is committed to protecting polar bears and their habitat. This summit is an important step towards understanding the impact of climate change on polar bears and the Arctic ecosystem, enabling the DZS to play a vital role in mitigating the effects of climate change on polar bears and their habitat.

Our expedition to Manitoba, Canada and involvement in the PBI Climate Alliance Program are critical steps toward understanding the impact of climate change on polar bears and the Arctic ecosystem. The partnership between the DZS, PBI and NNOCCI demonstrates the power of collaboration and knowledge-sharing in promoting conservation and sustainable practices. By working together, researchers, educators and community members can pool their resources and expertise to develop innovative solutions that will enable us all to safeguard the future of our planet. 

Together, we can ensure the continued health and well-being of oceanic ecosystems and the species that rely on them, including polar bears.

This Just In: Kangaroos Like Working for Food, Don’t Mind an Audience

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Isa (right) is certainly aware of guests – but how do they make her feel?

Authored by Julia King, external researcher from Hunter College.

The Detroit Zoo’s Australian Outback Adventure is a favorite among Zoo guests for good reason – you can follow a designated path through the habitat and view 11 red kangaroos and two red-necked wallabies without any barriers! Although the opportunity to cross paths and appreciate these marvelous marsupials up close is an exciting draw for Zoo guests, it begs the question: how do the kangaroos feel about having people in their home? 

My name is Julia King, I am a graduate student in Hunter College’s Animal Behavior and Conservation program, and I set out to answer this question in an investigation of kangaroo well-being.  

Animal well-being refers to the overall quality of an animal’s physical, mental and emotional health. Well-being can range on a continuum from great to poor and can vary over time and across individuals. Just as no two people are the same, no two animals are the same, and therefore do not have the same well-being. Two individual animals of the same species housed in the same environment may respond to the same stimuli in different ways – one kangaroo may be intrigued by a foreign object in their habitat, while another may be fearful of the same object. Because of this, well-being is best assessed at an individual level. 

Julia King places a foraging ball in the kangaroos’ favorite spot.

The Detroit Zoological Society (DZS) strives to ensure all its resident animals have great well-being and are thriving. The unique design of walk-though habitats begs the question: how does the presence of people in the habitat affect the kangaroos? Wild kangaroos may perceive humans as threats and respond fearfully, so it is possible that captive kangaroos may feel similarly. Studies on zoo-living kangaroos, both at the Detroit Zoo and elsewhere, have looked at kangaroo behavior, levels of hormones related to the stress response and habitat use in response to visitor presence. These studies have shown that kangaroos may restrict their spatial use (i.e., use less of their habitat) with higher numbers of visitors in their habitat. However, there are no direct links to suggest visitors are a source of stress for inhabitants of walk-through marsupial habitats. 

With the help of DZS animal welfare and mammal staff, I designed a scientific study to see whether the presence of guests inside the kangaroo habitat would have an impact on the kangaroos’ emotional well-being. The idea is simple: give them treats and make them work for it! Like people, animals may be willing to work harder for a reward when they are in a positive headspace and less so when they’re experiencing negative emotions. The kangaroos were offered yummy treats (wheat grass and willow clippings) in feeders with varying levels of difficulty, and the interactions with these treats were analyzed with respect to visitor number. If the kangaroos experience negative emotions when more guests are present, they should be less willing to work for food. Therefore, I predicted that the kangaroos would not work as hard for treats when there were more people present in their habitat.

To make the treats more difficult to access, I used location and a foraging ball challenge feeder. Going to an unusual or avoided area or manipulating a foraging ball to get treats requires more work than eating treats directly off the ground in your favorite place – it’s harder to get ice cream from a shop than from your freezer, and harder still when you must pull it out of a box and unwrap it. Treats were placed out in the kangaroos’ favorite spot, either directly on the ground or hidden within the foraging ball. Treats were also placed in a location in the habitat that kangaroos used less frequently, again either directly on the ground or within the foraging ball. 

Many kangaroos seemed to enjoy engaging with and obtaining treats from the foraging ball. 

