2 Printed in the USA. Habitat is produced quarterly for members of the Detroit Zoological Society. PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT ArborOakland Group CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Sarah Culton CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Christina Ross CONTRIBUTING WRITER Jennifer Thomas GRAPHIC DESIGN Jen Valente Copyright © 2024 Detroit Zoological Society All rights reserved. PLEASE CONTACT: Detroit Zoological Society 8450 W. 10 Mile Road | Royal Oak, MI 48067 Phone: (248) 541-5717 | Fax: (248) 541-2489 www.detroitzoo.org For questions about membership, please contact: info@dzs.org The Detroit Zoological Society – a renowned leader in humane education, wildlife conservation, animal welfare and environmental sustainability – operates the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Center. The Detroit Zoo is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. facebook.com/detroitzoo instagram.com/detroitzoo Linkedin.com/ detroitzoologicalsociety tiktok.com/@detroitzoo twitter.com/detroitzoo youtube.com/detroitzoo HABITAT Celebrating and Saving Wildlife and Wild Places The Magazine of the Detroit Zoological Society In this issue 3 Ask the Expert 4 Thank You “Beary’ Much 8 Events at the Zoo 10 The Trip of a Lifetime 12 Small Amphibian, Big Impact 14 Keeping Up With the Chinstraps 16 Mousebirds on the Move 18 An Unlikely Partnership 19 See More at the Zoo At the Detroit Zoological Society (DZS), we are committed to creating meaningful connections between people, animals and the natural world so all can thrive. We fulfill this mission in many ways, and I love sharing them with our community. In this issue, you will read about how we connect to animal well-being through innovative habitat design – such as a grizzly bear training wall and an oasis for mousebirds – that allows us to provide the highest level of care to the animals who call the Zoo home. You’ll also learn how we connect to the natural world by meeting our newest conservation director and diving into an exciting research project on the Detroit River. Finally, you’ll explore how we connect to our community and Zoo supporters through education programs, special events, animal engagements, travel and so much more. We cannot bring our mission to life without the support of readers like you. Thank you for always believing in the DZS and helping us create meaningful connections at home and around the world. Best, Dr. Hayley Murphy, DVM Executive Director/CEO
Ask AN INTERVIEW WITH DR. DAVID DIMITRIE, DIRECTOR OF CONSERVATION Dr. David Dimitrie is the Detroit Zoological Society’s (DZS) newest conservation director, overseeing programs that protect wild animals and their habitats from extinction. How did you become involved in conservation? I spent a lot of time outdoors as a kid, so I became fascinated with the natural world at a young age. Growing up, I also came to the Detroit Zoo, which fostered a love for and interest in animals. Finally, a great high school biology teacher inspired me to study zoology and go to Michigan State University for my undergrad. Those are the three things that led me down this path. What is your favorite part of your job? Working with a very diverse team at the Zoo. All these different working parts — from education to animal welfare to communications and more — work together to bring this place to life. Working with all those great teams has been my favorite thing so far. Why is conservation important? Our world is going through some big unknowns, particularly habitat loss and climate change. Now more than ever, taking a conservation-focused stand is essential to ensure the future is bright for generations to come. What can the average person do to support conservation? Conservation starts at home with everyday decisions. You can plant native vegetation at your house, support conservation-oriented organizations and visit the Zoo to learn more about conservation! These are all significant first steps that can go a long way. THE EXPERT 3
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6 To Zookeeper Flo Yates, grizzly bears Mike, Boo and Thor are family. For nearly a decade, Yates has dedicated her time to caring for the brother bears, who moved to the Detroit Zoo as cubs following their tragic orphaning in Alaska. She has forged deep connections with them over the years, building memories she will carry for a lifetime. “I spend more time with them than my human family,” she says with a laugh. “They’ve seen me through so many stages of life, and I’ve been with them for so many phases of theirs. They are just my favorite, and they deserve the best.” Now, thanks to the generosity of Zoo supporters far and wide, they have it. In November 