Magazine of the International Marine Animal Trainers

Volume 37, Number 3 ~ Third Quarter 2012
Magazine of the International Marine Animal Trainers’ Association
ALSO IN
THIS ISSUE:
ISSN # 1007-016X
Candidates for IMATA’s
Board of Directors 2012
IMATA Trainer Development
Accreditation Program
A Facility's point of view
Dedicated to advancing the humane care
and handling of marine animals by fostering
communication between professionals that serve
marine animal science through training, public display,
research, husbandry, conservation, and education.
Back Cover Photo Credit: Chris Gotshall/SeaWorld
IMATA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
REGIONAL REPORTER CONTACT INFORMATION
President
SHELLEY WOOD
ABC Animal Training
Dolphin Discovery
Associate Editor: Associate Editor:
Asia:
Australia/New Zealand:
Canada:
Caribbean Islands:
Europe North Central:
Europe Northeast:
Europe Northwest:
Europe South Central:
Europe Southwest:
Japan:
Mexico Middle East:
Pacific Islands:
Russia/Ukraine:
South Africa:
South America
U.S. Midwest:
U.S. North Central:
U.S. Northeast:
U.S. Northwest:
U.S. South Central:
U.S. Southeast:
U.S. Southwest:
Nicole O’Donnell
Martha Hill
Philip Wong
Ryan Tate Brian Sheehan
Adrian Penny Christiane Thiere
Sunna Edberg
John-Rex Mitchell
Pablo Joury
Monika Lechermeier
Haruhiko Kato
Alex Mata
Tommy Wilken
Stephanie Vlachos
Monika Lechermeier
Gabby Harris Miguel Marques
Stacey Lonski
John-Rex Mitchell
Beth Manning
Cinthia Alia-Mitchell Shannon Ray
Sarah Graff
Brittany Harris
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Soundings is published four times a year by the International Marine Animal Trainers Association (IMATA)
as a service to its members. Submissions of manuscripts, photographs, and illustrations are welcomed and
encouraged, but will be returned only if accompanied by a return envelope and adequate postage. Any
material accepted is subject to such revision as is necessary in our sole discretion to meet the requirements
of publication. Soundings is produced using Microsoft Word; the style manual followed is the fifth edition
(2002) Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. Electronic submissions are preferred
and can be sent to IMATA Soundings Chief Editor, Heather Keenan, at: [email protected]. (Typed submissions
will also be accepted and should be double spaced on 8.5” x 11” paper.) Include the name, address, FAX
number, and phone number of the author on the title page. Slides and hard copy or photographs can be color
or black and white; photographs should be at least 3” x 5”. Digital photographs are welcomed and should
have adequate resolution when viewed on a computer screen. For all images, include captions, identify all
recognizable persons, and include a photo credit. The act of submitting an article, photograph, or illustration
constitutes an agreement that (1) the materials are free of copyright restrictions, (2) photo releases have
been obtained, and (3) the material may be published by IMATA in Soundings or other IMATA publications.
Deadlines for submission are 15 November, 15 February, 15 May, and 15 August. Submissions should be
addressed to Heather Keenan, Soundings Chief Editor, email [email protected] or mailed to IMATA, 1200
South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois, USA, or faxed to (312) 939-2216. Address changes should be sent
to IMATA’s Secretary, Jennifer Leach, at the same address. Address changes can also be made online at
IMATA’s web site, www.imata.org.
©Copyright 2012. All of the articles contained within Soundings are the personal views of the respective
authors and do not necessarily represent the views of IMATA or its Board of Directors.
First Vice President
GRANT ABEL
Ocean Park Hong Kong
Second Vice President
MICHELLE SOUSA
Aquarium of the Pacific
Third Vice President
MIKE POOL
SeaWorld Texas
Past President
MICHAEL OSBORN
Mystic Aquarium
Treasurer
PATTY SCHILLING
New England Aquarium
Secretary
JENNIFER LEACH
SeaWorld San Diego
Director-at-Large
LAURA YEATES
National Marine Mammal Foundation
President-Elect
ERIC GAGLIONE
Georgia Aquarium
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Accreditation
BILLY HURLEY
Georgia Aquarium
IMATA TV
Toni Loschiavo
Mystic Aquarium
Animal Training Advisory
TODD COFFMAN
SeaWorld Orlando
Legislation, Information,
and Policy
MICHAEL OSBORN
Mystic Aquarium
DENNIS CHRISTEN
Georgia Aquarium
Central Office
KEN RAMIREZ
John G. Shedd Aquarium
Conservation and Research
DEBI COLBERT
Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Education Services
MADELYNN HETTIGER
John G. Shedd Aquarium
Finance
TRACI BELTING
Seattle Aquarium
Historian
CHERYL MESSINGER
Dolphin Connection
Honors and Awards
NICOLE O’DONNELL
Navy Marine Mammal Program
Membership Services
SUNNA EDBERG
Kolmarden
LAURA YEATES
National Marine Mammal Foundation
Nominations and Elections
MICHAEL OSBORN
Mystic Aquarium
Merchandise
Ann Hoedt
Georgia Aquarium
Publications
PATRICK BERRY
Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park
Regional Workshops
STACI LONSKI
Indianapolis Zoo
Sponsorship
CHRIS SCULLION
SAIC BioSolutions
CONTACT US
1200 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60605 USA
PHONE (312) 692-3193 • FAX (312) 939-2216
[email protected] or visit our website at www.imata.org
DESIGN & PRODUCTION
Lunar Cow
137 S. Main Street, STE 202 • Akron, OH 44308
(330) 253-9000 • www.lunarcow.com
CHIEF EDITORS
FACEBOOK
MICHAEL HUNT
Georgia Aquarium
Soundings
HEATHER KEENAN
Miami Seaquarium
Proceedings
LAURA YEATES
National Marine Mammal Foundation
Web Site
Beau Richter
Long Marine Laboratory and Aquarium
Volume 37, Number 3 ~ third Quarter 2012
Chief Editor
HEATHER KEENAN – Miami Seaquarium
Magazine of the International Marine Animal Trainers’ Association
Editorial Director
11
SHELLEY WOOD – ABC Animal Training
Dolphin Discovery
Associate Editor
SUZANNE SMITH – Louisiana Marine Mammal &
Sea Turtle Resue Program
BACK TO BASICS – Benjamin Schreiner
ENRICHING ENVIRONMENTS – Ronnie Smith
OFF THE SHELF – John Widick
PRODUCT PROFILE – Chris Scullion
TRAINER’S FORUM – Robert Roozendaal
28
Ban on Sturgeon Fishing in the Danube River
Associate Editor
MARTHA HILL – Sea Life Park Hawaii
NICOLE O’DONNELL – Navy Marine Mammal Program
REGIONAL REPORTS
Asia Philip Wong
Australia Ryan Tate
Canada Brian Sheehan
Caribbean Islands Adrian Penny
Europe North Central Christiane Thiere
Europe Northeast Sunna Edberg
Europe Northwest John-Rex Mitchell
Europe South Central Pablo Joury
Europe Southwest Monika Lechermeier
Japan Haruhiko Kato
Mexico Alex Mata
Middle East Tommy Wilken
Pacific Islands Stephanie Vlachos
Russia/Ukraine Monika Lechermeier
South Africa Gabby Harris
South America Miguel Marques
U.S. Midwest Stacey Lonski
U.S. North Central John-Rex Mitchell
U.S. Northeast Beth Manning
U.S. Northwest Cinthia Alia-Mitchell
U.S. South Central Shannon Ray
U.S. Southeast Sarah Graff
U.S. Southwest Brittany Harris
Associate Editor
DENNIS CHRISTEN – Georgia Aquarium
WHAT’S UP DOC – Jen DeGroot
CONSERVATION BRIEFS – Shelly Samm
EDUCATION FORUM – Jason Jones
INNERviews – Kevin Roberts
NOTICES & ANNOUNCEMENTS – Haley Merritt
RESEARCH BRIEFS – Beau Richter
Associate Editor
ERIKA PUTMAN – NMMP Foundation
CONFERENCE COUNTDOWN – Grant Abel
CONFERENCE SITE SELECTION – Staci Lonski
LIP SYNC – Mark Xitco
MEMBERSHIP UPDATES – Jennifer Leach
MERCHANDISE – Ann Hoedt
NOMINATIONS & ELECTIONS – Mike Osborn
PRESIDENT’S CORNER – Shelley Wood
REGIONAL WORKSHOP REPORTS – Staci Lonski
16
DEPARTMENTS
FEATURES
11
28
Trainer Development
Accreditation Program
A Facilty’s Point of View
IMATA BUSINESS
6
8
14
Associate Editor
NEDRA HECKER
FEATURE ARTICLES
Michael Belshaw, Marineland Antibes
Traci Belting, Seattle Aquarium
Linda Beverly, Indianapolis Zoo
Margaret Black, Mystic Aquarium
Sarah Brignac, Dolphin Research Center
Carmen Colitz DVM, Animal Eye Specialty Clinic
Matt Fripp, SeaWorld San Diego
Scott Hjerling, Coral World
Andy Johnson, Monterey Bay Aquarium
Nina Lambert, Theater of the Sea
Brett Long, Alaska SeaLife Center
Catherine ‘CJ’ Johnson, Knoxville Zoo
Nina Lambert, National Aquarium in Baltimore
Patrick W. B. Moore, SAIC BioSolutions
Ken Ramirez, John G. Shedd Aquarium
Terry Samansky, DolphinTrainer.com
Patty Schilling, New England Aquarium
Grey Stafford, Wildlife World Zoo
John Widick, Clearwater Marine Aquarium
Studying the minds in the water
Practical Tips for Conducting Cognitive
Research with Marine Mammals
16
PRESIDENT'S CORNER
Exciting new opportunities for IMATA
members
5
15
18
19
20
Candidates for imata's
2013 board of directors
Preview the nominees and
cast your vote online
26
Regional Workshop Wrap-up
Get the latest on regional workshops in the
United States and Caribbean
30
Conference COUNTDOWN
Preparations are underway for
Hong Kong December 2012
31
Conservation Briefs
Features conservation tidbits from
around the world
Off the Shelf
Rhino with Glue-On Shoes
Edited by Lucy Spelman, DVM and Ted Y.
Mashima, DVM
Enriching Environments
Some have eight arms, some have beaks,
but they all benefit from enrichment!
The Bulgarian government announced a four year ban on sturgeon (Acipenser
and Huso species) fishing in the Danube River. This follows a 2006 Romanian ten
year ban on the highly endangered sturgeon. The Danube River holds the only viable
populations of wild sturgeons in the European Union (EU), where five of the six
native sturgeon species are critically endangered. Bulgaria and Romania share the
Danube River, which is a natural border between the two nations. With only a onesided ban, conservation efforts were not effective to replenish the stock. Habitat
alteration, such as hydropower and pollution, is a major factor that has contributed
to the sturgeons’ population decline, but overfishing for illegal trade of their caviar
is the main cause. Several species of sturgeon are harvested for their roe, which is
made into caviar, one of the most expensive wildlife products produced. This makes
some sturgeon pound for pound the most valuable of all harvested fish. Beluga
sturgeon (Huso huso), famous for its expensive caviar, is one of the species native
to the Danube basin habitat that will be affected by the fishing ban. Sturgeon is one
of the oldest families of bony fish, originating more than 200 million years ago. It is
very slow growing fish that matures late in life, making it vulnerable to overfishing.
(The Sofia Echo)
Beluga sturgeon (Huso huso).
Photo Credit: Tennessee
Aquarium.
Research Briefs
2012 IMATA Research Grant &
Conservation Fund Applications:
Due 1 September 2012
A hybrid black-tip
shark recently
discovered in
Australian waters.
Photo Credit: Pascal
Geraghty/AFP/
Getty Images.
Regional Reports
Keep up on news from IMATA members
around the world
Lip Sync
The latest legislative and regulatory
activity
Bubble Nets to Lessen Sound Impact
In the underwater world of marine animals, sound is important to survival.
Sound helps whales, dolphins, seals, and others feed, mate, and stay together. But
as humans continue to add sound to the ocean environment through exploration,
development, and construction, these animals are increasingly bombarded with
powerful acoustic waves that can confuse and even harm them. Offshore oil and
wind power companies are studying an unusual way of lessening the impact of
sound on marine animals: bubble curtains. When a pressure wave, like a sound
burst from an oil platform drill, hits an air bubble it compresses the bubble before
expanding again, resulting in the wave slowing and losing energy. This creates
a much smoother wave, altering it from a brief percussive bang to a longer, less
intense sound. Companies are looking at the success that the California Department
of Transportation (Caltrans) had while driving new pilings for the San FranciscoOakland Bay Bridge. Caltrans was concerned that the short, powerful pressure
waves (sound) created by hammer strikes driving the pilings would affect nearby
seal populations and possibly cause fish mortalities. By placing a wall of air bubbles
directly against each piling as it was being driven, they reduced fish deaths, and the
delayed mortalities did not occur beyond 69 meters (226 feet) from the piling. This
method is also being used in Germany where there is concern of the impact to marine
life by creating offshore wind farms in the Baltic and North seas. While it may be too
early to say whether the method will be effective in Germany, continued research
into this technology and other means of dampening human sound will be crucial for
marine animals living in the Arctic and other coastal habitats currently being eyed
for their vast fossil and renewable energy potential. (National Geographic)
CONSERVATION BRIEFS is compiled by Shelly Samm.
Notices & Announcements
Information on upcoming workshops,
seminars, conferences, and more
What's Up Doc
What is deslorelin, and what effects can
trainers expect to see in animals treated
with it?
advantage as the climate changes. They also suggest that hybridization could make
the sharks stronger. The discovery was made during a government-funded study of
the structure of shark populations. Genetic analysis showed one type of blacktip
shark, but the physical characteristics were those of another. Researchers studying
sharks often use vertebrae counts as a way to distinguish between species. Several
sharks were genetically identified as Australian blacktips, but were longer than the
maximum length of 1.56 meters (5.2 feet) described for this species. The common
blacktips in this area would reach 2.0 meters (6.6 feet). (Washington Post/ Fox News)
Hybrid Shark Discovered
The first-ever hybrid shark was recently discovered off the coast of Australia.
A team of Australian researchers have identified multiple generations of sharks,
generated from the breeding of the common blacktip shark (Carcharhinus limbatus)
and the Australian blacktip shark (Carcharhinus tilstoni). The Australian blacktip is
a smaller species and lives in warmer waters, compared to its common blacktip
cousin. Finding a wild hybrid is unusual, but finding 57 hybrids along 2,000 km (1,240
miles) of coastline is unprecedented. The Australian blacktip is generally found in
the tropical waters, which end near Brisbane, while the hybrid sharks swam more
than 1,600 km (1,000 miles) south to cooler waters near Sydney. Researchers from
James Cook University hypothesize the hybrid species may have an evolutionary
An energy bubble curtain.
Photo Credit: James Piper/ ARL/ University of Texas-Austin.
Photo Archivist
MARK TODD - SAIC BioSolutions
FILLERS AND FACTOIDS
DENNIS CHRISTEN - Georgia Aquarium
Publications Chair
PATRICK BERRY – Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park
SOUNDINGS 2012
Volume 37, Number 3
5
IMATA leadership recently convened a successful midyear
Board of Directors meeting in Puerto Aventuras, Mexico where
Dolphin Discovery and ABC Animal Training sponsored the May 6 & 7
meetings. All committee chairs and officers reported on advancements
and challenges over the last 7 months. IMATA continues to make forward
progress thanks to all the hard work volunteered by so many of our
members.
Of particular importance to us all is the progress of the newly restructured
membership committee. A new benefit to our members is the ability
to communicate to IMATA in Spanish and Chinese. The membership
committee has been receiving customer service related emails in both
languages. Translations are also underway for imata.org.
More and more members are stepping up and volunteering for
translations. The more volunteers we have the less workload for any
individual and the quicker we can service our members. The Spanish
speaking community is extremely excited at this opportunity to fulfill
our IMATA mission (www.imata.org/index.php/mission_values?cfid=27).
Many facilities exist in Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Dominican Republic as
well as other countries, and due to limits in language the overwhelming
number of marine mammal trainers have been excluded from our mission
which in part states: “[IMATA] is dedicated to advancing the humane care
and handling of marine animals by fostering communication between
professionals that serve marine animal science through training, public
display, research, husbandry, conservation, and education.” This is an
area of opportunity not only for Spanish speaking members but also for
the membership as a whole. There is much to learn from each other.
