Download Prowling for Predators- Africa Overnight

Prowling for Predators- Africa Overnight:
SCHEDULE:
6:45- 7:00
Arrive
7:00- 8:20
Introductions
 Zoo Rules
 Itinerary
 Introduction to Predator/Prey dynamics- presented with live animal
encounters
 Food Pyramid Talk
Snack
Building Tours
HOPE Jeopardy
8:20- 8:45
8:45-11:00
11:00-11:30
PREPARATION:
x Paint QUESTing spots with blacklight Paint
x Hide clue tubes
NEEDS:
x Zoo Maps
x Charged Blacklight Flashlights (Triple As)
x Animal Food Chain Cards
x Ball of String
x Hula Hoops, Tablecloths
ANIMAL OPTIONS:
x Ball Python
x Hedgehog
x Tarantula
x Flamingos
x Hornbill
x White-Faced Scops Owl
x Barn Owl
x Radiated Tortoise
x Spiny-Tailed Lizard
DEPENDING ON YOUR ORDER YOU WILL:
Tour Buildings:
x
x
Commissary- QUESTing
o Front: Kitchen
o Back: Dry Foods
AFRICA
o Front: African QUESTing- Lion
x
o Back: African QUESTing- Cheetah
Reptile House- QUESTing
o King Cobra (Right of building)
Animal Demos:
x
In the Education Building
Games:
x
Africa Outpost I
**manageable group sizes in auditorium or classrooms
x
x
x
x
Oh Antelope
Quick Frozen Critters
HOPE Jeopardy
Africa Outpost II
o HOPE Jeopardy
o *Overflow game: Musk Ox Maneuvers
INTRODUCTION & HIKE INFORMATION (AGE GROUP SPECIFIC)
x See appendix I
Prowling for Predators: Africa Outpost I
Time Requirement:
4hrs.
Group Size & Grades:
Up to 100 people- 2nd-4th grades
Materials:
QUESTing handouts
Goals:
-Create a sense of WONDER to all participants
-We can capitalize on wonder- During up-close animal demos & in front of exhibit
animals/behind the scenes opportunities.
-Convey KNOWLEDGE to all participants
-This should be done by using participatory teaching methods (e.g. asking
questions/seeking answers- Giving the group time to think and respond- this may create
small moments of discomfort but will in the end grow learners- That is what we want!!
-Empower/Enable our participants to ACT or become ACTIVE in conservation
-This overnight will highlight coexistence between people and wildlife. Furthermore,
the overnight’s flavor should be to show our audience that they can positively affect
global conservation through their actions on a daily basis (e.g. Eco-cell program/Zero
Waste Intiative/Innvoation)
This overnight is designed for children ages 7-11. When students think of predators, they
naturally think of lions, tigers, wolves, and bears! This program is designed to introduce them to
the world of predators—both large and small that live on the continent of Africa. Students will
discover the amazing roles of these animals, and will explore how people and animals are living
together. Throughout the evening, students will be taking a look at what an animal’s role is in
the food web and how it helps to sustain the balance of nature in a shared landscape with
humans.
Curriculum Flavor:
One of the most influential environmental writers in our lifetime has been David Sobel,
who focuses on changing the counterproductive trap of teaching children about
ecological problems and environmental abuse. He theorizes that children may be
overwhelmed by these problems and may develop an ecophobia based on the
negativity that is surrounded by environmental conservation. He suggests appropriate
topics and activities based on student ages, primarily to get children to bond with and
love the earth before asking them to save it. So today we live in a terrible age of loss all
around us, rather than sadness for what we’ve done, it is essential that we express hope
for what can be done. In order to do that we need to be the guiding lights (as
instructors) to be role models to our students and show that we as people create hope
for wildlife through our actions and coexistence between people and wildlife. We are
part of the solution! We have an opportunity to engage and empower our visitors,
students and educators with hope for species survival in the future- and they can
positively affect global conservation! The only way to counteract despair is to do
something to make a difference even in the smallest way, everyday. Jane Goodall, says
it best with her four reasons for hope- “our human intellect, resilience of nature, the
energy and commitment of informed young people who are empowered to act and the
indomitable human spirit.”