What happened? As you might expect, the kangaroos were much more likely to eat the treats placed in their favorite spot, while they rarely ventured to the less favored area. There were also no observed effects of visitor presence, meaning, the number of people in the habitat did not influence when and where the kangaroos were willing to get the treats. This may be because at the time of the study, which took place November to December 2021, there were very few guests present in general. Or it may be because many of the kangaroos were born and raised at the Detroit Zoo, and they are used to seeing people on the guest pathway in their enclosure. 

An unexpected result from this study was that the kangaroos were far more likely to eat the treats when they were hidden inside the foraging ball than presented freely on the ground. This may seem counterintuitive at first – why would you prefer to unbox and unwrap ice cream when you can just eat it right out of the carton? But it turns out that many captive animals may prefer to work for food even if they don’t have to. This well-documented phenomenon is called contra-freeloading, and it is the basis for many foraging enrichment designs. Environmental enrichment is just that—something that benefits a captive animals’ daily life, usually by eliciting natural behaviors. Food is never free in the wild. By providing an additional challenge like a foraging ball, eating becomes much more interactive and mimics some of the challenges associated with foraging in the wild.  Working for food provides mental stimulation and a sense of accomplishment, promoting positive well-being in captive animals.

This study brings some good news to the Detroit Zoo, the kangaroos and all the people who love to visit them. First, the kangaroos do not show any negative responses to the people in their habitat, confirming the results of an earlier study at the Detroit Zoo. Second, we may have inadvertently found a fun and easy way to add some enjoyment and fulfillment to these kangaroos’ lives!

Restoring Snail Populations in Tahiti

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Authored by Erica Graber, snail care specialist at the Detroit Zoological Society.

On April 15, 2,413 total partula nodosa snails were released into Papahue Valley, Tahiti, making this the largest wild release that has ever happened for this species. Partula nodosa, also known as Polynesian tree snails, are considered extinct in the wild by the International Union for Conservation of Nature —making this record-breaking release extremely important. 

Of the 2,413 partula nodosa released, 1,449 were from our collection at the Detroit Zoo! In November 2022, we sent 1,500 snails to the St. Louis Zoo in preparation for this release. From there, we shipped the snails to Tahiti in early April. Once they arrived in Tahiti, they were all marked with UV reflective paint, making them more visible on the trees and easier to track during post-release checks — even in the dark. They were placed in slow-release containers so they could leave and head up to the tree canopies at their own pace.

The Detroit Zoo released 1,500 snails to restore populations abroad.

Multiple partula snail species were driven to near extinction after African giant land snails were introduced to the islands as a food source for the people living there. Unfortunately, the African giant land snails escaped and thrived in the island habitat, causing them to quickly become invasive and destroy the vegetation, wreaking havoc on the island’s fragile ecosystem. Predatory rosy wolf snails were introduced as biological control, which backfired when they only went after native snail species, including partula snails. Partula snails are vital to maintaining tropical forest health as they eat decaying plant matter and fungi and recycle those nutrients into the soil. They are also an important part of Polynesian culture, as their shells were used in ceremonial jewelry and the decorations of the indigenous islanders. Losing this species is devastating both to the balance of the forest ecosystem and the history of the people living there.

At the Detroit Zoo, we have a room dedicated to our snails. As of May 23, we have 41 Kritter Keepers housing 3,595 snails. Each tank has paper towel as substrate, a feed tray, a cuttlebone and a fake plant to hide and climb on. The food is a mixture of organic nettle powder, ground organic oats, ground trout chow, a powdered calcium supplement and Teklad snail stress powder. When ready to use, we mix it with water to create a paste that we spread across the feed tray for the snails to easily eat. We keep the humidity in the room between 60 and 80 percent, and the temperature is consistently at 68 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit. To keep the humidity up, which can be challenging in the dry winter months, up to five humidifiers run at once. We also mist the tanks daily to keep the paper towel moist. 

The snail room at the Detroit Zoo keeps the animals in optimal conditions.