As we prepare for our first annual conference in Southeast Asia our
ability to communicate in Chinese is critical. Many new members have
already stepped up and are volunteering countless hours to spread the
word of IMATA to current and future members. It is humbling to see the
high levels of motivation on the part of our colleagues in Southeast Asia
to not only join IMATA but to volunteer their time and energy to make
IMATA an integral part of their training community.
Una importancia particular para todos nosotros, es el progreso del
comité de membresía recientemente reestructurado. Un nuevo beneficio
para nuestros miembros es la capacidad de comunicarse con IMATA en
español y chino. Los miembros del comité han estado recibiendo correos
electrónicos de los clientes de los servicios relacionados en los dos
idiomas. De igual forma se están haciendo traducciones de la página
http://www.imata.org.
Más y más miembros se están uniendo e intensificando esta labor. Cuantos
más voluntarios seamos en esta labor menos es la carga para una sola
persona y mayor y más eficiente será el servicio para estas comunidades.
La comunidad que habla hispana está muy entusiasmada con esta
oportunidad de cumplir con nuestra misión de IMATA (www.imata.org/
index.php/mission_values?cfid=27). Muchas de las instalaciones existen
en España, México, Argentina, República Dominicana, así como otros
países, y debido a los límites en el lenguaje de la inmensa mayoría de
los entrenadores de mamíferos marinos han sido excluidos de nuestra
misión, donde una parte dice: “"[IMATA] esta dedicado al avance y
mejora del cuidado humano y manejo de animales marinos mediante la
fomentación de la comunicación entre los profesionales que sirven a
la ciencia animal marina a través de capacitación, exhibición pública,
la investigación, la reproducción, conservación y educación”. Esta es
un área de oportunidad no sólo para los miembros de habla hispana,
sino también para todos los miembros en su conjunto. Hay mucho que
aprender unos de otros.
Please help us to help you and spread the word to all our fellow trainers
about this exciting new opportunity for IMATA members.
Mientras nos preparamos para nuestra primera conferencia anual en
el sudeste de Asia, nuestra capacidad de comunicarse en chino es
fundamental. Muchos nuevos miembros ya se han unido y se ofrecen
como voluntarios invirtiendo incontables horas para difundir la palabra
de IMATA a los miembros actuales y futuros. Es una lección para todos
ver los altos niveles de motivación por parte de nuestros colegas en
el sudeste asiático, no sólo para unirse a IMATA sino como ofrecen
voluntariamente su tiempo y energía para hacer de IMATA una parte
integral de su comunidad de la formación.
If you haven’t already, please take a look at the Hong Kong 2012
conference page at http://hongkong2012.imata.org. The registration
rates are posted and hotel bookings are open. Grant Abel and his team
at Ocean Park Hong Kong have been very busy putting together all the
details necessary for a most awesome 1st IMATA conference in Asia.
This will prove to be an historical occasion and a wonderful opportunity
to make new friends. Don’t miss it!
El Comité de Membresía se está centrando en los idiomas chino y
español en la actualidad. Igual que hacemos nuestro trabajo con
aproximaciones sucesivas así es nuestro enfoque de traducir las
lenguas. Estamos mirando hacia adelante a la adición de nuevos idiomas
para la traducción a principios de 2013. Por favor, colaboren ayudando
y difundiendo la palabra a todos los entrenadores sobre esta nueva y
emocionante oportunidad para los miembros de IMATA.
The membership committee is focusing on Chinese and Spanish at
present. As we all work in successive approximations our approach to
language translations is the same. We are looking forward to adding new
languages for translations in early 2013.
6
Nuestro liderazgo ha llevado a convocar al Comité de IMATA
recientemente a una exitosa junta en mitad de año en Puerto
Aventuras, México, donde Dolphin Discovery y ABC animal training
patrocinó el 6 y 7 de Mayo las reuniones. Todos los presidentes de los
comités y los funcionarios informaron sobre los avances y desafíos en
los últimos 7 meses. IMATA continúa haciendo progresos hacia adelante
gracias al duro trabajo de manera voluntaria por muchos de nuestros
miembros.
Volume 37, Number 3
SOUNDINGS 2012
Si no lo has hecho ya, por favor, echa un
vistazo a la página de la conferencia de
Hong Kong de 2012 en http://hongkong2012.
imata.org. Las tasas de inscripción están
publicadas así como las reservas de hotel
ya están abiertas. Grant Abel y su equipo
en el Ocean Park de Hong Kong han
estado muy ocupados preparando todos
los detalles necesarios para primera y
más impresionante conferencia IMATA en
Asia. Va a ser una histórica y maravillosa
oportunidad para hacer nuevos amigos. No
te lo pierdas!
国际海洋动物训练员协会的领
导层最近在墨西哥的阿文图拉
斯成功召开了2012年中期的董事会会
议。由揭秘海豚和ABC动物训练公司
赞助了5月6日至7日的会议。国际海洋
动物训练员协会的各委员会的主席和
官员们报告了过去7个多月各自在工作
上取得的进展和遇到的挑战。国际海
洋动物训练员协会将继续努力不断取
得进步，同时感谢我们众多会员为协
会自愿所做的各种辛苦的工作。
Photo Credit: Dolphin Discovery
IMATA Board of Directors and Committee Chairs along with Dolphin Discovery staff during the
midyear meeting in Puerto Aventuras
其中对于我们所有人员来说特别重要的是新进组建的会员委员
会。这个委员会对于我们会员的一个新的好处就是会员们可以
用西班牙语和中文与国际海洋动物训练员协会进行沟通和联
络。会员委员会一直在接收和会员服务有关的用西班牙语和中
文书写的邮件，翻译的工作也在同时进行。
越来越多的会员自愿参与到翻译的工作中。参与翻译的自愿
者越多，对于每个翻译的人来说承担的工作就会少一些，同
时也便于更快捷地为会员们服务。讲西班牙语区的动物训练
员们将特别兴奋能够借助这个机会去完成我们协会的使命
(www.imata.org/index.php/mission_values?cfid=27)。许多位
于西班牙、墨西哥、阿根廷、多米尼加共和国以及其它的国家
的场馆，由于语言的限制，导致众多的海洋哺乳动物训练员
一直不能加入我们的协会并履行相关使命，而协会的使命（部
分内容）如下所述：我们致力于通过训练、公开展示、研究、
饲养、保育和教育的方式来促进那些服务于海洋动物科学的专
业人员之间的交流进而提升对海洋动物的护理和管理水平。因
此，通过会员委员会的翻译不但对于说西班牙语的会员来说是
一个机会而且有利于所有会员凝聚成一个整体。因为对于会员
们来说，都有许多需要互相学习的地方。
们的时间和精力来将国际海洋动物训练员协会融入到他们的训
练团队中并且构成他们训练团队中不可缺少的一部分。
会员委员会目前主要进行的是中文和西班牙语两种语言的翻译
工作。因为我们所有的工作都是在循序渐进的开展，有关语言
的翻译工作也是按照这种方式逐步开展。我们期待在2013年
初能将国际海洋动物训练员协会的有关信息翻译成更多种的语
言。
请帮助我们去向所有的训练员宣传这个令所有会员都兴奋的消
息。
有关2012年在香港举办的国际海洋动物训练员协会年会的情况
请浏览年会的官方网站http://hongkong2012.imata.org. 网站内
发布了参会的报名情况，同时酒店预订也向参会人员开放。香
港海洋公园的魏伟宝总馆长和他的团队一直致力于收集和汇总
有关会议的各种信息力求首次在亚洲举办一届最精彩的国际海
洋动物训练员协会的年会。这次盛会必将成为一个历史性的时
刻同时也是一次非常好的结交朋友的机会。一定不要错过
我们正在准备第一次在亚洲举办的年会，所以我们使用中文进
行交流的能力变得至关重要。许多新的会员已经开始并自愿地
利用自己大量的时间向现有的和未来的会员去介绍国际海洋动
物训练员协会的有关信息。我们欣喜地看到我们在亚洲的同行
不但非常积极地加入国际海洋动物训练员协会而且自愿付出他
SOUNDINGS 2012
Volume 37, Number 3
7
The Nominations and Elections Committee is proud to present the following candidates for your consideration:
Nominations
&Elections
By Michael Osborn,
IMATA Past President
CANDIDATES FOR
DIRECTOR SLOT one
Candidates for IMATA’s Board of Directors 2012!
It is my pleasure to present to the IMATA membership this year’s candidates for Director positions to the IMATA board. Each candidate has
graciously committed their time, efforts, and leadership to support the advancement of the organization. Professional and active members are required
to elect three professional members to the Board of Directors. The Board in turn will select officers for the three open slots on the Executive Committee
at the conclusion of the next annual meeting in Hong Kong.
This year’s slate is made up of a variety of talented and dedicated professional members. The candidates are being presented in terms of the
responsibilities they each aspire to on the Executive Committee. Voting is conducted online and closes 1 October 2012. Please take a moment to vote!
President Elect
The offices and the responsibilities the candidates would undertake include:
President Elect
This position is a formal voting member
of the Board and Executive Committee;
provides input on policy decisions; assists
the current president in his or her duties;
assumes the office of President the
following year and serves as Editorial
Director of Soundings and all other IMATA
publications. The President establishes the
yearly agenda then serves as Past President
and the Chairperson of Nominations and
Elections Committee in the third year.
TREASURER
This position is a formal voting member of
the Board and Executive Committee; provides
input on policy decisions; is responsible for
maintaining all financial records; oversees
all financial transactions of IMATA; monitors
the annual budget established by the Board;
is an official signature on all organizational
bank accounts; processes annual membership
dues; assists Finance Committee with annual
financial audit; serves as a Director at Large
in the third and final year of term as a voting
officer and advisor to the incoming Treasurer.
Third Vice President
This position is a formal voting member of the
Board and Executive Committee; gives input
on policy decisions; assists the 2nd and 1st
Vice Presidents in planning and organizing
the annual IMATA conference with help of
the Conference Committee; succeeds to
Second Vice President the following year
while continuing to assist with conferences
and planning; then succeeds to First Vice
President the third year and is responsible for
all conference planning activities.
The candidates are being presented in terms of the responsibilities they each aspire to on the Executive Committee. After being
elected to the Board by IMATA’s voting membership, each term runs for three consecutive years. These candidates have all stepped
forward to donate their time, talents, and effort to the service of our organization. So please, do your part and take a moment to vote.
CANDIDATES FOR
DIRECTOR SLOT Two
Treasurer
Nominee:
Bill Wolden
Bill began his animal training career in
1992 as a dolphin trainer at Dolphin Quest
Hawaii, after receiving his bachelor’s degree
in Biological Science from the University of
California at Davis, and his two Associate
Degrees in Animal Training and Wildlife
Education from Moorpark College’s Exotic
Animal Training and Management Program.
Bill eventually became the Director of
Animal Management at DQ Hawaii and
then moved into a corporate role with the
company as the current Director of Training
and Development.
Bill attended his first IMATA conference
in 1991, and has been a member ever since.
He was the Honors and Awards Committee
Chair from 2001 to 2008 where he focused
on revising and improving the Honors and
Awards judging system and awards banquet
at the yearly conferences. In addition, he
was IMATA’s Vice President from 2009 to
Nominee:
Affiliation:
2011 and, along with a huge team, was
responsible for the successful 2011 IMATA
Conference in Miami. He has won multiple
awards for formal presentations, and was
most recently presented the People’s Choice
award for his work with the 2011 IMATA
Conference.
As IMATA President, Bill says he will
not only support and drive IMATA’s mission,
but will also continue to bring countless
novel ideas and suggestions for operational
improvements to the table and then
facilitate their implementation. With his
experience in animal training, operations
management, conference development,
public speaking, goal setting, and team
building, Bill, together with the entire
IMATA team, plan on making the future of
IMATA even stronger and brighter.
Robert Roozendaal
Robert Roozendaal’s childhood visits to
then Marine World Africa USA, inspired him
to pursue his interests in animal training.
While attending St. John’s University in
Collegeville, MN, Robert was fortunate
enough to get his first introduction to the
marine mammal training field through
an internship with the Minnesota Zoo.
The following summer he continued to
develop his training skills with the National
Aquarium in Baltimore and eagerly joined
IMATA. Earning his B.A. in Psychology a
semester early, allowed him to complete a
third internship with the U.S. Navy’s Marine
Mammal Program before accepting a job
at Gulf World Marine Park. While living
in Florida, he attended his first IMATA
Dolphin Quest
Affiliation:
Six Flags
Discovery Kingdom
conference in the Florida Keys and knew
that he wanted to become more involved.
In the winter of 2007, Robert was happy to
accept a job working at Six Flags Discovery
Kingdom. He has had the pleasure of
working with a multitude of animal species
in a variety of settings and his passion for
education has now led him to develop a
new intern curriculum for the park. Never
content to stop developing himself, Robert
continued to become more involved with
IMATA. He currently serves on the Research
and Conservation committee and subcommittee, and acts as the compiler of
Trainer’s Forum. He would be honored to
serve the IMATA community as Treasurer.
Voting is being conducted online. Please vote NOW at www.imata.org.
VOTING CLOSES ON 1 October 2012.
8
Volume 37, Number 3
SOUNDINGS 2012
SOUNDINGS 2012
Volume 37, Number 3
9
CANDIDATES FOR
DIRECTOR SLOT Three
Third vice President
CANDIDATES FOR
DIRECTOR SLOT Three
Third vice President
Nominee:
Dwayne Biggs
Affiliation:
Dwayne Biggs would like to serve as 3rd
VP and use his leadership abilities to provide
direction and inspiration for the IMATA board
and members. Dwayne’s organizational and
management skills are ready for action and it
is his goal to provide first class service to all
levels of IMATA endeavors. Dwayne is the
Curator of Aquatic Life at the Pittsburgh Zoo
and PPG Aquarium. He has been in the animal
husbandry field for 22 years starting his career
at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab in Alabama. He
spent 11 years at the Tennessee Aquarium in
husbandry and exhibit development and has
also worked at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago and
as the Curator at the North Carolina Aquariums.
Nominee:
Robert W. Eiser
As IMATA’s global membership continues to
grow Robert believes his 32 years working in the
marine mammal field 15 of which has been spent
in the international arena as marine consultant to
projects in China, Japan, Taiwan, Jamaica, South
Africa, Mauritius and the Bahamas brings with it
a degree of international experience, networking
and maturity that will prove beneficial to not only
the position of Third Vice President but IMATA
overall.
Robert is a Marine Mammal Consultant
skilled in dolphinarium/marine theme park design
and conceptual development, life support systems,
operations management, international transport,
procurement, multi-national staff training, animal
management/husbandry, neo-natal care, veterinary
practices, progressive educational programming,
public relations, and marketing. His international
marine mammal network encompasses China,
Pittsburgh Zoo
He is currently the senior manager at the PPG
Aquarium and responsible for the leadership
of a great team of animal professionals and
the daily operation of the aquarium and marine
mammal collection. Dwayne has experience
with a variety of marine mammals and has been
successful in lobbying efforts with prevention
of marine mammal legislation. He is currently
working on the formation of an international
walrus consortium and efforts at sustainability
with this species. Dwayne is passionate about
behavioral management, enrichment and
creating a positive environment that fosters
staff and the animals under his care.
Affiliation:
FIGURE 1: One dolphin participates in a narrated research session
while another dolphin performs a public program at a separate dock.
Dolphin Experience
Taiwan, Hainan Island, Japan, Okinawa, South
America, South Africa, Italy, Spain, Sharm el
Sheik, Mauritius, Seychelles, Grand Bahama,
Jamaica and the United States of America, which
developed his working relationships between
foreign governments, regulatory agencies and local
officials. He is currently an IMATA professional
member, affiliated with AMMPA and a Master
Falconer. Born and raised in Southern California,
his early training career began hunting wild game
using trained hawks and falcons at age 15. Some
accomplishments include an award winning
photographer and videographer, along with
being a published author: “Dolphin Chronicles”:
manual for keeping dolphins alive and well in the
field in addition to professional marine mammal
accomplishments working abroad over the past 15
years. Robert is currently the Operations Manager
at Dolphin Experience in the Bahamas.
