JULY 2020 VOLUME 23, ISSUE 3 P U B L I S H E D F O R F R I E N D S O F R O G E R W I L L I A M S PA R K Z O O
welcome! By Jeremy Goodman, DVM Executive Director, RWP Zoo and RI Zoological Society
Like many businesses and organizations throughout the
everyone to participate in and support many of our upcoming
U.S., our Zoo has been hit hard by the devastating effects of
virtual events and programs. If you have contributed to our
the Covid-19 virus. However, unlike many other attractions
emergency fund, I want to thank you. If you have not given
or others in the hospitality industry we were not able to
yet, please consider a gift to your Zoo during this very
just close everything down and lay off our entire staff. Our
difficult time.
expenses to care for our animals and maintain critical life support systems remained high while our income was
We are your Zoo family and continue to remain dedicated
virtually nonexistent. Thanks to our amazing dedicated staff,
to being here for you and our community. With your support,
we have kept things going and are now open again for our
we will get through this and be able to continue our important
guests to enjoy and visit all their animal friends.
mission of conservation, education and excellence in animal care.
Unfortunately, we are not out of the woods yet. Due to the closures and new restrictions, the Zoo is anticipating losing
I look forward to seeing you at the Zoo.
up to $5 million, half of its anticipated revenue for the year. Being open is a good start towards our path to recovery, but we still need your support more than ever. I encourage
click to donate!
COMING UP – WHAT IS AHEAD If you are a fan of Brew at the Zoo, Zoobilee, or Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular (JOLS), all the events are still on the schedule for 2020. Both Brew at the Zoo on Saturday, August 29 and Zoobilee on Thursday, September 17 are virtual events so everyone can participate. JOLS, October 1 – November 1 will be a live event. However, instead of walking through the Wetlands Trail, guests will drive through the Zoo witnessing a sea of pumpkins celebrating Special Places. Watch our Facebook and Instagram for up to date information regarding everything going on at Roger Williams Park Zoo.
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Saturday, August 29
Thursday, September 17
October 1 – November 1
COVID-19 has affected every part of our daily lives. Even for the animals at Roger Williams Park Zoo life was different without guest interaction and the daily hustle and bustle of an open Zoo. It is so nice to be open and see everyone. While we were closed the animal care staff was at the Zoo daily interacting with animals, and the animals had plenty of time to participate in training, medical check-ups, and receive lots of extra love from the keepers. Zoo life was not static in any way.
EXPANDING FAMILIES If you follow us online you know that our Linne’s two toed sloth
playing. Zoo staff are thrilled to see families in the Faces of the Rainforest continue to grow.
Fiona gave birth to a beautiful
KEEPING OUR ANIMALS
baby on Wednesday, May 13. We
HEALTHY
held a naming contest and are thrilled with the overwhelming number of responses we received. Our naming committee, Michaela Johnson of WPRI’s The Rhode
At the John J. Palumbo Veterinary Hospital our team has been working to ensure animals stay healthy. Like humans,
u nd th o e Ar
Show, Chelsea Priest, meteorologist at ABC6, Artie Tefft of WJAR, Channel 10 along with Jennifer Hennessy animal keeper in Faces of the Rainforest, selected the name that got over 350 votes. Family and friends came together and submitted the name Brenton, or as his mom called him Beany, after a young boy who died of osteosarcoma two weeks before the baby sloth was born. Brenton’s mother informed us of her son’s love of sloths. Brenton told his mother that whenever she saw a sloth that would be a sign from him. Therefore, when she saw the sloth naming contest she knew it was a sign from her son. Our
animals encounter health issues that often need special care, and ongoing medical treatment. Veterinarian Dr. Kim Wojick recently
gave us an update on ShaLei the female red panda. She had been diagnosed with a tumor. Of course, all the staff were quite concerned. Now, 7 months after her surgery to remove the tumor from her chest she is doing great and there is no indication that the tumor has returned. Sha-Lei will continually get checkups. Don’t forget to walk by the red panda exhibit and visit with Sha-Lei and Rusty who will be climbing, eating bamboo, and snoozing on the Marco Polo Trail. Sometimes a specialist is required. Frankie the male tamandua
little Beany is a loving tribute
needed a colonoscopy recently.
to Brenton.