Objectives:
x
Students will discover that predators come in many shapes and sizes and play varying
roles in their ecosystem
x Students will become familiar with basic food webs and how communities of animals,
plants and non-living things exist.
x Students will understand how humans are sharing their land with wildlife including
predators
State Standards Addressed:
o State Standard: Grade 2 (LS)- Topic: “Interactions with habitats”
o State Standard: Grade 3 (LS)- Topic: “Behavior, growth & changes”
o State Standard: Grade 4 (LS)- Topic: “Earth’s living history”
Prowling for Predators: Africa Outpost II
This overnight is designed for children ages 11+. We will examine the many niches held by
animals in a healthy ecosystem, and determine why predators are a vital link. Students will also
explore historic human interaction with predators. Many of these interactions have resulted in
tragedy for a multitude of species. However, traditional approaches to conservation (e.g.
national parks, nature preserves) have focused on separating people and wildlife. Yet, today,
many of these species have been recognized as vital components to ecosystems and to human
development (Coexistence). The idea of conservation combining humans and wildlife in the
same places has shown promise in integrated landscapes throughout Africa. Students will also
recognize that for an act of predation to be successful, animals must employ strategies that
work in a multitude of circumstances. Becoming a successful predator is hard work, and the
techniques used are as diverse as the species themselves.
Goals:
-Create a sense of WONDER to all participants
-We can capitalize on wonder- During up-close animal demos & in front of exhibit
animals/behind the scenes opportunities.
-Convey KNOWLEDGE to all participants
-This should be done by using participatory teaching methods (e.g. asking
questions/seeking answers- Giving the group time to think and respond- this may create
small moments of discomfort but will in the end grow learners- That is what we want!!
-Empower/Enable our participants to ACT or become ACTIVE in conservation
-This overnight will highlight coexistence between people and wildlife. Furthermore,
the overnight’s flavor should be to show our audience that they can positively affect
global conservation through their actions on a daily basis (e.g. Eco-cell program/Zero
Waste Intiative/Rebuilding the Pride/Innvoation)
Objectives:
x
x
x
x
x
Students will learn what an ecosystem is, and how humans and wildlife are coexisting
together (HOPE Jeopardy).
Students will take a look at how vulnerable ecosystems become balanced, and how
human management plays a part.
Students will determine a predator’s role, and how predators in Africa have been
impacted by changes in their environment.
Students will discover the legacies of predators in Africa and how these animals have
fared over generations.
Students will explore various management strategies, modern challenges of wildlife
management, and species success stories from coexistence of predators and people.
State Standards Addressed:
o State Standard Grade 5 (LS)- Topic: “Interconnectedness within an Ecosystem”
o State Standard Grade 7 (LS)- Topic: “Cycles of matter and flow of energy
Background Information:
Evolution has adapted predators to seek prey which provide them with the highest returns (in
terms of calories and nutrients) for the least expenditure of time and energy. Some predator
species employ unique hunting strategies, designed to capture specific prey. Others are
opportunistic, taking any prey encountered during the course of daily activities.
Predator Types & Prey:
What is a predator? A predator is an animal that relies on capturing and eating other animals
for food. When people think of predators, they often visualize a lions, African wild dogs and
cheetahs killing an antelope. In reality, literally millions of acts of predation occur every day,
such as a white faced owl nabbing an insect. Although the very term predator brings to mind
images of lions on the savannahs of Africa or the great shark stalking the coastal waters,
predation is defined more generally as the consumption of all or part of one living organism by
another. Although all heterotrophic organisms derive their energy from the consumption of
organic matter, predators are distinguished from scavengers and decomposers in that they feed
on living organisms. This is good to point out when discussing the food web.
The predators featured in our Africa exhibit are mammalian and from the Order Carnivora. This
is an order of flesh eating mammals that arose about 40 milllion years ago. The Carnivora
divided early into 2 separate lines: Felids and their allies & Canids and their allies.
Carnivores evolved as predators of odd and even-toed ungulates and rodents. Interactions of
these predators and their prey helped shape the animals we see today. By predators always
taking the individuals easiest to catch, predators promote survival of the fittest; as their prey
becomes harder to catch, predators that improve performance are “winners;” their offspring
pressure prey species to improve, and so on, coevolution. If you want to nerd out- this is often
referred to as the “Red Queen Hypothesis” as life must continually evolve to avoid extinction,
especially in terms of predator/prey. Technically, this is an evolutionary hypothesis which
proposes that organisms must constantly adapt, evolve, and proliferate not merely to gain
reproductive advantage, but also to survive while pitted against ever-evolving opposing
organisms in an ever-changing environment. The term “Red Queen” comes from a statement
that the Red Queen made to Alice in Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass in her
explanation of the nature of Wonderland:
“Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place.” The kids
may have seen the movie, “Alice in Wonderland.”
Weather and climate can also affect the physical condition and vulnerability of prey. These
conditions can impact population density, reproductive potentials, and susceptibility to disease.