Photo Credit: Dolphin Research Center
Studying the MINDS
in the Water
Practical Tips for
Conducting Cognitive Research
with Marine Mammals
Mandy L. Rodriguez, Emily E. Guarino, Linda S. Erb, & Kelly O. Jaakkola
Dolphin Research Center
CANDIDATES FOR
DIRECTOR SLOT Three
Third vice President
10
Volume 37, Number 3
Nominee:
Teri Corbett
Affiliation:
In the role of Vice President Teri would
strive to help bring together the many strengths
within our industry and help showcase the many
professionals that are so passionate about the
animals to which they dedicate their careers.
This role is not only a learning opportunity for
Teri as a person but it would be a means to grow
and develop further with IMATA as we strive to
push for towards the best practices for animal
care, training and welfare.
Teri has over 24 years of experience in
the Marine Mammal Industry. Teri has been
instrumental in the start-up of two major
Dolphin Interaction Programs. Discovery Cove
in the United States as well as Dolphin Cay,
SOUNDINGS 2012
Atlantis Bahamas Paradise
Island Bahamas
Atlantis the Bahamas. Teri began her career with
SeaWorld as an animal trainer and has worked
with many different species of animals including
beluga, pseudorca and killer whales as well as
several species of dolphins, sea lions and birds.
Teri is currently responsible for the operation
of one of the world’s largest animal interactive
facility for Kerzner International. In addition to
the well-being of the animal collection Teri also
manages the business operation of Dolphin Cay
with a staff of over 230 employees, beached
animal stranding rescue and response team
and the animal medical facilities / Veterinary
Services for Atlantis.
The idea of dolphin intelligence -- a "mind in the waters" -- has
fascinated people for many decades (e.g., McIntyre, 1974), and continues
to fascinate people today. Whenever a new scientific finding on dolphin
thinking or learning is reported, it is almost certain to be picked up
by the news media and broadcast around the world. We see this
over and over. Whether the study is about understanding numbers, or
tool use, or imitation... the news picks up the finding, and the public
clamors for more.
And yet, we are still in the early stages of understanding the
dolphin's mind (Jaakkola, 2012). Cognitive research on dolphins is
still greatly needed. For example, in almost any area of cognition you
can think of -- whether it's numerical cognition, object permanence,
cooperation, or imitation -- there have been more than five times the
number of studies on chimpanzees than on dolphins in the past decade.
There is still so much more to discover!
This brings up an important puzzle: If the public is fascinated by
dolphin cognition, and there is still so much to learn about it, then why
aren't we researching it more? Why aren’t we -- the marine
mammal community -- conducting more cognitive research
as part of our normal operations?
Actually, there are a number of potential reasons. Maybe you don't
have the scientific expertise to do research. Maybe you don't have the
money. Maybe you would love to do it, but you lack the managerial
support to create and sustain a research program. Maybe, in a schedule
that's so full of shows, interactive programs, husbandry training, and so
forth, you simply can't figure out when you could possibly squeeze in yet
more time for anything else.
The list of possible reasons goes on and on. And these are not just
flimsy excuses. They're real, practical, bottom-line roadblocks. So in the
face of all these hurdles, is it realistic to think that we might be able to
overcome these problems, and feed both the public and scientific need
for research?
Yes. Dolphin Research Center was founded specifically with a deep
interest in conducting research about dolphin intelligence, and we've
SOUNDINGS 2012
Volume 37, Number 3
11
Studying the MINDS
in the Water
worked hard over the years to create a thriving research program. Facing
the same constraints as every other marine mammal facility, we've
conducted and published scientific research on a variety of cognitive
topics, such as: metacognition (Smith, Schull, Strote, McGee, Egnor,
& Erb, 1995), numerical cognition (Jaakkola, Fellner, Erb, Rodriguez, &
Guarino, 2005), object permanence (Jaakkola, Guarino, Rodriguez, Erb,
& Trone, 2010), imitation (Jaakkola, Guarino, & Rodriguez, 2010), and
cognitive evolution (Jaakkola, 2012).
It is possible.
In this article, we'd like to share what has worked for us, in the
hope that our experience might help other facilities that want to try
their hand at conducting cognitive research of their own.
Starting at the Top
We begin with the question of how to convince management.
Because, let’s face it, if management at your facility doesn’t buy into
the idea of research, you’re not going to get very far. So how do you
convince them to give it a chance?
Why is research a good
idea? The following is a list of
justifications
you
might try, each of them true and
undeniable:
1.These days, people want to understand the why of things.
Entertainment does help people connect, but demonstrating
that you're also involved in the process of discovery would
provide your facility with an additional kind of credibility,
beyond entertainment.
2.What we call ‘cognitive research,’ the animals experience
as ‘thinking games.’ Cognitive studies would provide mental
stimulation for the dolphins (and trainers!).
3.Research would provide a new and highly fruitful avenue for
media and marketing purposes. (Remember, the public loves
hearing about dolphin intelligence. That's what cognitive
research is.)
4. The new knowledge that research generates would benefit
the animals, both in human-care and in the wild. The more we
understand these animals, the better we will be able to meet
their needs.
5.The educational experience that cognitive research provides
guests can lead to increased conservation. For better or for
worse, it is human nature to care more about animals that
we view as intelligent. Showcasing that intelligence would
allow people the opportunity to connect more, care more, and
therefore conserve more.
12
Volume 37, Number 3
SOUNDINGS 2012
The Care and Nurture of Scientists
Moving Research Center-Stage
Once you've convinced management to give research a try, the
next thing you'll need is expertise. That is, you'll need a scientist. Why?
What can a scientist do for you?
(1) First, all good science starts with a question. But which one? A
scientist can help you define that scientific question. They’ll look into
the scientific literature, see what other research has been done, and
figure out where the gaps are. (2) Once you have the basic question,
a scientist can figure out how in the world to test it. What sort of
experiment or data do you need to be able to answer your question?
(3) A scientist will work with you to develop the design and logistics
of your study. (4) Finally, once you’ve completed the study, a scientist
will crunch the numbers, figure out what you found, and (5) write the
article for publication. This last part cannot be overstated. The currency
of science is publications. To become part of the conversation, you must
publish the results in a scientific journal.
So you need scientists. But where do you get them? You have
several options here. First, you might advertise. When we first started
out, we let it be known that we were interested in doing research,
and scientists from other institutions came to us. Second, you might
hire a scientist of your own. Dolphin Research Center took this step in
2002, to allow us more control over the questions we were interested
in pursuing, and to help us build a stable research team that we knew
would work well together. Third, once you have a scientist on staff,
you can combine the previous models. You are not limited to the area
of expertise of your staff scientist, because you can collaborate with
outside scientists as well.
Of course, once you’ve got a scientist to work with, the next
question is how to work with them. We would like to suggest that
the one component you absolutely need is an on-site point person
-- someone on staff, on the grounds, who is responsible for making
the research sessions happen day-to-day. Ideally, a team who are also
involved in various aspects of the research game will surround this
person, but you may not have this extended team when you first start.
It takes time to build. But it does happen. And when it does, it looks
like this:
One of the bigger issues you will face is how to balance research
versus public programs such as swims and shows. There are a range of
options here. When we first started, research was conducted primarily
during down-time, which meant maybe one training session, or even half
a session, devoted to research during non-busy times. But as our
research program has grown, we’ve found that the public wants
more of it, not less. (Figure 1.) So we've slowly changed our
approach, until today we do:
The Team Approach
First, you have that basic minimum core -- the scientist who is
in charge of the scientific design of the study, and the on-site point
person who is in charge of making the study happen. Surrounding them
are other necessary roles, such as making the apparatus, training the
behavior, and writing down/coding the data. Some of these roles might
be performed by the on-site, point person (or by the scientist, if they’re
also on site). But as your research program grows, these roles might
also be filled by other individuals.
Beyond this core of people who are directly involved in the
research, an ideal team will expand to include everybody else in the
facility that contributes to making research happen (e.g., schedulers),
or talking about it to guests, or publicizing it. So, on the one hand,
research really is a group activity. However (so you don’t get scared off),
we should reiterate that you don’t need to start with the involvement of
such a large group. That will grow over time.
A.Up to 2 or 3 research sessions per day, often narrated for guests;
B.Public lectures about research;
C.An interactive program (Dolphin Explorers) in which guests play
thinking and research games with the dolphins;
D.A day-long program (Researcher For a Day) in which guests
participate in research projects and learn about conducting
research with dolphins;
E.A week-long in-depth educational program about dolphin
research;
F. An internship program for college students (and other adults) to
become part of our research team for 4 months.
Semper Gumby
We've saved the most crucial ingredient for last:
Flexibility. Our research motto is Semper Gumby:
"Always flexible." And it applies on many levels. Take
it from us: If you go into a research project with
absolutely rigid ideas of how things must proceed
-- well, you may as well stay home, because it's not going
to work. Instead, you need to have
flexibility on multiple levels. For example:
1.There are going to be times that the animals don’t
want to play your stupid research game. Or find
it boring. Or break the apparatus. Or have no
clue what it is you’re asking them to do. It
will happen. Semper Gumby. Re-group,
take a break, and come at it from some
other direction.
2.Sometimes, scheduled research won’t
happen. Maybe there’s a storm, or a
baby is born, or your dolphin is more
interested in sex that day, or another
dolphin refused to do a swim and your
research dolphin needs to take that program. It will happen… often.
Semper Gumby. You can get around some of these problems with
creative scheduling. (Remember research as a team effort?) It may
be possible to split coolers between sessions, or use just a few token
fish to run the necessary trials, rather than devoting an entire training
session to the research. When necessary, sometimes we combine
research sessions with public programs. And if a research session gets
cancelled in the morning, due to the need to do a swim, for example, our
schedulers will often fit it in later in the day.
3.Finally, the team you create must buy into the idea of give-and-take
flexibility between training and science. Yes, there may be some
absolutes about what has to be done, or cannot be done, from the
science side of things. And there may be some absolutes about what
has to be done, or cannot be done, from the training side of things.
But between those absolutes is a lot of room for negotiation. You must
have trust between those two sides to be flexible enough to come up
with a workable solution. For example, when our research design group
sits down to hammer out the logistics of a project, you’ll hear phrases
like: "This is what I need" versus "This is what I’d like" or "This is what
I think, but I’m willing to be convinced." And where we usually end up
is with a lot of flexibility in the training phase of a project (with some
constraints about things that cannot happen), combined with a much
more rigid protocol when it comes to testing. That's our solution; you'll
need to find your own.
Conclusion
There is a mind in the waters. And finding out about it can benefit
everyone -- the animals, the trainers, the facility, and the public. It's
important.
It's also possible.
Take it slowly.
Semper Gumby.
References
Jaakkola, K. (2012). Cetacean cognitive specializations. In J. Vonk & T. Shackleford (Eds.),
The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Evolutionary Psychology (pp. 671-688). New
York: Oxford University Press.
Jaakkola, K., Fellner, W., Erb, L., Rodriguez, M., & Guarino, E. (2005). Understanding of
the concept of numerically "less" by bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Journal
of Comparative Psychology, 119, 296-303.
Jaakkola, K., Guarino, E., & Rodriguez, M. (2010). Blindfolded imitation in a bottlenose
dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). International Journal of Comparative Psychology, 23,
671-688.
Jaakkola, K., Guarino, E., Rodriguez, M., Erb, L., & Trone, M. (2010). What do dolphins
(Tursiops truncatus) understand about hidden objects? Animal Cognition, 13, 103120.
McIntyre, J. (Ed.) (1974). Mind in the waters. New York: Charles Scribner's & Sons.
Smith, J. D., Schull, J., Strote, J., McGee, K., Egnor, R. & Erb, L. (1995). The uncertain
response in the bottlenosed dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Journal of Experimental
Psychology: General, 124, 391-408.
SOUNDINGS 2012
Volume 37, Number 3
13
Regional Workshop WRAP-UP
SOUTHWEST REGIONAL WORKSHOP
Midwest Regional Workshop
of Niagara, The Riverhead Foundation and the Long Island Aquarium
gave presentations. The presentation topics included facility changes and
improvements, enrichment with rehabilitating cetaceans, discrimination
research training with California sea lions, interactive programs with beluga
whales, training green sea turtles, and training sea lions for water work.
Two panel discussions were held on enrichment and water work programs.
The workshop was a first time experience for many of the attendees and
was an opportunity for networking, gathering and information exchange for
animal care staff from all over the Northeast. All attendees look forward to
next year’s workshop, which will be held at Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut.
Caribbean Regional Workshops
Hosted by National Aquarium of Cuba
Photo Credit: SeaWorld
Photo Credit: Shelley Ballmann
The 2012 Southwest Regional Workshop was held April 23rd and
24th at SeaWorld San Diego. Our goal was to introduce more animal
professionals from our area to IMATA and as a community, share information
and breakthroughs we have had in both marine and terrestrial fields. It was
a HUGE success! We had almost 200 people attend from multiple facilities
near and far!
The workshop kicked off Sunday night with an ice breaker in
downtown San Diego. Monday we began with a facility visit at SeaWorld
in the early afternoon, showcasing some amazing training and animals
then hosted our presentations in the early evening. Shifting our meeting
later in the day allowed for regional employees to come after work for
the presentations and we received a great deal of positive feedback for
that process. Tuesday we also began in the late afternoon, with more
educational training demonstrations and Q&A at SeaWorld, ending with
a Shamu show and a private Dine with Shamu donated by the facility for
all attendees. Presentation that evening were on the jumbo tron at Shamu
stadium, providing a fun, unique, albeit a little chilly, twist!
We were fortunate to have a very diverse spectrum of presentations;
both marine and terrestrial mammals were discussed. It was very exciting
to see the cross over in training between species and present the successes
we have all had as we educated each other. That’s what IMATA is all about!
Sharing information and bettering the lives of the animals we are blessed
to work with.
A big thanks to Jennifer Leach and Dave Roberts for organizing the
regional and also to Al Garver for supporting and facilitating the workshop
at SeaWorld. But the biggest thanks goes to all our attendees for making
this regional an exciting and successful event! We are excited to continue
our inter-facility collaboration and to welcome our new IMATA members
who joined after this regional.
On 2 April 2012, the Blank Park Zoo hosted the Midwest Regional
IMATA Workshop. Forty-seven individuals representing 15 facilities
gathered together to discuss and collaborate on marine mammal training
and husbandry. The day was filled with fun as formal presentations,
population updates, problem solving and animal management topics were
presented and discussed. Members were treated to an afternoon of training
including tiger, giraffe, river otter, pig, red panda, tortoise, and pinniped
demonstrations. Even with two hours set-aside during the late afternoon,
conversations ran heavy as exhibit design, staff development, medical
topics, and pup rearing were explored as facilities embraced the opportunity
to share and gather information. All attendees had a very productive,
enjoyable day. Thanks to the staff at the Blank Park Zoo for sharing the
animals and resources with IMATA members this year.
14
Volume 37, Number 3
SOUNDINGS 2012
Photo Credit: National Aquarium of Cuba
The National Aquarium of Cuba hosted the 2012 Caribbean Regional
Workshop in Havana in May. The region was well represented by facilities
from several different countries. In addition to the quality of the papers and
rich agenda the National Aquarium offered attendees a special underwater
dolphin presentation with choreography and new behaviors trained
especially for the IMATA group! A special “thank you” goes to Dolphin
Explorer for sponsoring a dinner for those who attended the workshop.
Hosted by The Dolphin Experience UNEXSO, in Freeport, Bahamas.
Photo Credit: UNEXSO
Photo Credit: Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center
Northeast Regional Workshop
On 29 April through 1 May 2012, the Long Island Aquarium and
Exhibition Center in Riverhead, New York hosted the Northeast Regional
IMATA Workshop. This was the first time the Aquarium hosted such
an event, and it was the first Northeast Regional gathering in 15 years.
Sixty-eight attendees gathered representing 12 different facilities. The
workshop began with an icebreaker dinner at local restaurant Jerry and
the Mermaid. Following the icebreaker were two full days at the Long
Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center. The days’ events included animal
training sessions, sea lion shows, presentations and panel discussions.
Attendees from the Maritime Aquarium, Mystic Aquarium, The Aquarium
This March, a Caribbean regional workshop was hosted by The Dolphin
Experience UNEXSO, in Freeport, Bahamas. This included attendees from
five other facilities from Nassau, Bahamas; Jamaica, Mexico, and New
Mexico. The ice breaker started with everyone enjoying lobster, sweet corn
and a few drinks alongside a big bonfire. All of which provided a great way
to get to know everyone before the event began the following day. The
following morning included presentations on interaction programs, research
projects, and all going out on one of The Dolphin Experiences open ocean
training sessions. The attendees took a tour through the facility, and then
had an open forum discussion on “dolphin interactive programs”. The staff
would like to thank IMATA for the opportunity to share their facility and
animals with like minded professionals.