2022, the Detroit Zoological Society’s (DZS) annual Giving Zoo Day campaign (inspired by the Giving Tuesday generosity movement) raised more than $28,000 toward a mesh training wall that allows zoo staff to safely provide the bears with the care they need — including eye, teeth and ear exams, blood draws and medication administration. The wall also increases the bears’ well-being by allowing them to voluntarily participate in veterinary and medical care. “It’s so much better for them,” Yates says. “They have more choice and are more comfortable with procedures when using it. To have the wall be made possible by our community is just so amazing. I love that people love these bears as much as I do.” BUILDING A BETTER BEAR WALL After funds were secured through Giving Zoo Day, construction of the training wall took more than a year. The first day the brother bears were introduced to the wall, they scuttled into their training room, where Yates waited patiently on the other side with a bowl of their favorite treat — molasses. Though all the bears were initially timid, it did not take long for Boo, the boldest of the bunch, to march forward, place his paw in the inspection cubby and steal a lick of the sweet treat. The skeptical Mike followed not long after. However, Thor took weeks of convincing to utilize the wall. “Thor was scared for a while, but now they all love it,” Yates says. “They don’t even need treats GIVING ZOO DAY SUPPORTS GRIZZLY BEAR WELL-BEING
7 anymore; they will come up to the wall to get their regular diet. They love the attention and will compete for who gets to be the one getting training because they enjoy it so much.” The wall is for more than just fun. Grizzly bears are susceptible to ailments such as kidney disease, liver disease and arthritis as they age. The expanded mesh wall gives animal care staff the space necessary to train the bears and teach them to present body parts for routine inspections and blood draws. “This is very good for their overall health, and the fact that they can choose whether or not to participate is great for their well-being,” Yates says. THE GIFT OF GIVING The wall was made possible by 274 individual donors — and a $10,000 matching gift from Zoo patrons Patricia and Jerry Wagner. The Wagners, of Bloomfield Township, are selfproclaimed animal lovers and long-time Zoo supporters. Patricia Wagner says that it seemed like a natural fit when the Zoo reached out asking for their support on the Giving Zoo Day project. “I just love the bears, and the project sounded so great for them,” Wagner, a former Zoo volunteer, says. “Anything I can do for the animals, I’m just thrilled about.” The Wagners’ matching donation inspired many other Zoo supporters to donate, says Andrea Richards, annual fund and stewardship manager for the DZS. “Matches motivate and inspire people to give because their donation goes farther, and ultimately, that’s what we all want — to truly make a difference,” she says. “We can’t thank the Wagners enough for their generous donation and for supporting the well-being of Mike, Thor and Boo.” Leading up to the 2022 Giving Zoo Day campaign, the DZS’s fundraising team was initially unsure if the bear wall project would resonate with supporters. After all, it lives behind the scenes, and guests will never get to see the bears use it. However, after some deliberation, the team decided to believe in the community, knowing that Zoo supporters love the bear brothers and want to see them thrive. It was a gamble that paid off, with the campaign being one of the most successful in Giving Zoo Day history. “It shows just how much people care,” Richards says. “We are so grateful.” For Yates, the support the bears received from the community was overwhelming. “There’s no describing the feeling of knowing how much people supported Mike, Thor and Boo,” she says. “This wall is something I never thought would happen for them. It was such a surprise, and I can’t thank everyone who donated enough. You truly made a difference in the lives of these bears.” All involved are pleased with how well the Giving Zoo Day campaign turned out and hope its success will inspire more to give, knowing that even the smallest donation can make an impact. “Every little bit makes a difference,” Wagner says. “Even if it is $5. If everyone gave $5, imagine what that would look like, how big of a difference that would make.” With the bear wall now installed and the bears comfortable with it, Yates can’t wait to continue working with her bear “family” and using it to encourage natural bear behaviors. “I’m always striving to improve their welfare,” she says. “Our work is never done — but this wall was a big step for us. Thank you to everyone who cared and made this happen.”