Probably the most important statistic used to determine the impact that a predator has on a
prey species is the percent of the prey population taken by a specific predator. By knowing this
information, managers can implement appropriate strategies to maintain predator and prey
species populations in balance with the local habitat conditions.
Of the 235 carnivores worldwide, Africa is home to 66 species, mostly small 50% under 20
inches (smaller than an average winter wreath you would hang on your front door  or most of
these carnivores could fit into a basketball hoop). They range in size from the dwarf mongoose
9oz to African Lion 400lbs.
These predators have excellent senses- all are acute but variably developed, depending on their
ecological niche. Our modern day carnivores descended from nocturnal ancestors therefore
having excellent night vision, including a light-reflective layer (tapetum lucidum) behind the
retina and a retina composed of mostly light-sensitive cells (rods). Most predators have frontal
placement of their eyes which increases visual acuity by enabling the animal to see in 3D.
There are different types of predators aside from their morphological differences (i.e. size).
They can be categorized as generalists and specialists. Predators limited to one type of habitat
or feeding only on certain kinds of prey are specialists. For example, African wild dogs are pack
hunters and specialize on catching, killing and consuming medium sized antelope species. The
cheetah is designed to outrun the fastest antelopes on the African savannah. Whereas, the
aardwolf is fueled by a specialized diet of harvester termites. Other carnivores like genets,
jackals and the striped hyena are generalists and will eat whatever is available from insects to
earthworms to mammals.
Opportunism and conservation of energy are key ingredients of a predators success.
Scavenging is the easiest way to get a meal. However, it has not been reliable enough for any
mammalian carnivore to evolve to specialize in scavenging, unlike the Vulture. Lions and
leopards will scavenge but are obviously very capable predators.
*In addition to predators using traditional methods to capture prey such as ambush hunting,
speed hunting, and stalking, it is now being documented that predators living in a shared
landscape with humans are becoming more inventive in capturing and killing prey. Wild
cheetahs in Namibia are notorious for chasing prey animals into farmer’s fences- which slows
their prey and causes injury before the cheetah finishes the hunt. This is just one example of
how predators and humans are successfully sharing landscapes.
Habitat Integration/Coexistence:
Top predators around the world have experienced rapid population declines and local
extirpation due to human pressures partly based on the conflict between livestock farmers and
predators. Initially the conservationist’s perspective was isolating wildlife and people through
the establishment of national parks. National parks and preserve areas are critical for predator
conservation; however, mixed-use landscapes may be crucial for sustaining viable populations
in the long term. For example, an area in Kenya’s South Rift valley, sandwiched between Maasai
Mara National Reserve and Amboseli National Park contains a landscape richer in wildlife than
both parks combined. In fact, more than 75% of Kenya’s wildlife lives outside of national parks.
Sharing the valley with wildlife are the Maasai people and their livestock. Thanks to their
traditional nomadic lifestyle, the Maasai have managed to coexist with wildlife for hundreds of
years. One particularly successful way of habitat integration between humans and wildlife is
developing community based conservation initiatives, that include the needs of wildlife
(conservation) and the livelihoods of people (development). The linkage of conservation and
development has been inspired largely by the failure of either to succeed on their own. The
development and conservation camps have traditionally viewed the world from opposite
perspectives. However, community based approaches to field conservation where research
meets community development has shown success. Scientists studying shared habitats of
humans and wildlife have identified several factors that influence coexistence between people
and wildlife. These are:
-Habitats
-Opportunities
-People
-Education
Community Based Conservation & Coexistence
The Maasai people are a semi-nomadic people who live in Southern Kenya and Tanzania along
the Great Rift Valley. They have been with wildlife, including predators for centuries. They
live under a communal land management system in which everyone grazes their livestock on
shared land and moves their herds based on seasonal availability of resources (water and
grass). The lives and movements of the Maasai people are based on meeting their needs and
the needs of their cattle and other livestock animals (goats/sheep). Livestock play a crucial role
in the Maasai economy, they can be traded for other livestock, cash and livestock products such
as milk. Livestock (specifically cattle) serve a cultural role in Maasai society as they are used in
ceremonies and seen as a sign of status. Therefore, protecting their cattle from lions is a major
concern for all Maasai pastoralists.
The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden (CZBG) supports one such project, “Rebuilding the
Pride,”(RTP) which combines Maasai tradition and modern technology, RTP aims to restore a
healthy lion population while reducing the loss of livestock to lions. The main goal of the
program is to rebuild lion prides (and other carnivore numbers) by promoting the coexistence
of Maasai and predators. By combining technological advances like GPS collars with culturally
appropriate meetings and home visits, RTP empowers local Maasai to actually participate in the
conservation of lions and wildlife. By acknowledging that the Maasai have a right to productive,
vibrant lives, RTP has actually garnered support from within the Maasai community. Not only
do the Maasai help protect lions, but they gain important information that helps support their
own livelihoods, like the location of good grazing land or places to avoid because of frequent
lions sightings. The RTP program intends to prove that coexistence of pastoral livestock and
wildlife is not only possible but the best hope of sustaining large viable predator populations.