As this species is extinct in the wild, we must track how many snails are in our captive population. Every month, I count all the snails and separate them based on size — newborn, juvenile, sub-adult and adult. Newborns are tiny, less than 3 millimeters. Juveniles are between 3 and 7 millimeters. Sub-adults and adults are similar in size, more than 8 millimeters, but the adults are most distinguishable by the thick white “lip” around the shell opening.

As a result of all these conditions being just right, Detroit Zoo team has been able to consistently breed this rare snail and contribute to the reintroduction process. The recent release of 1,500 snails was record-breaking for our facility — our previous record was 100 snails in May 2015. 

Our captive population is still flourishing and growing. There is talk of doing releases more frequently — as soon as September! With the commitment of Detroit, St. Louis, Akron, Woodland Park, Disney’s Animal Kingdom and all the other facilities working together to protect this species, the future is looking big and bright for these little snails.

Erica Graber helps organize this project at the Detroit Zoo.

Take Your Birding to the Next Level with eBird! 

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Many golden-crowned kinglets use Zoo grounds during migration from the end of March just into May and from the end of September into the beginning of November.

Authored by Matthew Porter, bird care team member for the Detroit Zoological Society (DZS).

Happy National Bird Day! To celebrate, let’s talk about how the Detroit Zoo takes part in one of the greatest community science projects on earth, eBird. 

The website ebird.org is home to a giant database of bird observations run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Through this website, there is an abundance of information about birds across the globe.

EBird brings together the community and scientists to understand the ranges and movements of birds around the world. Once involved, we are all scientists at work. This collaborative effort harvests a massive data set that would never be attainable without the efforts of everyone involved. Our efforts compiled together advance avian science and conservation worldwide. Last year, on a single day in October, more than 34,670 people from 185 countries reported 80,000 checklists observing 7,453 bird species!

Over the last couple of years, our staff has invested lots of time to help with this worldwide effort. What we have found is that there is more avian diversity than we previously thought at the Detroit Zoo. Some birds call the Detroit Zoo home year-round. Others come here to breed in the summer, while some come here for a winter home. Many species use the Zoo from March through May and August through November as a very important migratory stopover. This land is a green island in the middle of suburbia and a great, safe stopover refuge. Our buildings have bird-friendly glass, and we continue to plant native plants to provide the appropriate food and ecosystem many species need.

Last year, more than 100 species were reported by Zoo staff and citizen scientists surveying Zoo grounds. You can join in on the fun by signing up for an eBird account at ebird.org. The website has lots of information and tutorials on surveying and best practices. There is also an easy-to-use app that can make surveying more efficient. Once enrolled, you can become part of this worldwide effort to assist with bird conservation.

Here at the DZS, we are always looking for more ways to engage with the community so that people, animals and the natural world can thrive together.

Pictured is a common yellowthroat, a species of warbler that routinely uses Detroit Zoo habitat throughout May as a migratory stopover area.

A Song in the Darkness: Audio Loggers and Panama’s Imperiled Amphibians

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Authored by Mark Vassallo, Detroit Zoological Society (DZS) Amphibian Department Supervisor.

The cloud forest of central Panama is a unique and mysterious place, full of rare creatures and plants that call these moisture-laden peaks home. At night, the jungle writhes with life as the nocturnal world takes over the mountainsides. In this veil of darkness and nestled in the elevations of these dense jungles, some of the earth’s rarest amphibian species reside. Many of these species are yet to be described by science, and others are considered to be extinct.  As I gazed up at the gathering rain clouds on the volcanic peaks of El Valle, I could not help but wonder which of these potentially extinct amphibians could still be out there.

I have been traveling to El Valle, Panama for the last seven years to work with the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center (EVACC). This organization is run by Edgardo Griffith and Heidi Ross, a husband-and-wife biologist team, who have dedicated their lives to the conservation of Panama’s most endangered amphibians. Usually during these trips, I am undertaking projects involving the installation of life support and infrastructure or helping troubleshoot specific husbandry issues that arise in one of the modified shipping containers in which EVACC houses seven species of Panama’s rare and endangered amphibians, including the iconic Panamanian golden frog (Atelopus Zeteki). 

A Warzewitsch’s frog was identified in the area.