Off
the
Shelf
Rhino with Glue-On Shoes
Edited by Lucy Spelman, DVM and Ted Y. Mashima, DVM
"Hmm, that's strange, better have the vet
take a look at it." Odds are you've heard
or said this phrase about a hundred times
in your career. Working with animals that
we value so much, any small change in
behavior catches our attention. Could it
be a symptom? Better safe than sorry,
right? That being the case, the veterinarian
spends more time with us than our own
doctors, and our animals get more checkups in a year than some people get in their
whole lives. The Rhino with Glue-On Shoes is a book that gives
voice to the zoo and wild animal veterinarians. The book contains
29 installments written by different veterinarians, touching on
stories that reflect their diverse experiences. Many of the authors
describe challenges they have faced when encountering unusual
cases. How, for example, does one anesthetize a poison dart frog?
One veterinarian revolutionized the practice by using a common
anesthetic, isofluorane gas, in a liquid form and applied it directly
to a frog's skin, carefully watching the animal's heart beat under
its translucent skin throughout the surgery. While conducting field
work on wild, but habituated gorillas, another doctor describes a
critical mistake he made. While administering antibiotics via dart to
a wild male gorilla, he targeted the animal from downhill, resulting
in an attack on a co-worker. Many of my favorite stories involve
marine mammals. There is a detailed account of the relocation of
the dolphins swept out to sea by Hurricane Katrina, how the military
helped trainers and volunteers recover them, and their subsequent
move to Atlantis in the Bahamas. The story of a baby beluga who
was orphaned is quite endearing and informative, as he was weaned
successfully at 6 months. The most touching story, however, was of
a private owner who relinquished his large moray eel to the New
England Aquarium. The eel did not eat for weeks despite many
varying attempts by staff. The only thing that worked eventually was
to bring in the original owner. Upon his arrival, the eel immediately
recovered from its listlessness and began to eat. The Rhino with
Glue-On Shoes offers people of our trade even more than it does
the lay-people for whom it is also intended. The stories are all quite
captivating, but they are detailed enough to teach us about many
recent breakthroughs in animal husbandry. Nothing could be more
appropriate for marine animal trainers than a book that keeps us in
touch with the wider community of those who care for animals, and
helps us to reaffirm our confidence in our mission.
OFF THE SHELF is compiled by John Widick.
SOUNDINGS 2012
Volume 37, Number 3
15
Conference Week - What you can expect:
Starting Sunday 2nd December, Ken Ramirez will be conducting two halfday workshops from basics to advanced concepts in animal behavior
management and training. Registration will open Sunday afternoon and the
Ice-Breaker will be held at the 11th floor of the conference hotel, from 7pm
until late! Monday thru Wednesday and a half day Friday of the conference
week will be your opportunity shine, with presentations on all your favorite
topics in animal training and the application of positive methods of operant
conditioning. We have a very special opening ceremony planned, which you
will have to see for yourself because I won't be giving much away here;
but throughout the week we also have guest speakers from China, Japan
and the Russian Federation to talk about the industry in their regions. Our
keynote speaker from Russia is a field scientist who has been working with
a population of belugas in the Russian Far East and she will be discussing
the sustainable management of belugas in Russia. IMATA is 40 - and to
celebrate this, we have planned a special presentation on the life of our
organization these past four decades and what the future could bring for
IMATA going into its fifth decade.
Evening events are also planned, however we have left room for everyone to
experience Hong Kong by night and day! Every delegate and family member
will be able to get out and enjoy the sights, sounds, and opportunities that
HK is famous for. Our host Ocean Park is planning a day where you can
visit all of the zoological back of house areas including live training and
veterinary procedures under operant conditioning, with a variety of species
in the collection. In addition to the Park's animal shows you will have the
opportunity to see protected contact husbandry training of Giant Pandas and
participate in the Park's animal encounter programmes, including SCUBA
dive with hammerhead sharks, manta, and tuna. The conference Awards
night and Chinese banquet on Friday evening will once again honor those
presenters during the week.
1952:
If you were born in 1952, then you were born under the influence of a Water
Dragon! We know you're out there, so if you are coming to Hong Kong in
December, please contact Grant Abel at [[email protected]] to learn about
the opportunities we have for you!
Confucius Says:
All years of the Dragon have a traditional association with new beginnings, happiness, and good fortune.
2012 is no exception and in this Water Dragon year, everyone should be inspired to grasp new opportunities
and directions that may present themselves. The Water Dragon advises us to ensure we resolve old issues
during this time and to build strong new foundations. The Summer and Autumn of 2012 is predicted
to be filled with additions, corrections and positive developments. The year end may have a couple
of unexpected occurrences that are forecast to improve our environment. Ideas generated in this
favorable time span are likely to be groundbreaking and highly advantageous to mankind's future.
You can trust this Water Dragon's intuitive vibes and his message of determinedly moving forward
to make 2012 a year to remember for the enrichment of knowledge and understanding in many
areas of life.
Registration is OPEN so be an early bird and secure
your registration for all the week's activities for $400
USD. Early bird registration is open until 31st August.
Visit hongkong2012.imata.org
Grant Abel, IMATA 1st Vice President
16
Volume 37, Number 2
SOUNDINGS 2012
SOUNDINGS 2012
Volume 37, Number 2
17
Research briefs
SEA HORSES
What’s in Your Closet?
This issue focuses on the “other” species out there! Some have eight arms, some
have beaks, but they all benefit from enrichment!
FISH
CD Mobile
Shopping List:
• CDs
• nylon thread
• broomstick
Time: About 1 hour
Assembly: Tie CDs together with
Photo Credit: Aquário de São Paulo
the nylon thread, making sure the
reflective side is facing outward. Tie several mobile strands to the broomstick and
prop the broomstick across the tank. (The CDs can be placed on the substrate in a
smaller tank.)
About: The CD reflections mimic the shine and color of some fish schools and serve
to stimulate their curiosity. It was observed that fish showing a repetitive swimming
pattern ceased this behavior after receiving this enrichment. – Aquário de São Paulo
Ice Breaker
Shopping List:
• large plastic or rubber container
• novel enrichment item
Time: Five minutes to prepare, plus freeze time
Assembly: : Put the item in the container
and fill the container with water until most of
Photo Credit: John G. Shedd Aquarium
the toy is exposed. Cover and freeze!
About: Although frozen toys are common enrichment across many species, frozen
toys really helped our current octopus, a very shy animal with a fondness for ice blocks,
accept new enrichment items more readily than she would with the item alone. We
often introduce a new enrichment item in ice so that she has a positive association with
exploring new items. So far, it has really worked well: she will readily explore and take a
new item in a block of ice to her cave, then later take the same, now familiar item without
the ice. – John G. Shedd Aquarium
GREEN ANACONDA
Pipe Dreams
Shopping List:
• clear and opaque PVC pipes of various sizes and diameters
• textures and objects to explore (optional)
Time: Varies, depending on size of PVC structure
Assembly: Leave the PVC pipe as is, or combine two into a T-formation.
About: PVC pipes provide many forms of enrichment for the snakes. When set in a
T-formation, it encourages the snakes to make choices, like which path to take. To
create more variation, a bin of water or items with different textures can be placed
at one end of the T. The pipes can also be used to create an obstacle course for
the snakes to crawl over, under, and through. Since the pipes easily roll, they give
the snakes an opportunity to push them around and manipulate their environment.
It was fascinating to see how curious and gentle the snakes were with everything
they investigated. They also seemed “thoughtful” in their movements through the
pipes, clearly making a deliberate decision about which way to turn when they
reached the T. – New England Aquarium
18
Volume 37, Number 3
SOUNDINGS 2012
Coral Reef
Shopping List:
• colored beads
• nylon thread
• needle
Time: About two hours
Assembly: String together beads with
a variety of shapes and colors to create
Photo Credit: C.J. Casson
a “coral reef.”
About: The beads are excellent for the
sea horses to affix themselves to and also for their mimicry. When the animals show
a darker color-- which is sometimes associated with stress-- their mimicry skills and
the “coral” are a great combination to reverse this situation. – Aquário de São Paulo
The IMATA Research Grant & Conservation Fund were successfully
launched in 2011 and the first two Research Grant Recipients were awarded.
These include a study which is investigating the physiological effects of
artificial weaning on sea lion pups by Principal Investigator Brandon Davis
from SeaWorld and another which is comparing dietary consumption of iron
in wild dolphins vs. dolphins in human care by Principal Investigator Rita
Stacey from the Chicago Zoological Society.
overhead costs, or unrelated travel, and may not exceed $3,000.00.
• Project Managers and Principal Investigators must provide
Statements of Organizational Support and agree to IMATA’s Terms
of Acceptance prior to the distribution of any funds.
• Principal Investigators and Project Managers must submit a
six month progress report by 30 June 2013 a final report upon
completion of the project or 30 December 2013, and present their
results at the Annual IMATA Conference to be held subsequent to
its completion.
Photo Credit:
Brandon Davis/
SeaWorld
Orlando
Photo Credit: Jason Collier/SeaWorld Orlando
Photo Credit: Sarasota
Dolphin Research Project
HUMBOLDT PENGUINS
Pumpkin Puzzles
Shopping List:
• small, decorative pumpkins
Time: Approximately one minute per
pumpkin
Assembly: Leave pumpkins whole or
carve several evenly-spaced, 1/2-inch holes
into them and stuff with fish. Refrigerate
to keep fish and pumpkins fresh prior to
serving; freeze carved pumpkins to maximize
buoyancy.
About: Pumpkins are offered seasonally
around the holidays and can be placed on
deck or in the water. The birds manipulate
Photo Credit: Woodland Park Zoo
pumpkins in order to retrieve the fish.
Offered whole, birds peck at stems or pumpkin itself, providing a floating interactive
toy that moves unpredictably. – Woodland Park Zoo
Gone Fishin'!
Shopping List:
• live rainbow trout (3-5 inches)
Time: Approximately 20 minutes to
prep and 10 minutes to feed
Assembly: Live fish are transported
day of from a farm to the zoo. Fish are
stored in a large Rubbermaid stock tank
with an aerator stone until distributed.
Photo Credit: Woodland Park Zoo
Collect fish and evenly distribute into
5-gallon buckets before placing at random locations in pool.
About: Offered weekly over the summer, live prey encourages exercise and
stimulates natural foraging behaviors amongst the group. Increased swim time and
behaviors, such as foraging strategy development, colonial social interaction, and
porpoising promotes healthier animals. From inexperienced fledglings and juveniles
to elderly birds who may have previously lived with fish, birds learn and work
together, all participating in actively hunting their food. It’s a favorite enrichment
activity for both birds and people alike! – Woodland Park Zoo
ENRICHING ENVIRONMENTS is compiled by Ronnie Smith.
The International Marine Animal Trainers Association Research Grant is
designed to provide financial support for investigations which focus on marine
animal research-oriented scientific investigations that address IMATA’s
mission. Investigations may focus upon, but are not limited to areas such
as: marine animal physiology, sensory biology, or cognitive measurements;
marine animal husbandry or behavior training technique advancements;
professional training, communication or cooperation assessments; and
education program, public display, or outreach evaluations.
The International Marine Animal Trainers Association Conservation
Fund Award is designed to provide financial support for third-party non-profit
organization projects which focus on marine animal conservation-oriented
topics that promote IMATA’s Mission. Topics may include, but are not limited
to, support for habitat, species or individual animal conservation issues;
conservation research projects or programs; educational promotions of
conservation issues; inter-disciplinary cooperation for conservation issues;
and publication of peer-reviewed journals.
Requirements:
Some (but not all) of the IMATA Research Grant and Conservation
Award funding requirements specify that:
• All Principal Investigators and Co-Principal Investigators identified
in the IMATA Research Grant application must be current
Active or Professional IMATA members who have maintained
this membership level for a minimum of two years prior to the
application submission deadline.
• All applications must be submitted in English.
• IMATA Conservation Fund Award nomination applications may
only be submitted by current Active or Professional IMATA
members and must have a designated Project Manager who is a
current Active or Professional IMATA member.
• IMATA Research Grant investigations and Conservation Fund
projects should be completed within one year (2014).
• Application and Nomination budgets must be itemized, may not
include allocations for salary, university tuition or fees, fringe or
Apply NOW! Nominations and Applications
are Due September 1, 2012!!!!
To learn more about the IMATA Research Grant and Conservation
Fund Award as well as view and download all application and nomination
requirements, materials, and documents, log onto the IMATA website and
select Funding from the top navigational bar (www.imata.org/index.php/
funding).
The IMATA Research & Conservation Committee will review all
applications and nominations to ensure they meet all requirements and are
fully completed, and will present funding recommendations to the IMATA
Board for consideration. Funding will not be awarded if nominations and
applications are received after 1 September 2012, are not of significant
merit, do not promote IMATA’s Mission, or fail to agree to IMATA’s Terms of
Acceptance, provide proof of the Organization’s non-profit status, Statement
of Organizational Support, or copies of required permits (if applicable).
The IMATA Board will approve and determine how funding will be
awarded to the recommended applications and nominations. Funding
amounts may be reduced from the requested amount in order to accommodate
other awards or if the IMATA Board determines that dispersal of these funds
interfere with IMATA’s fiscal solvency.
Principal Investigators, Nomination applicants, and Project Managers
will be notified of the Board’s funding decision by 15 December 2012. Funds
will be made available after 1 January 2013.
Support these Funding Opportunities!
Show your excitement for these funding opportunities and help IMATA
make significant advancements in marine animal science and conservation!
You now have the ability to make tax-deductible donations to the IMATA
Conservation Fund and Research Grant. Simply click on the Donate button
on the IMATA website homepage (www.imata.org) or add a donation to your
IMATA membership purchase.
RESEARCH BRIEFS is compiled by Beau Richter
SOUNDINGS 2012
Volume 37, Number 3
19
The following reports were submitted for publication on 15 May 2012
generally considered to hear through specialized fats
in their lower jaw. Yet there are substantial differences
in dolphin head-shape suggesting animals may hear,
and perhaps be impacted by sound, differently. The
Risso’s dolphin has a unique profile and head shape.
The Risso’s dolphin named Da-Hua, a FOP resident
of eight years, was desensitized with the practice of
silicone suction cups sensors and a sound-producing
jawphone before the hearing tests. The actual research
involved playing sounds to different parts of the Risso’s
jaw and head, and physiologically measuring hearing,
both rapidly and non-invasively. The project will provide
unique, comparative information on Risso’s dolphin and
odontocete hearing.
Photo credit: Dalian Laohutan Ocean Park Co., Ltd
Polar bear cub (Ursus maritimes) in the exhibit at Dalian
Laohutan Ocean Park.
Photo Credit: Ocean Park Hong Kong
ASIA REGION
Philip Wong, Ocean Park – Hong Kong, China
Dalian Laohutan Ocean Park Co., Ltd –
Zhongshan District, Dalian of Liaoning Province, CHINA
At Dalian Laohutan Ocean Park, the third Sea Birds
Conservation Activity was held in April. Thousands of
citizens, visitors, and volunteers participated in the
opening ceremony. The Sea Birds Conservation Activity
promotes the public awareness of sea birds and nature
conservation by delivering an environmental message
while interacting with the sea birds.
With the rapid development of tourism industry
in Dalian, local government started to redevelop the
Laohutan Area in order to create a new urban tourism
environment. After restoration, Ocean Park will consist
of Holiday Hotel Area, Ocean Park Area, Comprehensive
Business & Leisure Area, Seashore Park Area and
Culture & Performance Center. All of the new tourist
attractions will be open to the public by International
Labor Day this year. The new main gate of Ocean Park
and Citizens Square located in front of the new gate
were finished at the end of May.
The polar bear cub (Ursus maritimus) born last
October finished its weaning stage successfully and
was allowed on exhibit in early April. The cub will be
introduced to the public soon.
Farglory Ocean Park
A Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus) at Farglory Ocean
Park undergoing hearing tests.
Farglory Ocean Park – Hualien, TAIWAN
Dr. Aran Mooney, an acoustic ecology scientist at
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, is working with
Farglory Ocean Park and a female adult Risso’s dolphin
(Grampus griseus) to find out if Risso’s hear like other
dolphins or if there are subtle differences? Sound is the
primary way toothed whales and dolphins communicate
and investigate their surroundings. Odontocetes are
20
Volume 37, Number 3
Four new stellar sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) have
settled in their new home at Ocean Park Hong Kong.
