Animal Programs Update - May

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© Rebecca Stanek, Palm Beach Zoo

World Oceans Day! Raise Awareness for Ocean Conservation!

More than 80 AZA-accredited aquariums and zoos will invite the public to dive in to ocean conservation on June 8th, World Oceans Day. Back by popular demand, Dr. Seuss Enterprises, Random House Children’s Books, The Ocean Project, and the Associations of Zoos and Aquariums have partnered yet again to celebrate World Oceans Day.

Avian Scientific Advisory Group's PLUME AWARDS

ASAG has created an award program to identify and reward significant achievement in Avian Husbandry in the Captive Animal Field. The recipients of these awards are leaders in our field and committed to furthering avian conservation. There are three awards per year:

Plume #1 is for Long-term Propagation Programs. Plume #2 is for Noteworthy Achievement in Avian Husbandry. Plume #3 is for Significant Contribution to Zoo Aviculture by an Individual or Institution. This is a terrific opportunity to showcase your great bird programs and successes. Deadline is November 1, 2012.  Find the Plume Award application here and contact Steve Sarro for more details. 

Amphibian Publications

The new edition of the AZA Amphbian Taxon Advisory Group's Amphibian Husbandry Resource Guide is now available on AZA's website at both the Amphibian Conservation and Education Resources page, and the Amphibian Conservation page. This newly expanded document (almost 240 pages!) includes both chapters that have been significantly updated, as well as new chapters in Assisted Reproduction Technology and Amphibian Data Entry.

AZA's 2011 Amphibian Conservation - Highlights and Accomplishments report is now available online. This report features an array of both local and international amphibian conservation programs in which AZA-accredited facilities play an active role. 

Professional Development Course Registration

Population Management 1 and 2 and Managing Animal Enrichment & Training Programs will be offered this November 12-17 at Oglebay Lodge in Wheeling, WV. Visit AZA's Professional Training page on May 7 for more details and to register. Hope to see you there!

Can’t travel? Hop Online!

AZA is pleased to continue a new webinar series offered through our online education partner, NP Training Works, in conjunction with San Diego Zoo Global.
See the May webinar topics below and share this unique opportunity with your colleagues!

In Ovo Sexing
Presenter: Dr. Thomas Jensen
Wednesday, May 9, 2012 - 3pm EST / 12pm PST

This webinar will discuss the advantages that an avian breeding facility will gain, when using in ovo sexing as a management tool. Tom will cover the details of shell removal, needle selection, blood removal and shell repair post-sampling. The presentation will finish up with a short discussion of DNA analysis and examples of species currently managed at San Diego Zoo Global’s bird breeding programs.

For more topics, details, and to register, go to http://nptrainingworks.com/webinars

Funding Opportunities

The Fresno Chaffee Zoo Wildlife Conservation Fund was established in 2006 to promote understanding and enjoyment of rare, threatened and endangered animals and their habitats and to support zoological research that will directly benefit captive animal management. Applications are due by June 1, 2012. Contact Mark Halvorsen for more details.

The Fort Worth Zoo is currently accepting proposals for the Arthur A. Seeligson, Jr. Conservation Fund. The Seeligson Conservation Fund was established to promote and enable conservation of native Texas wildlife through partnerships with scientists, educators, organizations and private landowners committed to conserving the biodiversity of Texas. For proposal guidelines and the application form please visit the Fort Worth Zoo website or contact Jennifer Elston, Ph.D., Curator of Conservation and Behavior, Fort Worth Zoo. The application deadline is June 19, 2012.

Please be sure to visit our Other Conservation Funding Sources page for information about grants provided by AZA-accredited institutions as well as external sources and check out the excel sheet for detailed information on many other useful resources. Please email any other funding opportunities to conservation@aza.org for posting on the website.

2012 Felid TAG Mid-year Meeting and Husbandry Course Hosted by Utah’s Hogle Zoo: July 15 - 21

Felid TAG Husbandry Course: July 15 – 18
Students completing this course will cover all aspects of felid husbandry, including safety, nutrition, behavior, reproduction, veterinary issues, and felid introductions. They will be provided a variety of resources (both electronic and people) and personalized assistance with problem solving tasks, as well as the opportunity to discuss challenges and goals in their own institution’s program. A scholarship is offered by The Denver Zoo to aid a student in attending this husbandry course. For course information, registration and scholarship application, please visit: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/SCBI/AZA/FelidTAG/Meeting.cfm