Not just anyone can do the
Raff and Kyle, our adult golden lion tamarins, are proud parents of another boy expanding their family to include two little very energetic males. The whole family is settling into life in the Rainforest running and
procedure, so Dr. Rebecca Kessler from Ocean State Veterinary Specialists worked with Dr. Wojick to perform the colonoscopy as part of a full medical evaluation to check out any GI issues in the little animal. Frankie is ok and back in Faces of the Rainforest.
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THE 3RD ANNUAL ENDANGERED SPECIES YOUTH ART CONTEST 2020 GRAND PRIZE WINNER:
Sumatran Orangutan - Dayeon Lee (6-8)
2020 WINNING ENTRIES BY GRADE CATEGORY:
Koala - Charlotte Healy (K-2) 3
Brown bat - Elena Hoffey (3-5)
Red Wolf - Mackenzie Casto (6-8)
Tiger - Sanchali Pothuru (9-12)
GRADE CATEGORY SEMI-FINALISTS:
Red Wolf - Jacob Roberge (K-2)
Red Panda - Olivia Yijie-chen (3-5)
West Indian Manatee - Sarah Schrank (6-8) New Zealand Sea Lion - Alania Frias (9-12) 4
Gardening for the Monarch Butterfly by David Albaugh Horticulture Manager, Roger Williams Park Zoo Growing up I had
for the monarchs. Third is the habitat loss at both of their
a strong interest in
overwintering sites. In California, land development within and
insects, especially
next to the overwintering groves has reduced the number of
butterflies and
trees where the Monarchs live. In Mexico, where most of the
moths, and that
Monarchs go in the fall, their overwintering sites have been
interest has stayed
greatly reduced due to illegal logging.
with me right up until the present time.
addition to our regular pollinator gardens, we have added a Monarch-specific garden. In this area, across from our camel
When I started out as a kid, I would collect insects and mount
exhibit, we have planted three kinds of milkweed as well as
them in display cases and shadow boxes. As I grew older my
coneflowers (Echinachea) and the black-eyed susan flower
viewpoint changed. Now, I collect insects through photography.
(Rudbeckia). I chose these two plants because of the purple
In the 1980s I became aware of the plight of pollinators so
and yellow colors, that perfectly complement each other. The
creating pollinator gardens is also a passion of mine. I brought
key to successful butterfly gardening is to offer not only the
pollinator gardens to the Zoo when I became the horticulture
flowers that the butterflies will nectar from but also the plants
manager.
that their caterpillars eat. Just planting pollinator flowers will
One pollinator we have heard about in the news lately is the
attract the butterflies, but planting their caterpillar food as well,
Monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus. Their populations are
will keep them around
said to be down 80% which is scary considering it used to be
much longer.
one of the most common butterflies seen during the summer months. They are so well known because of their annual migration to Mexico, with some individuals flying 3,000 miles! Now more than ever the Monarchs need our help.
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So, what can we do? Here at Roger Williams Park Zoo, in
It is also important to use only native plants. Non-natives can be invasive and crowd out
There are many contributing factors that caused the decline
natives. On top of that,
of this beautiful species. The first is habitat conversion and
local butterflies are more
adverse land management, which causes a huge loss to the
conditioned to go to
only food plant that their caterpillars eat - milkweed. This also
native plants than plants
includes cutting back of roadsides and fields, which house
that are not familiar to
milkweed and so many other beneficial plants to insects.
them. Rhode Island has
Second is the use of insecticides and herbicides to control
three species of native
insects and weeds that results in unintended consequences
milkweed, which again
is the only foodplant that Monarch caterpillars will eat. They are swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) and common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). All three can be easily grown by seed, though they do not take well to transplanting. As far as native flowers to attract Monarchs, most pollinator flowers will work. Keep in mind that milkweed does flower as well, and butterflies and bees love it. Milkweed is also a great plant because it comes back year after year, and reseeds the area adding to your garden regularly. Whenever possible, I recommend weeding by hand. This
Asclepias tuberosa
eliminates the use of herbicides which will kill bad plants as well as good plants. Also, working in a garden and getting your hands dirty is very relaxing and rewarding. Pesticides should also be eliminated since they kill just as many pest insects as they do beneficial ones. Pollinators are very sensitive to pesticides. While all pollinators need our help, Monarchs have declined so much in such a short time that it is very concerning. It does not take much room for a Monarch garden either. If you build it, they will come. A small patch of milkweed with pollinator-friendly flowers will bring not only Monarchs to your yard but also many types of other pollinators. Check out more of Dave Albaugh’s stories at www.davethebugguy.org/
Asclepias syriaca
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR ANNUAL MEDIA SPONSORS!