Ocean Park –Hong Kong, CHINA
Ocean Park Hong Kong is pleased to report that 2.2
steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) were transported
from Kamogawa Seaworld Japan and arrived safely
to Hong Kong on 17 April 2012. The four pinnipeds
have adapted well to the change and are doing well
with their new trainers. They will be the education
ambassadors for the new attraction, Polar Adventure,
which will be open in the third quarter of 2012. Finally,
the staff would like to thank everyone involved in this
successful move.
AUSTRALIA REGION
Ryan Tate, Taronga Zoo – Sydney
Pet Porpoise Pool – Coffs Harbour, NEW SOUTH WALES
The new Ultimate Dolphin Swim proved to be
a popular experience over the busy summer months.
External work around the Solitary Reefs exhibit is now
complete and installation of aquariums has begun.
Initial planning is now underway for the
development of the Dolphin Lagoon exhibit in which
improvements to the animal interaction area includes
the construction of a beach area around the dolphin
pool, a new orientation room and guest amenities
building.
Seaworld – Gold Coast, QUEENSLAND
At Seaworld, Gold Coast, a New Zealand fur
seal pup (Arctocephalus forsteri) named Oliver, born
on New Year’s Day, is healthy, putting on weight, and
has also started to show some interest in fish. Dirk, a
little blue penguin (Eudyptula minor) has settled back
into Penguin Point after being stolen and released into
the Broadwater at Southport, Queensland by some
trespassers.
At Dolphin Cove, Sunnie has been confirmed
pregnant by Kiama. Both are 9-year-old Pacific
bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops tuncatus gilli) and both
are first time breeders. The calf is expected in mid
SOUNDINGS 2012
January. Ellie, a 15-month-old calf, is now eating well
and is learning very quickly. After taking a surprisingly
long time to eat her first fish at 12 months old, she has
now debuted in the Imagine show.
Penguin Encounter is currently in quarantine
due to the arrival of six king penguins (Aptenodytes
patagonicus) and six gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis
papua) from Kelly Tarltons, New Zealand. The two
gentoo chicks from last breeding season are now on
exhibit and are interacting well with the other birds.
Taronga Zoo – Sydney, NEW SOUTH WALES
Taronga Zoo’s little blue penguins were involved
in a research project aimed at obtaining genetic
information from the birds strictly through feather
analysis. Blood and feather samples were taken from
individual birds and after doing a genetic analysis on
the blood, the feathers were then tested in order to look
for correlations. This will hopefully enable researchers
to learn more about wild little blue penguins through
less invasive methods.
Nala, Taronga’s youngest Australian sea lion
(Neophoca cinerea) made her show debut with the
crowd by meeting guests during the interactive
segment. The staff also sighted the Australian sea lion
male, Malie, mating with Lexie, one of the females.
Lexie instigated the courtship, and now staff will wait
18 months to see if the mating was successful.
CANADA REGION
Brian Sheehan, Vancouver Aquarium –
Vancouver, British Columbia
Vancouver Aquarium –
Vancouver, BRITISH COLUMBIA
The Vancouver Aquarium is pleased to announce
the opening of Penguin Point. The new black-footed
penguin (Spheniscus demersus) exhibit recently opened
with penguins on loan from the New England Aquarium.
This temporary exhibit is expected to be open to
aquarium visitors for the duration of the first phase of
the aquariums expansion.
Two harbour porpoises (Phoceana phoceana)
were recently moved into public view. Daisy, almost 4
years old, and Jack, approximately 8 months old, are
two of the aquariums rescue success stories. Deemed
non-releasable by the Canadian government, these two
animals will provide great opportunities for education
and conservation messaging to the aquarium guests.
The aquarium’s open water training facility for
steller sea lions recently completed the first phase of
a study that looked at verifying that microparticle levels
correlate with decompression stress. At depth dives
combined with a series of closely spaced voluntary
bloods and ultra sound were used to determine whether
or not bubbles are present before and after the dive
bouts which made the project a challenging one. The
second phase of this project is set to begin early this
summer.
CARIBBEAN ISLANDS REGION
Adrian Penny, Atlantis Paradise Island –
Paradise Island, Bahamas
Dolphin Cay Atlantis – Nassau, BAHAMAS
At Dolphin Cay Atlantis, Paradise Island's Animal
Rescue team has successfully released two manatees
Photo Credit: Frank Murru
Dolphin Cay Atlantis has two successful manatees released in the Great Harbor Cay area of the Bahamas.
in the Great Harbor Cay area of the Bahamas, marking
Atlantis’ first-ever live release of its kind. Rita and
Georgie, a mother and calf, have been in the care of
Atlantis' Dolphin Cay team since October 2011, where
the manatees received health assessments and expert
nutritional care. Atlantis has partnered with the United
States Geological Survey (USGS), the Bahamas Marine
Mammal Research Organization (BMMRO), The Bahamas
Marine Mammal Stranding Network and members of
the Department of Marine Resources to help plan the
release. These organizations will assist with monitoring
both manatees via satellite tags donated by BMMRO and
USGS. The Save the Manatee Club and Department of
Marine Resources have donated signage to help increase
awareness on the waters surrounding the release area.
Great Harbor Cay, an area frequented by manatees,
was chosen as the best release site for Georgie and
Rita. The satellite tag information gathered will give the
team better insight into the types of habitats manatees
frequent, which will help conservation decisions for the
species.
EUROPE NORTH CENTRAL REGION
Christiane Thiere, Tiergarten Nuremberg –
Nuremberg, Germany
Boudewijn Seapark – Bruges, BELGIUM
The staff at the Dolphinarium in Boudewijn Seapark
is happy to announce the pregnancy of Roxanne, a
27-year-old female. If everything goes well, the calf is
expected during late August. The last births at the park
took place in 2003. During that summer Roxanne gave
birth to a male, Ocean, which is still part of the dolphin
family.
The new season of 2012 has started. The California
sea lions (Zalophus californianus) were moved to the
outdoor theatre and are ready for shows. After a winter
season of hard work and training with the animals, the
trainers are glad to showcase the newly trained behaviors.
Dolfinarium Muenster – Harderwijk, NETHERLANDS
Dolfinarium is renovating the ray and shark
exhibit. This summer the renewed and themed area
will be open to the public. The new North Sea Area
highlights extraordinary fish, including information
about areas protected in the North Sea.
Three harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena)
were born this year and doing well in the harbour
porpoise exhibit. All the animals were originally
stranded on the Dutch coast and rescued.
Unfortunately, they were deemed non-releaseable and
now have a permanent home at the Dolpinarium. At
the dolphin exhibit a new calf was born and the staff
is expecting another Steller sea lion (Eumetopias
jubatus) birth around June.
The rescued killer whale (Orcinus orca) named
Morgan was re-located to Loro Parque in Tenerife on
29 November 2011. After a smooth transport, Morgan
was introduced to the other killer whales. Morgan had
been housed for almost two years for rehabilitation in
Harderwijk. The staff at Loro Parque is stating that she
is doing very well.
Dolphinarium Nuernberg –
Tiergarten Nuernberg, GERMANY
During the construction of the new dolphin lagoon
at Dolphinarium Nuernberg, three female dolphins
were sent out on breeding loan to the dolphinarium
Harderwijk. While there, Nynke gave birth to a male
calf and both will stay in Harderwijk while the calf is
being raised. Naomi, another dolphin, will stay with
the mother and calf.
The other female, Anke, returned to Nuernberg
to join the pod in the new exhibit. There were no
problems with the reintroduction.
Ouwehands Zoo – Rhenen, NETHERLANDS
After a year of construction, training and rehearsing,
it was finally time to present the new show called
Elements in the new sea lion theatre at the Ouwehands
Zoo on 4 April 2012. The animals and trainers perform
a musical play inspired by the four elements of nature:
water, earth, air and fire. After acclimating to the new
environment, the sea lions regained their behavioral
repertoire and learned some new behaviors, as well. The
team is also very proud of the successful introduction of
macaws into the new show, which were naïve to training
prior to arriving at the facility.
Last winter, a polar bear, Huggies, gave birth to twins.
After three months both cubs were able to move about
and were visible to the public. The breeding program
at the zoo has been very successful. Freedom, another
polar bear, also has two cubs that are 1 and a half years
old. With the addition of the last two cubs, Ouwehands
currently has a total of seven polar bears.
EUROPE NORTH WEST REGION
John-Rex Mitchell
John G. Shedd Aquarium – Chicago, Illinois
Chessington World of Adventures Resort –
Chessington, UNITED KINGDOM
Chessington is home to 2.2 California sea lions ranging
between the ages of three and 15 years. This spring the
filtration to the 1 million L (264,172 gallon) exhibit was
upgraded to a modern saltwater system employing
mechanical and biological filtration, ozone and protein
skimmers with a turnover rate approximately 10 times
faster than what was previously in place. The resort opened
for the season on 23 March 2012. The sea lion team keeps
busy with two daily shows, an interactive behind the scenes
tour, as well as, training sessions to improve presentations
and husbandry procedures. The team welcomed Megan
Wilson as full-time trainer back in February.
The team has started to assist the gorilla keepers with
some basic husbandry training for the group of western
lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla) that reside in the park.
Photo Credit: Linda Berggren
Dante, a 7-year- old male California sea lion at
Chessington World of Adventures Resort.
EUROPE SOUTH CENTRAL REGION
Pablo Joury Amnéville Zoo – Amnéville, France
Amnéville Zoo – Amnéville, FRANCE
Dr Stefan Miedler an international specialist
of heart ultrasounds worked with the sea lion team
in Amneville Zoo to do a complete check up on the
resident sea lions. All exams were under stimulus
control. During the exam the staff observed the fetus’
heart from two of the pregnant females, along with
blood flow. This was first time that Dr Miedler was
able to check a fetus’ heart. Thanks to Dr Geraldine
Lacave for allowing the staff the opportunity to meet
and work with Dr Miedler.
Photo Credit: Dr. Stefan Miedler
The heart blood flow of a California sea lion (Zalophus
californianus) fetus at the Amneville Zoo
Asterix Delphinarium – Paris, FRANCE
The 2012 new dolphin show at Asterix
Dolphinaruim is highly rhythmical and dynamic, while
also including a lot of educational information. The
dolphin show has been upgraded with new behaviors
from two juvenile males that are 2 years old, Ekinox and
Aicko. Naska, 1-year-old, is already trying to spin and
jump.
The team would like to thank Christel Villot, head
trainer, for her 15 years of service dedicated to the wellbeing of the marine mammals in the dolphinarium of
Parc Asterix, and wish her success in her new endeavors.
SOUNDINGS 2012
Volume 37, Number 3
21
exhibit will house native Hawaiian species of sharks
including black tip reef shark (Carcharhinus limbaus),
white tip reef sharks (Carcharhinus longimanus),
scalloped hammerhead sharks (Sphyma lewini), and
sand bar sharks (Carcharhinus plumbeus). The park will
also offer a protective contact, shark interactive utilizing
SeaTrek. The second project is a walk through aviary
housing love birds that the public will be able to feed.
The marine mammal training staff would like to
welcome Craig Allum to the training team. The staff
would also like to thank the spring interns for all of their
hard work and welcome the incoming summer interns.
The staff would like to wish a fond farewell to Kristy
Robbins and Christie Austin and wish them the best of
luck in their future endeavors.
Photo Credit: Zoomarine
SOUTH AFRICA REGION
Gabby Harris – Durban, South Africa
The new medical platform at the dolphin stadium at Zoomarine in Italy.
Zoomarine – Rome, ITALY
The management and training staff at Zoomarine
has installed a new medical platform at the dolphin
stadium. This is a huge achievement to the wellbeing
and security of the animals and is the biggest structure
built for a dolphin facility in Italy at 656 sq ft (59 sq m).
Nito Group and Emirates Park Zoo which will
involve educational entertainment programs to help
educate and inspire the tourists and locals of UAE.
MEXICO REGION
Dolphin Quest Hawaii – Waikoloa, HAWAII
Dolphin Quest Hawaii consists of 11 Atlantic
bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus truncatus)
ranging from the age of 41 years old to eight months
old. Voluntary urine collection is an important husbandry
goal trainers have been working on because it provides
an important sample used for a variety of evaluations.
Urine collection is useful for monitoring urinary tract
health and is a less invasive method of monitoring
hormones than blood collection. Within a month,
trainers were able to collect voluntary urine samples
from all animals over the age of 1 year. Ipo, the youngest
in the DQ family, is learning so fast that trainers are
already training ultrasound presents and desensitizing
with the ultrasound probe. Soon enough, Ipo will be
trained on voluntary urine collection too.
Alejandro G. Mata, Dolphin Discovery –
Cancún Quintana Roo
Dolphin Discovery Group –
Cancún, Quitanta Roo, MEXICO
In May 2012 at Puerto Aventuras of the Dolphin
Discovery Group, four calves that were born in
December 2011 began eating fish. The calves are named
Orion, Perseo, Angelica, and Eros. At present, the facility
is preparing to receive the next generation of calves in
2012.
Puerto Aventuras hosted the Middle Year IMATA
Board Meeting, where members discussed the Hong
Kong International Conference. Attendees enjoyed
a manatee experience at Puerto Aventuras and an
authentic Mexican dinner with staff. It was an honor to
host the IMATA board in Mexico.
At the same time, Puerto Aventuras hosted the
Second International Marine Mammal Workshop of
Physiology, with an agreement with Toronto University
and ABC Animal Training Academy. Thirteen students
spent a week with trainers and marine mammals while
performing water physiological studies, observations
and training.
MIDDLE EAST REGION
Tommy Wilken, Zoological Consultancy Worldwide –
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Emirates Park Zoo – Abu Dhabi, UNITED ARAB
EMIRATES
The Emirates Park Zoo is very happy to welcome
five South African fur seals (Actrocephalus pussilus
pusillus) to the zoo. The seals arrived from a zoo in
France on the 1 May 2012 and are adapting well to
their new environment. The animals are currently being
housed and trained in a temporary exhibit area and then
will be moved to the new large seal stadium which is
currently under development. The seals are the first of
their kind to enter the UAE in a joint project with The
22
Volume 37, Number 3
PACIFIC ISLANDS REGION
Stephanie Vlachos – Waimanalo, Hawaii
Dolphin Quest Oahu – Honolulu, HAWAII
Throughout the year Dolphin Quest Oahu (DQO)
crew members chose a variety of ocean related
stewardship projects to help people, animals, and
the environment. Dolphin Quest believes in operating
globally and giving back locally.
DQO crew members reached out by swimming in
an ocean relay fundraiser to build a monk seal hospital,
serving as a docent for the Waikiki Aquarium, cleaning
up beaches, and volunteering for animal rescue groups.
The quest to share new conservation knowledge with
the guests led staff to ocean acidification classes,
marine mammal stranding lectures, and a sea turtle
workshop.
After seeing the large number of inflatable pool
toys that hotels pop and toss in the trash, one trainer
started collecting the items and donating them to
worthwhile organizations such as Habitat for Humanity,
Special Olympics and a school for autistic children. By
giving time and energy to the community, DQO makes a
difference one person and one animal at a time.
Sea Life Park, Hawaii – Waimanalo, HAWAII
Sea Life Park, Hawaii has been busy this spring with
two projects. The first is the renovation of the Hawaiian
reef tank exhibit. Once the project is completed, the
SOUNDINGS 2012
Sea World at uShaka Marine World –
Durban, SOUTH AFRICA
uShaka Sea World debuted a Easter Show on
Easter Saturday. The show was promoted as the largest
Easter egg hunt in Africa. Kids arrived to find Easter
eggs all over the aquarium. The show featured the
most important egg hunt by celebrating eggs from the
endangered black-footed penguin. Breeding in the blackfooted penguin rookery continues to thrive. Two staff
members took part in the annual waddling for a week
campaign. This is a 130km (78 mile) walk along the Cape
Coastline aimed at raising awareness for the penguin
promises campaign at www.peguinpromises.com.
Seal Interactions are about to be launched to the
public and from the feedback received from guests it will
be a great success.
Congratulations to Craig Bristow and Mhlaba
Mtetwa, who were both promoted to Trainer Three
Level.