While those types of jobs are on the docket for this trip, we also have an important task to complete that will bring us into the upper reaches of the cloud forest in the hopes to hear a sound that could mean some hope for the imperiled amphibians of Panama. The sounds we are hoping to hear are the calls of thought-to-be-extinct amphibians, including Raab’s tree frogs (Ecnomiohyla rabborum), large and highly unique arboreal frogs who lays their eggs in tree cavities and can glide through the air to evade predators. In the last year, EVACC has begun the process of deploying audio loggers in some of the area’s hard-to-reach elevations to listen for the calls of amphibians like the Rabb’s tree frog that are widely thought to be potentially extinct. 

The audio loggers are sturdy boxes that contain a microphone, batteries and SD cards accompanied by a digital screen. The idea is that these listening devices, which are programmed to turn on during the dusk and nighttime hours, will pick up the call of one of these rare frogs. If a call from one of these frogs is detected on the logger recording, this would give the biologists at EVACC a very good lead on the areas where intensive surveys could take place to potentially locate this species.

Armed with some GPS coordinates, batteries, fresh SD cards and rough information about the audio logger’s location from a member of the last group who placed it, we headed up the mountain to start our journey. As we began to climb, the heat and humidity was intense — our clothes were soaked in less than an hour.  Large biting ants were swarming our boots as the incline steepened, and we came to a crossroads in the trail. We had reached the GPS coordinates but realized that these coordinates could not be correct. At this point, we decided to attempt to leave the trail and start climbing up what seemed like a cut in the dense jungle, which may have been caused by mudslides and heavy rains, certainly nothing even resembling an actual trail. The going was difficult as the clouds began to gather. Buckets of heavy rain soon began dumping on us, causing the mud to loosen and give, making the more vertical sections especially precarious. In addition to watching your footing in the jungles of Panama, it is also important to watch where you put your hands. Eyelash vipers and stinging insects of all kinds tend to rest on branches and sticks at about eye level. All of these thoughts were keeping our senses sharp as we broke through clearing after clearing, each time hoping that this was the top of the mountain and the audio logger would appear like a shining beacon amongst the dense jungle. Yet, each time the clearings revealed even more vertical walls of vines and thick jungle vegetation to climb. Our resolve was fading, but we pressed on. At one point, my balance gave way, and I fell face first into the side of the muddy slope. As I raised my head, I noticed I was face to face with a tiny gem of a frog. It was a blue-bellied poison frog (Adinobates minutus). This toxic little frog was just staring back at me, probably wondering why a silly, hairless ape had bothered to climb this far up a mountain during a thunderstorm. 

A rainforest rocket frog was identified in the area.

The rain was finally letting up, and this gave us a little boost as we could see some sunshine emanating from what looked like a break in the jungle ahead. As we approached, sharp painful sensations started overwhelming my hands and wrists. We were wading through a large column of sharp bladed grass, which when brushed against, caused a paper cut like lacerations on the skin. Once we emerged from the brush and into the clearing, we realized we had reached the top. The jungle was so dense there was no real spot to even look out to enjoy the view. We immediately got to work searching for the audio logger.  I looked left then right and passed through some thick brush. Then I saw it — a strip of white that stood out in the landscape of green. It was one of the zip ties used to attach the logger to the tree. We had found it! After several minutes of exulted celebrations and numerous high fives, we swapped out the SD cards and batteries, the unit was reprogrammed, and we locked up the protective case. The trip down was more like a ride down a luge course made of mud. This did make the process faster but certainly not any safer. 

Once we finally arrived back at the EVACC grounds, we were exhausted and coated in mud and insect bites but satisfied and content that we had achieved a seemingly insurmountable challenge. After a shower and a cold beverage, I walked out into the moonlight on the grounds of EVACC. Once again, the clouds were beginning to gather around the El Valle mountains, and my eyes settled on the tips of those green jungle peaks, wondering if the logger we had reset for another four months would record a sound of hope.

Learn more about the EVACC foundation and make a donation online to help them ensure the survival of Panamanian amphibian species for generations to come.

Mark Vassallo is pictured with an audio logger.