RTP also refer to the pride communities themselves take in conserving wildlife to their
economic advantage.
Our actions as participants in this overnight can help support “Rebuilding the Pride” by
purchasing Maasai-made bracelets- all proceeds go directly to conservation efforts in the
Maasai community. By purchasing one of these bracelets- you have effectively help preserve
the Maasai culture and helped insure the survival of predators in the South Rift Valley for future
generations.
Cheetah/Dog Program- Coexistence through Innovation
Historically, cheetahs roamed large expanses of southern Africa’s undeveloped land. In the mid1900s, however, farmers accelerated the development of bush land - the cheetahs’ final
stronghold - and the wide-ranging cats found themselves living among livestock. Adaptation to
reserves did not go well. According to Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), pressure from larger
predators in protected areas is too great. Although the cheetah is agile and fast, it is an inept
fighter; while good at catching, it is often relieved of its bounty by more aggressive predators
such as lions.
Farmland, on the other hand, is virtually free of lions - farmers have removed them to protect
their herds - and is well-populated with small wild game, which is a natural food source for the
cheetah. This lack of competition for food, along with access to water, created a niche for the
cheetah.
Sharing scarce resources, however, led to conflict between cheetahs and farmers when, in the
early 1980s, drought hit southern Africa. During the decade-long drought, most of the
cheetahs’ natural prey perished, either of environmental causes or at the hands of farmers
attempting to reduce grazing and watering competition for their herds. With their natural food
sources gone, cheetahs turned to livestock.
A Familiar Tale
The cheetahs’ story is similar to that of the wolf in the American West, where, as the bison
population was wiped out and replaced with cattle, wolves found themselves with little to eat
but cows.
Similarly in Namibia, the cheetah population was cut in half in ten years by the use of lethal
predator control methods. According to a 1996 population and habitat viability assessment,
there were almost 7,000 cheetahs removed from farmland in Namibia between 1980 and 1991.
Roughly 1,000 of those were live animal exports. The rest were poisoned, trapped, or shot.
*There is hope for the cheetah’s survival, though, and that hope springs from human
willingness to help save the cheetah. In Namibia, conservationists are working hand-in-hand
with local farmers to show them how they can peacefully coexist with cheetahs. Rather than
shooting cheetahs, farmers are relying increasingly on guard dogs and even guard donkeys to
protect their livestock.
The gist:
-Anatolian Shepherd puppies are placed as livestock guarding dogs (LGDs) in South Africa’s
cheetah range. The dogs, once bonded with their herds (goats), scare predators away. By
protecting livestock, Cheetah Outreach is forcing cheetahs to go back to their natural prey,
which is abundant enough on placement farms to sustain the cheetah population. In exchange,
farmers agree to stop lethal predator control. Coexistence!!
African Savannah Ecosystem
The African savanna ecosystem is a tropical grassland with warm temperatures year round and
seasonal rainfall. The savanna is characterized by grasses and small or dispersed trees, along
with a diverse community of organisms that interact to form a complex food web. Carnivores
(cheetahs, lions, wild dogs, leopards) feed on herbivores (impalas, warthogs, wildebeast) that
consume producers (grasses, plant matter). Scavengers (hyenas, vultures) and
decomposers/detritivores (bacteria, fungi, termites) break down organic matter, making it
available to producers and completing the food cycle (web). Humans are part of the savanna
community and often compete with other organisms for food and space.
Food Webs:
A food chain is simple to study (Sun—Grass—Mouse—Hawk) but does not indicate the complex
relationships that exist for organisms that feed on more than one species. Food webs do more
than just map who eats whom. A food web charts the flow of energy through the environment
and all the possible feeding relationships at each trophic level. A trophic level is each organism
in a food chain that represents a feeding step (e.g. mouse = primary consumer). Multiple food
chains amount to a food web.
The ultimate source of energy in the environment is the sun. This is the major connection
between living elements of an ecosystem and non-living elements of an ecosystem. Plants
capture that energy and, through the process of photosynthesis, produce the food they need to
grow. How cool are plants that they take the sun a non-living piece of the universe, use its
energy and make sugar!! Plants are thus commonly referred to as producers. Everything else in
the food web is then considered to be a consumer of the energy produced by plants. An animal
that eats plants is called a primary (or first level) consumer. The animal that then eats a first
level consumer is a secondary consumer. Its predator is a tertiary consumer.