U. S. NORTHEAST REGION
Beth Manning – Baltimore, Maryland
Aquarium of Niagara – Niagara Falls, NEW YORK
The Aquarium of Niagara is pleased to welcome,
Zoey, a 3-year-old Atlantic harbor seal (Phoca vitulina),
that was rescued off the coast of Massachusetts with
a middle ear infection at approximately 1-year-old. Zoey
spent two years at the Marine Animal Rehabilitation
Center at the University of New England and while
there Zoey was the first harbor seal to receive a series
of experimental surgeries aimed at treating this unique
type type of infection. The surgeries were successful;
however, Zoey was deemed non-releasable due to
heightened risk factors associated with swimming
at increased depths. Zoey has acclimated well to
the exhibit at the Aquarium of Niagara and has been
successfully introduced as the latest success story at
Rescue Harbor.
Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center –
Riverhead, Long Island, NEW YORK
At the end of April, the Long Island Aquarium and
Exhibition Center hosted the 2012 Northeast Regional
Workshop. This was the first workshop in the northeast
in 15 years. Over 65 attendees participated from 12
different facilities. The event started with an icebreaker
dinner generously donated by James F. Gesualdi, who
gave a wonderful and informative presentation called
Changing Thinking about Training and Animal Welfare.
Following the icebreaker, there were two full days at
the Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center. The
events included animal training sessions, sea lion
shows, presentations, and panel discussions. The
Long Island Aquarium staff would like to thank all the
attendees and all those helped to plan the workshop.
The workshop was a first time experience for a lot of
attendees and was great for networking, gathering,
and the exchange of information for animal care staff
all over the northeast. The Long Island Aquarium
staff looks forward to next year’s workshop at Mystic
Aquarium in Connecticut in hopes of making the
northeast workshop an annual occurrence again.
The animal training staff would also like to
welcome all of the summer interns and volunteers.
New England Aquarium –
Boston, MASSACHUSETTS
The past few years have been full of construction
and renovation for New England Aquarium, including
the building of the New Balance Foundation Marine
Mammal Center, the Trust Family Foundation Shark
and Ray Touch Tank, and the off-site Animal Care/
Rehabilitation Facility. The final step in this major
renovation will begin in September. The iconic
Giant Ocean Tank (GOT), which has been the central
attraction for the aquarium since its opening in 1969,
will be getting a head-to-toe upgrade. This renovation
will update the viewing areas around and above the
GOT, add a brand new coral structure inside, and launch
a new exhibit, the Blue Planet Action Center, which will
highlight the Aquarium’s conservation and research
work. The work will be done at night so the aquarium
can remain open during construction. The reinvigorated
GOT and Blue Planet Action Center are set to open in
July 2013.
Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium –
Pittsburgh, PENNSYLVANIA
In April 2012, the Water’s Edge staff at Pittsburgh
Zoo & PPG Aquarium welcomed a rescued northern sea
otter pup (Enhydra lutris kenyonii) from the Alaska Sea
Life Center. The 12-week-old pup weighs over 10 kg (22
lb) and is thriving in the nursery.
The zoo’s Kids Kingdom and veterinary staff have
been working with their 1.6 California sea lions. The
staff has confirmed that both Zoey and Maggie, both
17 years old, are pregnant at this time. The staff also
discovered that Sophie, born on 10 June 2011, had
ingested some coins. Radiographs confirmed the coins
were floating in the stomach. With the help of local
veterinary experts, Board Certified Anesthesiologist
and Endoscopy Specialist, the coins were removed on
14 April 2012. Sophie has made a complete recovery.
U.S. NORTHWEST REGION
lb (11.25 kg). The sea otters recently moved back
into the recently renovated exhibit space and everyone,
including the staff, is enjoying the extra space.
Photo Credit: Caroline Hempstead
Photo Credit: Amy Stephens
Oklahoma City Zoo sea lion show.
A northern sea otter (Enhydra lutris kenyonii) named
Sekiu with her mother at the Seattle Aquarium
U.S. SOUTH CENTRAL REGION
Shannon Ray, Oklahoma City Zoo – Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma
Houston Zoo – Houston, TEXAS
This has been a spring of growth for the sea
lion department at the Houston Zoo. Staff welcomed
a new member, Anastasia Kotara, who will assist
with the carnivore and sea lion teams. The sea lion
team completed the object detection training utilizing
mirrors phase of research trials with the first sea lion,
Kamia, who produced a 100% score. The team is now
moving forward with the next phase which is object
discrimination. Lastly, the sea lion team is preparing
to temporarily move 1.2 California sea lions to the
veterinary clinic to accommodate a 6 week renovation
of the exhibit pool and holding areas. This has entailed
designing a new sled for the team’s utility cart and
training a cart ride behavior. Both experiences are new
challenges for animals and staff. The sea lion team is
looking forward to an improved home this summer.
Photo Credit: Alicia Kemery
Photo Credit:
Mike Pool
Military dog trainers pose with Elrod, a California sea
lion, at SeaWorld San Antonio.
U.S. SOUTHEAST REGION
Sarah Graff, Miami Seaquarium – Miami, Florida
Object discrimination at the Houston Zoo.
Cinthia Alia-Mitchell – Tualatin, Oregon
Oregon Zoo – Portland, OREGON
March was radiograph month at the Oregon
Zoo. Staff successfully took digital radiographs of 0.1
southern sea otter (Enhydra lutis nereis), 1.0 steller sea
lion, and 0.1 polar bear.
Marine Life staff trained 1.1 southern sea otters
and 2.0 steller sea lions for tonometer readings.
Readings are taken a few times a year. If any other
facilities have trained this behavior and are interested
in sharing data, please contact the staff.
Seattle Aquarium – Seattle, WASHINGTON
The latest addition to the northern sea otter group,
Sekiu, is doing well and growing by leaps and bounds.
She is now approximately 4 months old and weighs 25
SeaWorld San Antonio – San Antonio, TEXAS
Spring is wrapping up and SeaWorld San Antonio
is gearing up for a great summer. Staff is excited to
open the new water park Aquatica later this month.
This will incorporate new rides, attractions and will
feature new animal exhibits and opportunities. The
animal training staff is busy preparing shows for the
summer crowds. Already staff is beginning to work on
shows for the fall lineup, which includes a brand new
sea lion show, among other attractions.
The animal trainers at SeaWorld San Antonio have
continued working with the Lackland Air Force Base
Military Working Dog handlers and Specialized Search
Dog squadrons, sharing training methodology and
practice with the brave men and women training dogs
for the military. The trainers are very proud to work with
such outstanding military personnel. SeaWorld San
Antonio looks forward to continued support of IMATA
and the zoological community at large.
Oklahoma City Zoo – Oklahoma City, OKLAHOMA
At the Oklahoma City Zoo a mild winter rolled
right into spring and sea lions shows are in high gear
once again. Taking a cue from the Summer Olympics,
summer shows will have a variety of exciting sea lion
competitions and will promote physical activity for
fun and staying in shape. Pearl, an 8-year-old female
California sea lion, had a flipper biopsy that revealed
results that the mass was related to an old abscess and
required no further diagnosis. Training staff continued to
flush the wound twice daily until it completely healed,
approximately 8 weeks. Life support enhancements are
scheduled for June and should be completed by July for
both marine mammal pools.
Clearwater Marine Aquarium – Clearwater, FLORIDA
Clearwater Marine Aquarium's youngest dolphin,
Hope, has just been introduced to another dolphin
for the first time since she was 2 months old. As an
orphaned neonate still relying predominantly on
formula from a bottle, Hope was kept away from any
con-specifics due to concerns over displacement and
also to closely monitor progress. Once the formula
made up about 10% of the diet, it was decided that
it was time for introductions to the oldest resident, a
female named Panama, estimated to be about 40 years
old. So far socialization could not be going better. They
behave very much like one would expect mother and
calf to behave. It was only a few weeks after the initial
introduction that Hope reached another milestone and
was weaned off formula completely.
SOUNDINGS 2012
Volume 37, Number 3
23
Dolphin Connection – Duck Key, FLORIDA
In April, members of the Dolphin Connection
team attended the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks
and Aquariums meeting in Alexandria, Virginia
following a busy and successful spring break. Anticipating an equally crowded summer season,
Dolphin Connection has increased the number of college
intern positions available on site. In celebration of
IMATA's 40th Anniversary, historian Cheryl Messinger
updated the History of IMATA on IMATA's website.
Please check it out.
Dolphin Plus – Key Largo, FLORIDA
Both Dolphins Plus and Dolphin Cove would
like to offer a heartfelt thanks to the entire Ocean
Embassy Team for their guidance, devotion, and
extensive experience in the successful treatment of
Zoe, a 15-month-old dolphin calf with acute liver illness.
The staff is pleased to announce that Zoe is back
participating in the interactive programs alongside her
mother and con-specifics.
In the past few months the Dolphins Plus Team has
utilized voluntary beaching and restraint techniques to
perform bronchoscopies on a juvenile and adult female
Atlantic bottlenose dolphin. This training has proven
extremely successful, as the procedure and collection
techniques are repeatable.
The Dolphins Plus and Dolphin Cove Animal Care
and Training Team welcomes Luke Bullen as Apprentice
Trainer and would also like to congratulate Ramiro
Barbuzano and Crystal Anderson on their new positions
with the Georgia Aquarium and Coral World. Dolphins
Plus bids Billy Budd a farewell and best wishes.
Dolphin Research Center – Grassy Key, FLORIDA
Dolphin Research Center is pleased to announce
the latest publication, which is an invited chapter,
entitled “Cetacean Cognitive Specializations” in
The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Evolutionary
Psychology. In this chapter, DRC’s Director of Research,
Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, tackles the big picture questions
about dolphin cognition.
In April, DRC hosted the first Wounded Warrior
Project rehabilitative retreat called Project Odyssey.
Twelve wounded veterans spent three days interacting
with the dolphins which culminated in a free-time
enrichment session where the men were floating in the
lagoon on rafts and surfboards, playing with dolphins.
One hero commented at the end of it, “I learned how to
play again…I can play with my kids when I get home.”
Georgia Aquarium – Atlanta, GEORGIA
Georgia Aquarium’s two black-footed penguin
chicks have fully fledged to their juvenile plumage. The
team has been actively desensitizing them to various
stimuli and areas of the building in an effort to get them
comfortable with public programs. The birds have been
socialized with other penguins and have since been fully
acclimated to the colony of more than 40 penguins.
Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park
– Fort Walton Beach, FLORIDA
Following extensive facility renovations Gulfarium
is proud to announce the reopening in May. The animal
care and training staff at Gulfarium Marine Adventure
Park have been very busy with new interactive
programs. Animal encounters include interactions
with Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, California sea
lions, Harbor seals, Asian small-clawed otters (Aonyx
cinerea), and a snorkel experience with stingrays and
sharks. Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park is proud to
have received provisional membership to the Alliance
of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums and is looking
forward to the onsite inspection this fall.
Gulf World Marine Park – Panama City Beach, FLORIDA
Gulf World Marine Park is gearing up for what
promises to be a very busy summer. After months of
hard work, the marine mammal staff unveiled two
new shows. The first was introduced in April featuring
the bottlenose dolphins in an interactive, upbeat, high
energy performance. May was also kicked off with the
premiere of the multi-species show starring California
sea lions, rough-toothed dolphins (Steno bredanensis),
and even a cameo by a black-footed penguin. Both
shows received an overwhelming response from guests.
This summer Gulfworld is also expanding the
Meet n Greet program offering guests the opportunity
Photo credit: Dolphin Research Center
A wounded war veteran from Project Odyssey enjoying some play time with a dolphin at the Dolphin Research Center.
24
Volume 37, Number 3
SOUNDINGS 2012
to interact with the California sea lions. Similar to the
bottlenose and rough-toothed dolphin Meet n Greet, this
new program will allow guests to receive an up close,
personal interaction with these amazing pinnipeds.
After several months at the Gulfarium all of the
Gulfworld animals have been transferred back home.
It was a joy to assist colleagues as they worked so
diligently to complete their renovations. Gulfworld
wishes them luck with their facilities and interactive
programs.
Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute –
Fort Pierce, FLORIDA
During the first 3 months of 2012, Harbor Branch
Oceanographic Institute’s Marine Mammal Research
and Conservation Program (HBOI-MMRC), served as
an in water net lead on three NOAA approved multiagency interventions, along with several organizations:
Dolphins Plus/Marine Mammal Conservancy, Florida
Wildlife Conservation Commission, Georgia Aquarium
Dolphin Conservation Field Station, Hubbs-Sea
World Research Institute, Ocean Embassy/Wildlife
International Network, Sea World Florida and University
of Florida. These recent interventions include a live
stranded juvenile humpback whale (Megaptera
novaeangliae), two entangled female dolphin calf pairs,
and a sub-adult male bottlenose dolphin also entangled
in monofilament line.
Based on a ten-year average (2000-2010), NMFS
authorize an average of five interventions annually to
aid entangled and out-of-habitat dolphins within the
southeast United States region. In 2011, there were
eight interventions that took place in Florida alone.
The effort to rescue an adult male named Spartacus,
with a severe gear related fluke entanglement, was
unsuccessful due to deep water and strong currents.
Tragically, one adult male bottlenose dolphin named,
Rio who lived in the Indian River lagoon area was found
dead despite surviving multiple entanglements and
disentanglements in the past.
Marineland Dolphin Adventure –
Marineland, FLORIDA
Marineland Dolphin Adventure bids farewell to
Supervisor of Animal Training, Donna Peaslee, and
wishes her all the best in her new career.
Miami Seaquarium - Miami, FLORIDA
Miami Seaquarium is pleased to have released
another West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus)
from their Rescue and Rehabilitation Program. This is
the only manatee in southwest Florida to have been
released after suffering from red tide poisoning. Red
tide has killed nearly 40 manatees this winter alone.
The manatee named, Breva, was rescued earlier this
year after suffering from tremors and facial seizures.
The animal spent four months under the care of the
animal care and veterinarian staff and was able to gain
a total of 95.2 kg (210 lbs). Breva was released in Bonita
Springs, Florida on 15 May 2012.
The animal training department is celebrating
Liko’s third birthday, a male pacific white-sided dolphin
(Lagenorhynchus obliquidens). Liko was born at Miami
Seaquarium and performs alongside his sister, Ohana,
and parents Lii and Loke at the Whale and Dolphin
stadium.
Miami Seaquarium’s interaction facility, Dolphin
Harbor, will be gearing up for another busy summer.
Due to high attendance, the staff will be expanding
the program to nine, in-water guest sessions. Dolphin
Miami Seaquarium
Miami Seaquarium's Animal Care staff prepares to
release a west indian manatee (Trichechus manatus)
in Bonita Springs, Florida.
Harbor currently houses 15 bottlenose dolphins
including the newest addition, Cayman. Cayman
was born in September 2011 and has begun training,
including interacting with guests on a daily basis.
Miami Seaquarium would also like to
congratulate Marni Wood on her promotion to
Supervisor of Animal Training.
Memphis Zoo – Memphis, TENNESSEE
At the Memphis Zoo, staff has been busy getting
back into the increased summer show schedule. The
staff has also been working on increasing the California
sea lion husbandry behaviors. Andre, the male, has
recently been training for voluntary radiographs.
Recently, the vet staff was able to obtain x-rays of
his flippers. Chloe has been progressing well on her
voluntary blood draw, in hope to obtain a blood sample
in the near future. The oldest sea lion, Skimmer, has
started numerous behaviors needed for a possible
upcoming eye surgery.
The staff bids farewell to Dara Reinbold as she
embarks on new adventures. The staff also wishes a
happy retirement to Kathy Fay who is long time sea lion
trainer and IMATA member and her husband Richard
Meek, a giraffe keeper.
Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium –
Sarasota, FLORIDA
Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium’s Sea Turtle
Exhibit is temporarily housing a non-releasable juvenile
green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), Beam. Beam was
treated by Mote's Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital for
a fracture to the carapace and other related issues. Even
though the shell has successfully healed over, Beam has
a buoyancy issue due to the damage. The turtle is now
being clicker and target trained.
The Dolphin Care Department recently started a
spot development study with the pan-tropical spotted
dolphin (Stenella attenuata) to track the changes in
markings as it ages. The staff is interested in hearing
from facilities that have done similar work.
Mote’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital has
successfully released 24 of the 44 patients admitted in
2011, including Johnny Vasco de Gama, an endangered
Kemp's ridley turtle (Lepidochelys kempi) that stranded in
the Netherlands in 2008. The Dolphin & Whale Hospital
successfully treated and transferred a non-releasable
bottlenose dolphin calf, Taz, to Indianapolis Zoo earlier
this year. The staff also had the rare opportunity to work
with a melon-headed whale (Peponocephala electra)
that was stabilized before being transported to another
facility.