Please follow us online and share your photos and stories! Roger Williams Park Zoo is supported and managed by the Rhode Island Zoological Society and is owned by the City of Providence Editorial Roger Williams Park Zoo Department of Marketing and Public Relations Corrie Ignagni Diane S. Nahabedian Sam Vaccaro
Designer Sara Beatrice Tandem Designworks Photo Credits Roger Williams Park Zoo
WILD is an online publication of the Rhode Island Zoological Society, Roger Williams Park Zoo, 1000 Elmwood Avenue, Providence, Rhode Island 02907-3659 For membership information call (401) 785-3510 x375 or visit rwpzoo.org.
2020 RHODE ISLAND ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES Officers Maribeth Q. Williamson, Chair Howard Merten, Vice Chair Sandra L. Coletta, Treasurer Margaret Ferguson, Secretary
Liz Rollins Mauran Jeffrey Mello John J. Palumbo Steven M. Parente Dr. Karen E. Silva
Board of Trustees Kristen Adamo Nancy Allen Douglas Caniglia Barbara Cottam Teresa A. Crean, AICP Sarah Denby Dana L. Goldberg Marta Gomez-Chiarri Patrick T. LeBeau, CFPÂŽ Kimberley M. Little
Trustees Ex-Officio Jeremy Goodman, DVM Executive Director Rhode Island Zoological Society/Roger Williams Park Zoo Wendy Nillson Superintendent of Parks Providence Parks Department
Chairman Emeritus Sophie F. Danforth* Trustees Emeritus Margaret E. Curran, Esq. Thomas P. Dimeo Jocelin Hamblett James S. Harper III, VMD* Bradford B. Kopp Arthur D. Little Nancy G. R. Moger Richard Nadeau Jane S. Nelson Cate M. Roberts Philip A. Segal, Jr. Robert F. Stoico *deceased
Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you, and a better future for all living things. With its more than 200 accredited members, AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation, and your link to helping animals in their native habitats. For more information visit www.aza.org
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Kids’ Corner
Paper Chain Caterpillar (From The Spruce Crafts)
Supplies you will need: • Construction Paper (multiple colors if available) • Scissor • Stapler • Glue • Googly Eyes (optional)
insect TRIVIA
Directions:
Many people are creeped out by bugs or see them as pests. Insects are an incredibly important part of the ecosystem! They help pollinate flowers, recycle nutrients into the environment, and serve an essential role in the food chain. Without bugs, life on Earth just wouldn’t be the same! Test your knowledge with this insect trivia!
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The study of insects is known as _______: a. Insectology b. Entomology c. Creepy-crawlogy
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Before laying eggs, butterflies do this to find a plant that their caterpillars can eat once they hatch: a. Smell the leaves with their antennae b. Listen to the plant with their eyes c. Taste the leaves with their feet
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While gathering food and pollinating flowers, a honeybee can fly up to ___ miles in a single day. a. 5 b. 150 c. 60
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There are over 400,000 different species of ____ which make up around 40% of all insects in the world, and close to 25% of all animal life on Earth. a. Beetles
2. Next, create a circle with one strip of construction paper and staple the ends together. Then place another strip through first circle and staple it together into a second circle. Continue until you have stapled all of your circles together. 3. Using a scrap of construction paper, have a parent or guardian help you cut out a mouth and two antennae for your caterpillar. 4. Glue the mouth, antennae, and googly eyes onto the caterpillar’s head. If you don’t have googly eyes available, you can draw on eyes with a pen or marker.
Try this:
b. Ants
Get creative! Find pictures of caterpillars you like and use markers or different colored paper to decorate your creations to look like them! You can even make a whole family of different caterpillars!
c. Flies d. Crickets
1. Have a parent or guardian help you cut the construction paper into strips. This example uses six strips for each of caterpillar, but you can make yours as long or as short as you want! Make sure to also cut a strip (in a different color if possible) for the head.
Answers located on bottom of page.
Guess Zoo? 1
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Can you identify the insects pictured to the left? Answers located on bottom of page.
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Wild Trivia Answers: 1: B • 2: C • 3: C • 4: A; Guess Zoo Answers: 1. Dragonfly 2. Stag Beetle 3. Caterpillar 4. Praying Mantis 5. Monarch Butterfly 6. Housefly 7. Grasshopper 8. Ladybug
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