8 ZOO BREW | May 17 | 6 to 10 p.m. Tickets coming soon Hop over to the Detroit Zoo for a wild night out! Zoo Brew, presented by KeyBank, offers a local selection of delicious brews amidst 125 acres of adventure. Guests will receive a welcome beer upon entry provided by Griffin Claw Brewing. SENIOR DAY | June 5 | 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free for tri-county seniors 62 and older Calling the young at heart! Seniors residing in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties can enjoy a special day at the Detroit Zoo during Senior Day, presented by Blue Care Network. SUNSET AT THE ZOO | June 21 | 7 to 11 p.m. Tickets on sale now Join the Detroit Zoological Society and event chairs Kelly and Clifford Houseman for a spectacular 21-and-older fundraising gala, Sunset at the Zoo: Where Life Connects. Guests will enjoy live entertainment, delicious food and drink and so much more while raising critical funds for the Zoo. EVENTSat the Zoo BUNNYVILLE | March 29-30 | 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free with Zoo admission I free for members Spring into fun at Bunnyville, presented by Meijer! At this annual, family-friendly “egg-stravanza,” you can ring in the season with fun activities sure to put a hop in your step. GREENFEST | April 20-21 | 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free with Zoo admission I free for members Discover the magic of sustainability at GreenFest, presented by Consumers Energy! Learn to live greener and protect our planet while enjoying the Zoo, educational activities, delicious food and so much more. E-RECYCLING | April 20-21 | 9 a.m. to noon Free to participate Dusty, unwanted electronics cluttering your home? Recycle them at E-Recycling, presented by Suburban Subaru of Troy, and help divert waste from local landfills! As a bonus, you will earn a free ticket to the Zoo for each carload you recycle. DINOSAURIA | May 25 – Labor Day Tickets coming soon Step back in time — all the way back to the Mesozoic Era — this summer! Dinosauria presented by Michigan First Credit Union, returns, featuring life-like animatronic dinosaurs along a winding trail inside the Zoo. Dinosauria is also sponsored by MISS DIG 811, Corewell Health, Meijer, Consumers Energy and Doetsch Environmental Services. SCAN FOR EVENTS
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10 of a Lifetime THE TRIP TRAVEL TO AFRICA WITH THE DZS! Join the Detroit Zoological Society (DZS) on an awe- inspiring safari to East Africa on Sept. 19-30, 2024. DZS Education Specialist David Gakure, a naturalist and conservationist who was born and raised in Kenya, will accompany travelers and share his expertise as an experienced safari guide. This thrilling trip of a lifetime brings travelers to the heart of the Great Migration while they enjoy premium accommodations and service, knowledgeable guides and the company of fellow Detroit Zoo supporters. Just a few highlights of this adventure include visits to the Karen Blixen Museum, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust at the edge of Nairobi National Park and Maasai Mara Game Reserve, a site with one of the largest and the BY DELANEY ANDREWS, DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
11 most spectacular animal migrations in the world. Only a few spots are left for this adventure! The cost of this experience is $12,995 per traveler, based on double occupancy. Airfare to Nairobi, Kenya is excluded and must be purchased separately. A non-refundable deposit of $3,000 will hold your spot, and final payment must be made by June 15, 2024. To view the full itinerary for this trip, express your interest or request more information, please contact Delaney Andrews at dandrews@dzs.org or (248) 336-5711. We hope you will join the DZS for this life-changing educational adventure!
12 Standing along a bank of the Detroit River on a blistery January morning, Mark Vassallo struggles to fit a pair of latex gloves over his cold-stiffed hands. When he finally succeeds, he wades into the water and pulls out a trap containing a single, slippery salamander. DZS STUDY IMPROVES UNDERSTANDING OF RECLUSIVE SPECIES Despite his frigid fingers, Vassallo can’t hold back a smile. “The weather is pretty brutal for us right now, but it is perfect for them,” he says, examining the amphibian’s ruffled gills. “This is a very reclusive amphibian, and they only come up this close to the shore when it’s very cold. This is the best time to study them.” The mysterious amphibian in question is the common Small Amphibian BIG IMPACT MARK VASSALLO MEASURES A MUDPUPPY FOR DATA COLLECTION.
13 mudpuppy — though Vassallo, curator of amphibians for the Detroit Zoological Society (DZS), contends there’s nothing common at all about this four-legged, fully aquatic animal. In collaboration with Wayne State University and the Belle Isle Aquarium, Vassallo leads a team of researchers who capture, study and release mudpuppies living on Belle Isle each winter. The study tracks the behaviors and health of local mudpuppy populations — which can also indicate the ecological health of the river and surrounding island. “Mudpuppies are what we call an indicator species,” Vassallo explains. “Their skin is permeable, and they are very susceptible to contaminants in the water. Their health is representative of the overall health of the ecosystem. By tracking mudpuppies in this area, we can track how different factors impact the area.” The study also collects data on the mudpuppies themselves. Though mudpuppies are not considered an endangered species, very little is known about them — including how many there are, Vassallo says. These amphibians are very reclusive, so researchers have had difficulty learning more about their populations and patterns. This lack of data and information is a major factor in the Michigan Department of Natural Resources classifying this amphibian as a species of special concern back in 2016. The DZS contributes the data that is collected each season to the Michigan Herp Atlas Project, which informs researchers on how reptile and amphibian populations fare in the state of Michigan. “The DZS has been studying mudpuppies for about 10 years, and we still have so much to learn,” Vassallo says. “But that’s what makes this rewarding for me. Mudpuppies are so fascinating, so getting out here — even in the cold — and learning more about them is really important to me.” The study involves catching mudpuppies in modified minnow traps, examining them and implanting them with a tracker that allows researchers to collect more detailed data about overall health and migration patterns. The entire process is non-invasive, taking every precaution to cause as little disruption to the amphibians as possible. So far, the ongoing study has yielded plenty of interesting information, including the time of year mudpuppies tend to be caught (late fall to early winter) and promising data about migration and breeding patterns the DZS team hopes to publish one day. Until then, Vassallo and his team will spend their winters on Belle Isle, tossing traps and attempting to stay warm. “This survey directly supports the DZS’s commitment to conservation and protecting wildlife and wild places,” Vassallo says as a winter wind whips around him. “It’s important work, and it’s all worth it.” Want to see mudpuppies up close? Visit them today at the Belle Isle Nature Center!