The staff would like to belatedly welcome the
newest Manatee Research Trainers, Kat Nicolaisen and
Laura Denum.
Photo Credit: Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium
Beam, a non-releasable juvenile green sea turtle
(Chelonia mydas) after rehabilitation at Mote Marine
Laboratory and Aquarium
SeaWorld Orlando – Orlando, FLORIDA
The SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund
has recently established the Rising Tide Conservation
project. This initiative, which has been in the works
since 2009, is a first of its kind aquaculture program
for salt water fish. The goal of this project is to
lessen the amount of fish collected from the sea for
display. Through this project SeaWorld, along with
aquaculturists from the University of Florida, will study
a variety of ways to better raise and care for saltwater
fish that have hatched under human care. For detailed
information visit www.risingtideconservation.org
Prior to using surrogate mothers, the stranded otters
rehabilitated through the program were human reared,
which once released, created issues for animals and
humans alike. Some of the released animals are now
having pups in the wild.
Joy is currently on exhibit acting as a surrogate
mom for a male pup, # 572. Since this pup was deemed
non-releasable, the staff was able to put the two
animals on exhibit. This male pup will be traveling to
another facility in about 6 to 8 months. Mae and Kit are
behind the scenes learning new behaviors.
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom –
Vallejo, CALIFORNIA
Everyone at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom is excited
to start the 2012 season. All of the marine mammal
areas have been participating in research projects
in conjunction with Stan Kuczaj from the University
of Southern Mississippi and Dr. Shawn Noren from
the Institute of Marine Science at the University of
California, Santa Cruz. The trainers at the dolphin, sea
lion and walrus areas are working with Holley Muraco,
Zoological Reproductive Physiologist, as they continue
to make strides in successful breeding programs.
The staff would also like to congratulate Andrew
Madigan on his recent promotion to Marine Mammal
Supervisor of the Dolphin Discovery interaction
programs.
Aquarium of the Pacific – Long Beach, CALIFORNIA
Aquarium of the Pacific has had a busy quarter.
In March, the aquarium acquired a rescued sea otter
pup from SORAC. Born the third week in January, the
animal was named after the one and only Betty White,
who is a wonderful supporter of the aquarium. The staff
has started training Betty’s voluntary syringe, tactile
desensitization in the water, and crating. In the near
future, Betty will be introduced to some of the older
female otters.
On 26 April, one of the harbor seals, Shelby, gave
birth to a female pup. Shelby is a first time mother and
has done a great job raising the pup so far. On 4 May, two of the magellanic penguins
(Spheniscus magellanicus), Patsy and Noodles,
welcomed their first offspring. Two other penguins,
Whatever and Shim, are anxiously awaiting the arrival
of their two penguin chicks. The June Keyes Magellanic
Penguin Habitat is expected to open mid-May.
Photo Credit: Robin Riggs
U.S. SOUTHWEST REGION
Brittany Harris, SeaWorld – San Diego, California
Photo Credit: Karen Warda
Chloe, a female California sea lion, at the Memphis Zoo.
Monterey Bay Aquarium – Monterey, CALIFORNIA
This has been a bittersweet time for the sea otter
family at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. At the beginning
of 2012, the oldest southern sea otter, Toola, passed
away at approximately 17 years of age. Toola was one
of the most successful surrogate mothers in SORAC
(Sea Otter Research and Conservation), successfully
rearing 13 pups, most of which were re-released. Toola
was the first captive sea otter to raise stranded pups.
Betty White, a rescued sea otter pup at the Aquarium
of the Pacific.
REGIONAL REPORTS is compiled by Martha Hill and
Nicole O’Donnell
SOUNDINGS 2012
Volume 37, Number 3
25
After being submitted to the Greek Parliament
three times, legislation banning performing animals
passed in February 2012. The legislation appears to
ban animals in circuses and entertainment events
such as concerts, festivals, or exhibitions. It provides
an exception for zoos, aquariums, pet shops, wildlife
shelters and wild game farms that do not include
the animals in “entertainment shows.” The owners
of the Attica Zoological Park in Athens believe
their educational dolphin presentation meets the
exemption requirements. www.grreporter.info/en/
greece_bans_circuses_animals/6044
The Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks
and Aquariums is an international
association of marine life parks,
aquariums, zoos, research facilities, and
professional organizations dedicated
to the highest standards of care
for marine mammals and to their
conservation in the wild through public
education, scientific study, and wildlife
presentations. The Alliance closely
monitors legislative and regulatory
activity around the globe that may
impact member organizations like
IMATA. The following briefs have been
reprinted with permission or furnished
by the Alliance for Soundings.
Canada is set to amend its existing marine mammal
regulations to require that whale-watching vessels
keep a mandatory distance of 100 meters from
the animals and to provide the tools to take action
against individuals “who are blatantly ignoring
the rules and putting the animals and possibly
themselves, at risk.” www.canada.com/Whale+wa
tching+guideline+become/6414332/story.html
On 20 December 2011, Costa Rica’s president swore
in a commission that will evaluate the country’s use
of marine resources and recommend actions to
protect them, ensure sustainable use for the benefit
of future generations, and strengthen institutions
responsible for marine management. Costa Rica’s
marine territory is 10 times larger than its land area
and its resources are important contributors to the
national economy. The commission’s findings are
expected to be finalized by June. www.ticotimes.
net/Current-Edition/News-Briefs/Chinchillaswears-in-commission-that-will-examine-howcountry-manages-marine-resources_WednesdayDecember-21-2011
26
Volume 37, Number 3
A decision of the Administrative Court in the
Netherlands rejected the request of the Orca
Coalition and others for injunctive relief to block
Dolfinarium Harderwijk from transferring the young
female killer whale Morgan to Loro Parque to
join other killer whales. In its 21 November 2011
decision, the court concluded that Harderwijk’s
immediate interest in placing Morgan in a larger
facility with other killer whales outweighed the
coalition’s interest in carrying out its phased plan
to release Morgan to the wild. The Dolfinarium
rescued Morgan in June 2010 at the request of the
Dutch government and rehabilitated her pursuant to
a governmental license.
The Solomon Islands’ export of dolphins (Tursiops
aduncus), is being reviewed for a second time by
the CITES Animals Committee. The committee has
identified the trade as a “possible concern” and
recommended that the Solomons’ Management
Authority reduce its annual export quota to no more
than 10 animals, down from 50. Before amending
the quota to the 10-animal limit, the committee
requested that the Management Authority provide
a report to the CITES Secretariat on the most recent
surveys on the status, estimated abundance, site
fidelity and population genetics of Tursiops aduncus,
and report on measures taken to ensure that any
collections for export will not be detrimental to
the survival of the species or subpopulations as
required by CITES Article IV. The committee had
expected to receive a final population study from
the Solomon Islands for review during the meeting;
however, the government indicated that the studies
are continuing through 2012.
SOUNDINGS 2012
Switzerland’s lower house voted in early March
to prohibit the display of marine mammals in the
country. A few hours later, the vote was overturned
and it was agreed to prohibit only the import of
marine mammals. Discussions focused largely on
dolphins following last year’s deaths at Connyland.
Connyland has rejected the local state prosecutor’s
finding that its dolphin deaths were linked to
antibiotics and has steadfastly maintained that the
animals were poisoned. The park is pursuing its
own investigation into the cause of those deaths.
Connyland is the only facility in Switzerland that
cares for dolphins. The Swiss Parliament will
consider the matter again in June and decide on a
new law that could ban the import and/or holding of
dolphins or any marine mammal. http://uk.reuters.
com/article/2012/03/13/oukoe-uk-swiss-dolphinidUKBRE82C1AD20120313
www.care2.com/
causes/victory-captive-dolphins-banned-inswitzerland.html
Two male dolphins, which were confiscated from a
Turkish resort where they lived in poor conditions,
were reportedly released 9 May. The Born Free
Foundation is underwriting the release program,
which, so far, has reportedly cost $800,000. A
Born Free spokesperson told CNN that there is no
guarantee that the release will be a success, noting
that a “handful” of reintroduction programs have
had “mixed results.” A marine mammal expert
with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
predicted major challenges for the dolphins in
the weeks and months ahead. CNN closed the
article asking, “After years in captivity, do dolphins
such as Tom and Misha want to be free?” http://
edition.cnn.com/2012/05/04/world/europe/
turkey-releasing-captive-dolphins/index.html
The environmental minister in Ukraine has
reportedly agreed to ban imports of dolphins
collected from the wild. Activists brought pressure
for the dolphin import ban after the country was
criticized for killing stray dogs before the European
football championships. The article wrongly states
that the EU prohibits the import of dolphins taken
from the wild. www.mareeg.com/fidsan.php?TheGovernment-of-the-Ukraine-shows-a-heart-fordolphins------&sid=23201&tirsan=9
A U.S. district court judge rejected a bid to overturn
the endangered listing of Alaska’s Cook Inlet beluga
whales, which was challenged by the State of
Alaska and Escopeta Oil Inc. along with many
other groups that joined the suit. According to the
ruling, the belugas are geographically isolated
and genetically different from other beluga whale
populations, making them a distinct population
segment eligible for ESA protections.
www.ens-newswire.com/ens/nov2011/2011-1122-092.html
In the United States, a Missouri state lawmaker has
introduced legislation that would prevent animals
from having rights or privileges equal to or greater
than those of humans. The bill (HB 1513) is the result
of a debate over dog breeding. It is short and direct,
stating that Missouri laws “shall not confer upon
any animal a right, privilege, or legal status that
is equivalent [to] or that exceeds a right, privilege,
or legal status as that which this state confers by
law upon a human being. This provision shall not be
construed as limiting laws that protect the welfare
of animals in the state.” http://house.mo.gov/
billtracking/bills121/biltxt/intro/HB1513I.htm
http://washingtonexaminer.com/news/2012/01/
mo-house-legislation-targets-animal-rights/169172
Seventy-two hours after hearing oral arguments on
SeaWorld’s motion to dismiss the People for the
Ethical Treatment of Animals’ suit claiming that
SeaWorld’s killer whales were enslaved under the
Thirteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, a
U.S. federal judge dismissed the case on the grounds
that PETA lacked standing and that the amendment
only applies to humans—that killer whales are not
legal persons. In response to the judge’s decision,
SeaWorld pointed out that the judge dismissed the
case in such a way that it cannot be refiled and that
the speed of the court’s decision underscored the
absurdity of PETA’s lawsuit.
Another U.S. federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed
in November 2011 by PETA challenging the status
of the killer whale “Lolita,” a 40-year resident of the
Miami Seaquarium. The plaintiffs claimed that the
National Marine Fisheries Service did not properly
explain or justify its decision to exclude animals
in human care when the agency listed Southern
Resident killer whales as a distinct population
segment and endangered under the Endangered
Species Act in 2005. The U.S. National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the Seaquarium
filed a motion asking the judge to dismiss the suit
for several reasons, including the failure of the
plaintiffs to establish legitimate claim under the
Administrative Procedures Act and their failure
to adhere to the 60-day pre-suit notification
requirement for legal actions under the ESA. In
addition to dismissing the suit, the judge further
found that the statute of limitations had passed
since the case was filed and concluded that the
dismissal was effectively with prejudice.
On 15 March 2012, NMFS announced that it
was authorizing the states of Idaho, Oregon and
Washington to “permanently remove specific
California sea lions eating imperiled salmon and
steelhead that congregate below Bonneville Dam
as they head up the Columbia River to spawn.”
The authorization became effective on 20 March
and stays in effect until May 2016. The agency is
requesting that any zoological parks and aquariums
interested in providing homes to the animals
contact NMFS. The agency’s press release notes
that “states may euthanize individually identified
California sea lions if no permanent holding facility,
typically aquariums, for them can be found.” In past
years, 10 animals have been relocated to marine
parks, aquariums and zoos and 28 have been
euthanized.
On 8 December 2011, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (FWS) and NMFS proposed a new rule
the agencies say will help clarify the species or
populations of species eligible for protection under
the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and will provide for
earlier and more effective opportunities to conserve
declining species. The policy would clarify that the
agencies could list a species if it is endangered or
threatened in a “significant portion of its range,”
even if that species is not endangered or threatened
throughout its entire range. Under the proposed
policy, a portion of the range of any given species
would be defined as “significant” if its contribution
to the viability of the species is so important that,
without that portion, the species would be in danger
of extinction. Although the agencies expect this
circumstance to arise infrequently, they say this
policy interpretation will allow ESA protections to
help species in trouble before large-scale decline
occurs throughout the species’ entire range.
www.fws.gov/endangered/improving_ESA/SPR_
draft_policy_FAQs_FINAL_12-7-11.pdf
https://
us.vocuspr.com/Newsroom/Query.aspx?SiteName=
fws&Entity=PRAsset&SF_PRAsset_PRAssetID_EQ
=129128&XSL=PressRelease&Cache=True
SOUNDINGS 2012
In contrast, on 19 December 2011, a U.S.
Congressional Committee on Natural Resources
press release announced further hearings focusing
on the “failures and abuses” of the ESA, following
a 6 December hearing on how ESA litigation is
costing jobs and impeding true recovery efforts.
The release charges that “extreme preservationist
groups are routinely using the provisions of the
act to enrich their own coffers while forcing the
exclusion of human activity and destroying private
property rights.” It explains that the ESA has “two
fundamental flaws”—“no economic considerations
are permitted to be included as part of the
determination in listing the species” and “prevailing
plaintiffs are entitled to recover their attorney fees
and costs, but they are not required to pay the
costs if the government prevails.” The goal of the
hearings is to amend the ESA and eliminate the
provisions that benefit special-interest groups “at
the expense of the taxpayer and the public interest.”
http://naturalresourcereport.com/2011/12/failuresand-abuses-of-the-endangered-species-act/
http://naturalresources.house.gov/News/
DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=271408
The World Trade Organization ruled recently that
the U.S. Commerce Department’s “dolphin-safe”
labels, aimed at letting consumers know whether
dolphins were accidently harmed in tuna fishing,
are illegal because they “are more trade-restrictive
than necessary to achieve a legitimate objective.”
The complaint to the WTO came from the Mexican
government, which said that three major processors
of tuna brands sold in the United States exclude its
country’s products. The WTO ruling “is a crushing
blow to the label ‘dolphin-safe’ and opens the way
for Mexican producers to enter the U.S. market
without restrictions, as is their right,” according to
Mexican officials. The United States can appeal
the ruling. Public Citizen, a Washington advocacy
group, posted a critical article on its Web site titled
“Flipper Gets Axed by the WTO.” The group explains
that when the WTO rules against a country’s policy,
that country has to change the law to comply or risk
trade sanctions. In this case, the United States will
have to end dolphin-safe labels or change the policy
to accommodate tuna caught by Mexican fleets.
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/15/rulingmay-jeopardize-safe-dolphin-label/ http://citizen.
typepad.com/eyesontrade/2011/09/flipper-againon-the-wto-chopping-block.html
Volume 37, Number 3
27
Trainer Development
Accreditation Program
A Facilty’s Point of View
photo credits: Dolphin Discovery
Shelley Wood, Edgar Urbina, Manuel Garduño, Alejandro Mata,
Grupo Dolphin Discovery Cancún, México
Over its 40-year history, the
International Marine Animal Trainers’
Association (IMATA) has increased
the many benefits it provides its
members—an ever-evolving and
improved
website
(imata.org),
Soundings magazine; and, of course,
educational and informative annual
conferences and regional workshops.
In 2009, IMATA offered yet another
new benefit to its members, the
Facility Animal Trainer Development
Program Accreditation. Dolphin
Discovery saw this as an opportunity
not only to acquire professional
distinction as an accredited IMATA
organizational member, but also an
opportunity to improve our standards
of trainer education. With a training
staff of over 100 professionals
from various cultures with differing
languages, our trainers’ continuing
IMATA and Alliance Inspectors at Dolphin Discovery
education and development is key
to maintaining the highest level of
Development Program Accreditation if they are accredited by or
animal care and guest service.
seeking reaccreditation from the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks
Dolphin Discovery believes strongly that it’s our professional and Aquariums (www.ammpa.org). Of our ten Dolphin Discovery
responsibility to keep abreast of the advancements in training, animal locations, six are accredited by the Alliance. These are the facilities
care, and education to ensure our animals receive quality care and
to ensure a quality experience for our guests. As part of this great
IMATA family, we strive to be a contributor to the marine mammal
community and to take advantage of the wealth of knowledge IMATA
Currently, facilities are
offers marine mammal trainers. As in all families, we share not only
eligible for IMATA Facility
our successes, but our challenges as well. It is through this sharing of
Animal Trainer Development
information and expertise that we strive toward continued excellence
Program Accreditation if they
in the training and care of our animals. We welcomed the opportunity
are accredited by or seeking
to benefit from this new, objective IMATA accreditation process and
reaccreditation from the
its valuable feedback on our existing programs.