Felid TAG meeting: July 19-21
This mid-year meeting will focus on global felid management. This is a working meeting, in addition to lectures and presentations attendees are expected to participate in working groups to assist in advancing the goals of the Felid TAG. Meetings will be held at the Red Lion Hotel - Salt Lake Downtown, 161 West 600 South, Salt Lake City, Utah. Reservations: 1-800-733-5466 use group name “Association of Zoo & Aquariums”. SSP Meetings will be held prior to the TAG meeting on July 17& 18. For meeting information and registration, please visit: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/SCBI/AZA/FelidTAG/Meeting.cfm

The American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK) is proud to announce the 39th AAZK National Conference, September 23-27, 2012 at Rosamond Gifford Zoo, Syracuse NY

Twenty workshops will be presented, taught by subject matter experts and will cover the following fields:
• Husbandry
• Animal Health
• Behavior
• Professional Growth
• Conservation
• Capture and Restraint
• Safety
• Communication

Registration information can be found at: https://reservations.rosamondgiffordzoo.org/Info.aspx?EventID=5

For more information, please contact Seth Groesbeck or Bob Cisneros

Website Launched - PMCTrack

PMCTrack.org evaluates breeding and transfer recommendations made by AZA’s Species Survival Plans® (SSPs) to:
-Determine whether each Breed With, Do Not Breed, Send To, or Hold recommendation occurred based on studbook data
-Collect reasons from Institutional Representatives for recommendations not occurring as planned
-Improve management of AZA’s Animal Programs and increase long-term viability of these populations
AZA Program Leaders, Institutional Liaisons, Institutional Representatives, and others can:
-View outcomes of historical breeding & transfer recommendations from the past decade
-Use survey tools to simplify communication between Program Leaders and Institutional Representatives
-Monitor Population Management Center planning status for their programs
For more information, please visit PMCTrack or contact us at pmctrack@lpzoo.org.

AZA Blog!

Check out AZA's blog!  The blog features "Member profiles," where you can learn about the good work being done by professionals at AZA-affiliated zoos and aquariums as well as topical posts about animals, environmental issues, and other interesting subjects!

Are you working on a project that you think would make a good post? Does someone on your staff deserve to be profiled? If so, "put pen to paper" and contact Tim Lewthwaite for more details.

You may sign up for email updates by clicking on the gray box that says “Follow” in the bottom right-hand corner. Come and Explore with us!

New Program Leaders

SSP Coordinator and Studbook Keeper

BONTEBOK
Lissa McCaffree, San Diego Zoo Safari Park

MONKEY, SOUTHERN BLACK HOWLER
Jennifer Gonsman, Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens

SSP Coordinator

HYENA, SPOTTED
Heather Genter, Denver Zoological Gardens

MOOSE
Tony Fisher, Minnesota Zoological Garden

Studbook Keeper

EAGLE, HARPY
Janice Owlett, San Diego Zoo

JACANA, AFRICAN
Diane Lavsa, National Aviary

OWL, SNOWY
Justin Hickman, Tulsa Zoo and Living Museum

PELICAN, DALMATION
Kristi Florence, San Diego Zoo Safari Park

PELICAN, EASTERN WHITE
Kristi Florence, San Diego Zoo Safari Park

PELICAN, PINK-BACKED
Jay Therien, Disney’s Animal Kingdom

TURTLE, MALAYSIAN GIANT
Lauren Cashman, St. Augustine Alligator Farm

New Program Leader Vacancies

Find applications and instructions regarding vacancies in the Animal Program Handbooks.  Applications are due June 1, 2012, unless otherwise noted. For a full list of available Program Leader positions, visit the Current Program Leader Vacancies page.

TAG Chair

Wild Pig, Peccary, and Hippo
Please send application materials to Dino Ferri, WCMC Vice Chair for TAGs and SSPs. 

Studbook Keeper

RHINOCEROS, GREATER ONE-HORNED (INDIAN)
Please send application materials to Steve Shurter, Rhinoceros TAG Chair.

RHINOCEROS, WHITE (International Studbook)
Please contact Markus Gusset, Conservation Officer & International Studbook Coordinator, for application materials.

Studbook Keeper (Red Programs)

CORMORANT, WHITE-BREASTED
Please send application materials to Diane Olsen, Pelecaniformes TAG Chair.

GOOSE, ORINOCO
Please send application materials to Keith Lovett, Anseriformes TAG Chair.

GOOSE, RED-BREASTED
Please send application materials to Keith Lovett, Anseriformes TAG Chair.

TEAL, MADAGASCAR
Please send application materials to Keith Lovett, Anseriformes TAG Chair. 

New Publications

Please note that all documents are available for download on the Program's page found by logging in and searching the Animal Program Database.

Want to contribute to the Update?

All announcements for the monthly Animal Programs Update should be submitted to the AZA Conservation Department by the 25th of the prior month.