14 Keeping Up with the CHINSTRAPS
15 When the Detroit Zoological Society bird team decided to increase the number of chinstrap penguins in their care, they initially only planned to receive four from a fellow zoo. Then Bird Supervisor Jessica Jozwiak got a call. “The other zoo said their penguins had two eggs, and they wanted to know if we wanted those as well,” she says. “I said yes but asked if the parents could rear the eggs rather than us trying to incubate the eggs and hand-rear the chicks.” The other zoo agreed. Only one of the eggs hatched a surviving chick, and by November 2023, that chick, Pepper, was ready to move to her new home. On Nov. 16, the five chinstrap penguins arrived safely and are now thriving at the Detroit Zoo’s Polk Penguin Conservation Center. “The chinstraps are doing very well, and everything is going as we hoped,” Jozwiak says. The new chinstraps include two males and three females — all younger than the existing Zoo resident chinstraps, who range in age from 7 to 20. The new penguins are: ROCKET | 2-year-old male JARVIS | 2-year-old male FURY | 2-year-old female LYDIA | 2-year-old female PEPPER | 7-month-old female Each new chinstrap has unique personality traits and preferences — for example, Jarvis has discovered a love of the habitat’s snow machine. Though the machine is most used by the Penguin Center’s king penguin residents, Jarvis can often be seen lying in a freshly made snow pile. Of all the species of penguins at the Center (gentoos, macaroni, king penguins, rockhoppers and chinstraps), chinstrap penguins seem to enjoy swimming the most. “The gentoos hop in and out of the pool, but the chinstraps stay in and float around,” Jozwiak says. “They especially enjoy the bubbler. To find the chinstraps, look for the bubbler. They’ll probably be floating around in the bubbles.” This remains true for all the new chinstraps — especially the young Pepper. “As it turns out, Pepper swims more than any of the other penguins,” Jozwiak says. “She comes out for food, then goes right back into the pool.” Jozwiak says the new chinstraps have been a welcome addition to the Detroit Zoo waddle. Along with bringing youth and more genetic diversity to the chinstrap squad, the five new penguins also bring hope for the chinstraps’ future. “Now that we have nine individuals, we’re hoping that in the next year or two, we’ll see some breeding behavior,” she says. FIVE NEW CHINSTRAP PENGUINS JOIN THE ZOO WADDLE
16 Names updated as of Nov. 6, 2023. If we omitted or misspelled your name, please contact us at (248) 336-5725 so we may correct our records. If you’ve ever strolled through the Matilda R. Wilson Free-Flight Aviary and noticed small, fluffy brown birds with exceptionally long tails, you’ve seen speckled mousebirds. “The key characteristic is their tail — it’s longer than the rest of their body,” says Charlie Ramsey, bird supervisor at the Detroit Zoo. “While most birds have feather tracts — defined rows where their feathers grow, giving them a sleek appearance — mousebirds don’t. They have a fuzzy look — sort of a constant state of bedhead all over their bodies.” Ramsey’s work involves monitoring the birds’ habitats and checking in with zookeepers, helping to make sure the birds are thriving. And in the case of the mousebirds, thriving is an understatement. Their population was growing to the point that their habitat needed to grow too. So it was decided: the male mousebirds would remain in the aviary, and work got underway for brand-new digs for the females — in the Hideaway, an indoor winter home for red ruffed and ring-tailed lemurs. IT STARTS WITH A PLAN Plans for the mousebird habitat began, as always, with a focus on what the mousebirds would need in their environment to thrive. “Native to sub-Saharan Africa, mousebirds can thrive in a variety of habitat types, anywhere from open savanna to scrubby brushlands and open forest,” Ramsey explains. “They’re really good at using their feet. You’ll sometimes see them hanging with one foot and eating with the other, so we made sure they have lots of things to perch on, live plants to hide in and leaves to nibble. They dust bathe, so their environment has dry sand, plus an ultraviolet light source to give them the full spectrum of vision they’d have in the wild.” Dazzmin Dabish is a project manager on the construction team at the Zoo. She helped oversee the building of the mousebird habitat, start to finish, in a 125 square-foot area that originally housed a corner planter and fountain. “The mousebirds like a dry climate, so we got rid of the fountain,” she says. “We needed a drain system, so we had to dig down beneath the planter, go through a wall, drop down to the basement and tie into the sewer. We also knew they’d need a meshed-in enclosure, but we MOUSEBIRDS on the Move LEMURS GET NEW NEIGHBORS IN THE HIDEAWAY