Alliance of Marine Mammal
Currently, facilities are eligible for IMATA Facility Animal Trainer
Parks and Aquariums
28
Volume 37, Number 3
SOUNDINGS 2012
Trainer Development
Accreditation Program
for which we sought IMATA Trainer Development Accreditation. As
part of this process, Dolphin Discovery agreed to invite inspectors to
review its facilities and records, and made the staff available to both
the Alliance and IMATA on six different occasions. Consequently, we
are very familiar with the application and inspection process and
would like to share what we have learned and provide a few tips that
might be useful to other facilities considering IMATA accreditation.
The foundation of the application is the creation of a Staff
Trainer Development Manual. This is a handbook with clearly defined
company and staff policies, including a detailed behavior development
and management plan. Some examples of policies included in this
manual are company and departmental philosophies and missions,
statements of animal care and treatment principles, facility and
departmental focus, and the facility’s approach to staff advancement
and application of these policies.
The manual should provide consistent, meaningful education
programs for trainers at all levels in their professional careers and
evaluations for monitoring a trainer’s progress and growth. It should
clearly delineate the managerial flow chart, name and contact
information of supervisors, education supervisors, and assigned
mentors for each trainer. It is important to have this managerial
structure, organization, and support in the daily work operations as
well as to provide quality educational opportunities for all staff. These
are interdependent and essential to a successful trainer development
program.
At the very heart of a Staff Trainer Development Manual are
the steps that specifically define the progress important to each
individual trainer’s career development. Through consistent and clear
evaluations, each trainer understands what he or she must do to reach
the next level of career advancement and increased responsibilities.
In Dolphin Discovery’s manual, we provide a timeline of evaluations to
ensure that our trainers are always working on improving their skills,
targeting both short and long-term objectives. We currently manage
a Trainer Development and Educational program with more than 100
courses offered for all levels of trainer experience—from newly hired
employees to managerial and supervisory positions. These courses
are further divided into categories of Animal Training, Animal Care,
Biology, and Conservation. ABC of Animal Training has devised a path
for our educational system, formats, and exams to evaluate the training
department and trainers of all levels. Our system is large yet simple.
Although we have numerous locations, everything is centralized in
the corporate offices. Dolphin Discovery takes advantage of Skype,
e-mails, weekly meetings, and exclusive education personnel for the
staff. This approach provides opportunities for growth by keeping the
staff up to date on current practices and information. It allows our
entire staff to participate in IMATA. We share presentations from
the annual conference and translations of selected articles from
Soundings.
The manual is provided to the IMATA accreditation inspectors
many months prior to the onsite facility inspection. This allows the
inspectors the necessary time to review the information and to plan for
and implement an orderly and efficient inspection. Because inspectors
familiar with both organizations’ accreditation requirements do
both Alliance and
IMATA
inspections
simultaneously, there
are great cost savings
for
the
facilities
seeking accreditation.
Time management
of inspections is an
important component
of an efficient and
cost-saving inspection.
The
facility
needs
to be organized and
have all Trainer Staff
Development materials
ready for review by the
inspectors. This means
all appropriate hard
copy files should be
separated from nonrelated files and all
electronic files should Dolphin Discovery staff proudly display
be in one folder on Alliance and IMATA accreditation plaques
your computer. The
inspectors evaluate the company’s approach in educating their trainers and
the individuals who instruct the courses, including the responsibility for
identifying, assigning, and evaluating individual trainer goals.
An IMATA inspection is not all paperwork. We have found it
useful during the inspection to schedule a variety of education courses
for our staff. This allows the inspectors to gain an understanding of
the education materials and evaluate not only the course content but
the proficiency of the instructor and the interaction between staff and
teacher as well.
There are many positive aspects of these inspections including
feedback. Importantly, the inspectors have the opportunity to speak
with various trainers and evaluate the facility’s education program
from individual trainer’s’ perspectives. We inform the trainers that
the inspectors are going to speak to them in private. We advise our
staff to share with the inspectors what they do and how we, as a
team, strive to provide a viable, useful trainer education program.
The inspectors are colleagues and fellow trainers. At the end of the
inspection, we depend on them to provide helpful advice about how
we can improve our trainer education system and continue to grow as
a company. There is always something to learn.
Five Dolphin Discovery facilities have been accredited by IMATA
in the last two years. The sixth accreditation inspection is scheduled
for later this year. Every one of our trainers is proud of the role they
have played in contributing to successful accreditations by IMATA and
the Alliance. We are proud to display the accreditation logos of both
organizations on our Dolphin Discovery web sites.
In the current economic climate, it may be tempting for facilities
caring for marine mammals to choose to delay IMATA accreditation.
SOUNDINGS 2012
continued on page 30
Volume 37, Number 3
29
Trainer Development
Accreditation Program
continued from page 29
This process does require a considerable investment of staff time
and energy. However, it is the experience of Dolphin Discovery
that the benefits of participating in this accreditation process justify
the time and effort. Finalizing a Staff Trainer Development Manual
is invaluable. We believe facilities, no matter how small or large or
where they are located throughout the world, would find the process
rewarding and beneficial as the public values accreditation. But, most
importantly, IMATA accreditation acknowledges that your facility
stands out among other facilities caring for any species, aquatic, or
terrestrial. It confirms that your facility employs a quality staff at all
professional levels who is knowledgeable and always strives to be
the best caretakers of the very special animals with which they work.
Being a member of IMATA is a privilege. Taking advantage of its
benefits is smart business.
Please use the following link for more information about IMATA
accreditations: www.imata.org/index.php/committee_accreditation
&
Notices Announcements
IUCN WORLD CONSERVATION CONGRESS
2012
The International Union for Conservation of Nature
will be holding their conference 6-15 September
2012 at the International Convention Center in
Jeju, Republic of Korea. Please go to www.
iucnworldconservationcongress.org to learn all about
this event held only once every four years.
AZA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
The 2012 Association of Zoos and Aquariums annual
conference will take place 8-13 September 2012 in
Phoenix, Arizona. This conference is being hosted by
the Phoenix Zoo. More information can be found at
www.aza.org.
ABC DOLPHIN TRAINER ACADEMY
Learn the science of animal training while
having fun working with dolphins, sea lions, and
manatees. The 2012 workshops are hosted by
Dolphin Discovery Puerto Aventuras, Riveria Maya,
Mexico. Basic courses are scheduled for 12 to 16
September. The advanced course is scheduled
for 19 to 23 September. Further information is
available at www.abcanimaltraining.com or email
[email protected].
ICZ CONFERENCE
The 4th International Congress on Zoo Keeping
conference will be held in Singapore on 9-13
September 2012. This event is sponsored by the
Wildlife Reserve Singapore and the Singapore
Tourism Bureau. Updates and information for this
conference can be found at www.iczoo.org.
IAC CONFERENCE
The International Aquarium Congress conference
is taking place in Cape Town, South Africa on 9-14
September 2012. Please visit www.iac2012.co.za for
more information.
AAZK ANNUAL CONFERENCE
The American Association of Zoo Keepers annual
conference will be held in Syracuse, New York on
23-27 September 2012. Visit www.aazk.org for details.
EAZA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
The European Association of Zoos and Aquaria
annual conference will take place in Innsbruck,
Austria on 25-29 September 2012. More information
will be posted at www.eaza.net.
CAZA CONFERENCE
The Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums
2012 conference will be hosted by the Toronto Zoo in
Canada on 26-29 September 2012. Visit www.caza.ca
for more information.
30
Volume 37, Number 3
AZAD NATIONAL CONFERENCE
The Association of Zoo and Aquarium Docents 2012
national conference will be hosted by the Los Angeles
Zoo in California on 1-6 October 2012. Please check
www.azadocents.org for more information.
CBSG ANNUAL MEETING
The Conservation Breeding Specialist Group will
be holding their 2012 annual meeting in Melbourne,
Australia on 4-7 October 2012. Visit www.cbsg.org as
updates become available.
AZFA CONFERENCE
The 2012 Aquarium and Zoo Facilities Association
conference will be hosted by the Cincinnati Zoo and
Botanical Garden in Cincinnati, Ohio. The event will
take place 7-11 October 2012. Visit www.azfa.org for
more information.
WAZA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
The 67th annual conference for the World Association of
Zoos and Aquariums will be held in Melbourne, Australia
on 7-12 October 2012. Updates can be found at www.
waza.org.
AAZV ANNUAL CONFERENCE
The 2012 American Association of Zoo Veterinarians
conference will be held on 21-26 October 2012 in
Oakland, California. Please visit www.aazv.org for
more information.
ZAA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
The Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums
2012 conference will be hosted by the Toronto Zoo on
26-29 September 2012. Visit www.caza.ca for more
information.
ABMA CONFERENCE
The Animal Behavior Management Alliance has
announced that the location of the 2013 conference
will be Toronto, Canada. Continue to check www.
theabma.org as updates come available.
EAAM 41ST ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM
The European Association for Aquatic Mammals will
be holding their 41st annual symposium 15-18 March
2013. The conference will take place in Germany and
be hosted by the Nurnberg Zoo. Please visit www.
eaam.org for more information.
AZA MID-YEAR MEETING
The American Zoological Association will be holding
the mid-year meeting 7-12 April 2013. The event
will be hosted by the South Carolina Aquarium in
Charleston, South Carolina. Updates can be found at
www.aza.org.
SOUNDINGS 2012
FIELD COURSE WITH THE DOLPHIN
COMMUNICATION PROJECT
A special course is being made available for marine
mammal trainers that are interested in field work
with the Dolphin Communication Project in the
Bahamas. This week long course is tentatively
scheduled for September 2013. Please contact
Kathleen Dudzinksi at [email protected] or
Kelly Melillo Sweeting at [email protected], or visit
www.dolphincommunicationproject.org for more
information.
PHOTOS NEEDED
All IMATA members are invited to submit photographs
for use in Soundings magazine. High quality images at
300dpi are preferred. Please identify the photographer
for credit and mail your photos to “IMATA Photo
Archivist” as well as “Soundings Chief Editor” at the
IMATA Central Office, [email protected].
IMATA LIBRARY
Are you looking for an article from a past conference or
an old issue of Soundings? IMATA’s library is available
online to Associate, Active, and Professional members!
Go to imata.org and click Publications. Our searchable
index is also found there.
CHANGING ADDRESSES, JOB TITLES,
OR EMAIL?
Keep your information current on IMATA’s website.
You have the ability to update your information. It’s as
easy as 1, 2, and 3.
1. L og onto the member’s section of the IMATA
website with your username and password.
2. C
lick on edit profile and update your
current information.
3. A
fter updating your information, click on submit
at the bottom of the page and recheck the
information you just entered.
That’s all you have to do. Your changes are
immediately entered into the website. If you have any
problems, click on feedback, and write your questions
in the comment section.
WEBSITE Visit us online at www.imata.org.
NOTICES & ANNOUNCEMENTS is compiled
by Haley Merritt.
What’s
Up Doc?
w/ Shawn Larson, Ph.D.
Curator of Conservation
Research/Animal Health
Coordinator, Seattle Aquarium
“Dr. Larson, what is deslorelin, and what effects can
trainers expect to see in animals treated with it?”
Successful breeding of animals in human care used to be the
ultimate benchmark for many husbandry programs, proving that
zoological populations were able to conduct all aspects of animals’
life history activities. However, with the introduction of studbooks,
species survival plans (SSPs), and population management plans
(PMPs) to maintain genetic diversity and manage space for wild
animals needing rehabilitation, breeding in zoos and aquariums
has become more restricted and controlled. Effective management
of reproduction can be achieved by physical separation of males
and females, by permanent sterilization through removal of
sexual gonads (testicles in males and ovaries in females), or
through chemical contraceptives. The advantage of the latter is
that chemical management of breeding is theoretically reversible.
Therefore many facilities, through the advice of their veterinarians
and the AZA Contraception Center (AZACC), choose to prevent
reproduction using the chemical contraceptive, deslorelin.
Available as Suprelorin®, deslorelin is a long-lasting
gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) analog manufactured into
an injectable implant offered in two dosages: 4.7 mg (expected
minimum effective contraception duration: 6 months) and 9.4 mg
(expected minimum effective contraception duration: 12 months).
This is a complex drug with long lasting and variable effects
depending on the species, the individual, and the sex. First it
acts to stimulate reproductive hormone production and later acts
through a physiological feedback loop to decrease hormone levels.
Reproductive hormones are responsible for mating behaviors such
as estrus in females, female guarding behaviors, and ruts in
males. They also cause mature development of eggs and sperm
for successful fertilization, development of an embryo, and full
term pregnancy.
The complicating aspect of deslorelin use is that it first
stimulates gonadotropin production as the GnRH receptors
become saturated, thus stimulating the production of the gonadal
hormones estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. This initial
stimulation phase is of variable length depending on the species
and the individual, and may result in estrus, ovulation and even
pregnancy in females, as well as increased sexual behavior
or aggression in males. The behaviors differ depending on the
species, but typically the female becomes less interested in
normal daily activities such as eating and/or training sessions,
and more interested in breeding behaviors. Intact males may also
have an initial stimulatory phase that heightens their testosterone
production and thus increases mating behaviors. These animals
may be difficult to work with because they are preoccupied with
breeding behaviors and may be overly aggressive or hard to
handle. During this time, if allowed access to an intact male, the
female may become pregnant. If she were to become pregnant,
the literature states the implant would not negatively impact the
pregnancy. This phase may last one to several weeks. It is advised
that females are kept isolated from intact males during this time,
or that another contraceptive, such as Depo-Provera®, is used in
conjunction with deslorelin.
After this initial stimulatory phase, there is a gradual decrease
in reproductive hormones. With the presence of deslorelin, GnRH
receptors are down-regulated, interrupting the normal hormonal
feedback loop. This prevents the pituitary from releasing GnRH,
which stimulates hormone production, in response to low levels
of circulating reproductive hormones. During this time the animal
will not be interested in breeding and may be more tractable and
easy to work with.
Reversal or the wearing off of deslorelin is defined as a return
to normal reproductive function such as estrus in females, sexual
behavior and mature sperm development in males, and ultimately
effective breeding with the gold star being live offspring following
treatment. If the animals begin to show signs of disinterest in
food and training, and a heightened interest in the opposite sex
or others with whom they are housed, it may be time to separate
males from females, and to give the animals another dose of
deslorelin or other contraceptive. Again, deslorelin implants
last for variable lengths of time, sometimes much longer than
manufactures specifications (6 or 12 months). Thus, it is important
to track animal behavior as well as reproductive hormones levels
(such as through non-invasive fecal hormone monitoring) to
determine the length of deslorelin effectiveness on suppressing
reproductive hormones and successful breeding.
Species that have been treated with deslorelin include
northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus), grey seals (Halichoerus
grypus), harbor seals (Phoca vitulina), California sea lions
(Zalophus californianus), long-snouted spinner dolphin (Stenella
longirostris), bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), and sea
otters (Enhydra lutris). The stimulatory phase and duration of
effective contraception is variable within and between species,
with sea otters exhibiting a much longer stimulatory and
contraceptive phase (up to ten times longer in females) compared
to other carnivores. A reversal (return to normal reproductive
activity) or a successful pregnancy culminating in a live birth
following deslorelin contraception has only been documented
thus far in northern fur seals and sea otters.
WHAT’S UP DOC? is compiled by Jen DeGroot
SOUNDINGS 2012
Volume 37, Number 3
31
Reminder for 2012
IMATA Research Grant
& Conservation Fund
Apply NOW!
Nominations and Applications are
Due 1 September 2012!
To learn more about the IMATA Research Grant
and Conservation Fund Award as well as view
and download all application and nomination
requirements, materials, and documents, log onto
the IMATA website and select Funding from the top
navigational bar (www.imata.org/index.php/funding).
Learn more on page 19