17 didn’t want it to be cage-like. We spent a lot of time researching different types of mesh and, ultimately, found a solution that can safely contain the mousebirds but is installed in a way that makes them very visible for Zoo visitors. We incorporated lots of greenery, trees, foliage, rocks and water in a bubbler. Because we know they like to hang upside down, we gave them a lot of features that enable them to do that, and places to cling to the walls. Lots of little ‘hangouts.’” With a habitat fit for all their needs, the female mousebirds adjusted quickly and are thriving in their new home. Now, guests can delight in visiting them on their next Zoo trek. “It’s nice that they’re in the same space as lemurs, which are also native to the African continent— Madagascar, specifically,” Dabish says. “When you walk through, especially on a cold day, you hear the lemurs, you hear the mousebirds’ little twittering — it’s a cool vibe.” “Mousebirds may not be the flashiest, the most musical or the most colorful birds, but they’re very entertaining to watch,” Ramsey adds. “They’re so social and so playful. They’ll hang from one foot, preening one another, they’ll be hanging together with their legs above their heads rubbing their tummies together. They have a lot of fun behaviors.”
18 “Look what I found!” The flashlight bobbed up and down as the child holding it ran over to a plant growing out of the gravel. She carefully plucked a burr from the top of the plant and placed it in a paper sack holding seeds for later examination. Later, she will inspect those same seeds under a microscope to better understand the natural world around her. That child was a member of the Downtown Boxing Gym, which has provided after-school programming, tutoring, transportation and meals for Detroit youth since 2007. In an unlikely partnership, the Belle Isle Nature Center visits in spring and fall to deliver nature-based educational programming, encouraging students to observe urban nature — even in the gym’s backyard. The Nature Center has been visiting the Downtown Boxing Gym for after-school programming since 2021, providing authentic and engaging nature-based experiences on various natural topics right in the city. In the words of one student: “The class was so surprising because we learned new things each time.” Some highlights of the partnership have included seeing a red-tailed hawk while birding at Elmwood Cemetery, successfully engaging in a mushroom hunt and hosting the children at the Belle Isle Nature Center for a celebratory campfire and s’mores at the end of the season. The Nature Center team looks forward to continuing to visit the Downtown Boxing Gym, helping children investigate the natural world with our young program participants for many seasons to come. An Unlikely PARTNERSHIP NATURE CENTER, BOXING GYM WORK TOGETHER FOR DETROIT YOUTH BY LUKE GRANGE, EDUCATION SPECIALIST
Deepen your connection with the animals who call the Detroit Zoo home! The Detroit Zoo recently launched a daily schedule filled with exciting engagements designed to enhance your Zoo experience — whether you are watching a sea otter learn to participate in their own healthcare or learning about the red pandas from the staff who knows them best. From Zookeeper Chats to special animal care trainings to opportunities to see the animals eat their nutritious diets and more, we have a full schedule of engagements sure to educate, inspire and connect. The schedule updates seasonally, so you can experience something new again and again. Explore the full schedule at dzoo.org. NEW ZOO ENGAGEMENT SCHEDULE SURE TO INSPIRE SEE MORE at the Zoo
Unwrap a year full of wonder. Gift a Detroit Zoo membership to a special person in your life! Three ways to gift: With great benefits such as free parking,* discounts on merchandise and education programs, advance ticket sales and much more, a Detroit Zoo membership is the perfect gift for any occasion. • Visit dzoo.org/gift23 • Call (248) 541-5717 • Visit us at the front gates *Free parking available during daytime public hours. Annual membership will begin upon gift certificate redemption.
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