Most food chains contain only three or four levels of consumers. Why? When an animal eats a
plant, it is only able to capture a small part of the energy that the plant obtained from the sun.
The rest of the sun's energy had already been used by the plant for growth, respiration, etc.,
when the plant was consumed. Likewise, when a predator eats a plant-eater, it only gains a
small portion of the energy that the plant-eater received from the plant, the other portion of
that energy having been already used by the plant-eater for its metabolic processes. By the
time a tertiary consumer enters the picture, very little of the sun's original energy is still
available. The number of levels in any particular food chain, as well as the number of individual
organisms at each level, is limited by the amount of available energy.
Another way of depicting these relationships is through a food (or energy) pyramid, in which
plants form the base of the pyramid. Plant-eaters (primary consumers) then form the second
level, secondary consumers the third, and so on, with the top carnivore at the tip of the
pyramid. For the environment to remain stable, each level of the pyramid must be smaller than
the previous level that supports it. The pyramid is symbolic of the reduction in energy as you
ascend the pyramid.
Everything in nature is connected to everything else. Although they may appear simple, these
connections are often quite complex. Even a relationship as seemingly straightforward as that
between a predator and its prey can be very complicated.
The Human Element
Then add humans to the mix (which we are part of all living systems!!- Make this point clearbecause often visitors/participants feel like they have no control over the living earth). This
couldn’t be farther from the truth. In fact humans are considered keystone species. (make
your group feel empowered that we are keystone species, keystone species are those whose
activities have a significant role in determining community structure! That means our actions
and behaviors can be magnified in an ecosystem- especially those that are positive to
conservation- What I am saying is our behaviors matter!!) With in the African savannah
ecosystem- Human activities can potentially affect both top down and bottom up processes in
terrestrial ecosystems. Humans are a keystone species that alters terrestrial ecosystem
structure and composition through actions such as livestock grazing (human-induced bottom up
control), and by acting as a generalist super predator able to top-down harvest any animal
species regardless of body mass.
Top-down Controlled Ecosystems- Are those ecosystems that where predators control the
distribution and abundance of lower trophic level organisms.
-Predation plays a key role in controlling populations of large herbivores in ecosystems,
especially the non-migratory species, illuminating one of the features defining the landscape of
fear that large ungulates exist within. Top predators may structure a whole community by
initiating a trophic cascade. A trophic cascade occurs when a consumer influences at least two
other trophic levels, such as when a predator limits the populations of its prey, which in turn
limits the populations of its own prey. This emphasizes the importance of maintaining healthy
predator populations in our ecosystems.
Why Do We Need Predators? Niches
When I think about a species’ niche I see it as its “profession,” that is, “everything it does to get
its food and raise its babies.” A plant or animal’s habitat is its address. For the purposes of this
curriculum, the address will be the African savannah and the importance of predators
coexisting with people in the landscape shows that people are a part of nature and each
animal/person must do their job. The niches, or jobs, of each species are crafted over millennia
by natural selection.
The bottom line is that ecosystems are complex. And, predators are a necessary and beneficial
(top-down ecosystem control)part of systems. If we remove them from the picture, there are
consequences.
Predators provide ecological stability by regulating the impacts of grazing and browsing
animals, thus ensuring the overall productivity of the habitat. New research highlights a bigger
role for these animals (predators) as crucial managers of ecosystems. Large top predators (and
some top plant-eaters) keep systems in balance in ways that control human disease, wildfires,
carbon emissions and more, while benefiting agriculture, water resources, and forestry, among
others.
Many of the creatures that predators prey upon—insects, rabbits,
rodents—are often considered pests by humans. For instance, in
parts of Africa a reduction in the amount of lions and leopards in
the ecosystem has lead to an explosion of olive baboons- which
have wreaked havoc around local villages, where baboons attack
livestock, damage crops and spread diseases to humans (intestinal parasites).
The aardwolf hides in a burrow during the day and comes out at night
to search for food. It is related to the hyena but unlike them it does
not hunt large prey. This unusual animal is an insect serial killer 
feeding mainly on termites and can eat more than 200,000/night
using its long sticky tongue!!
Hunting Techniques
The method used by a predator to pursue its prey is determined by many factors, including the
adaptations of the predator, the adaptations of the prey, and the nature of the habitat in which
they live. A technique that works well in one situation may prove quite ineffective in another.
Each strategy has its own inherent risks and rewards. Consider three commonly employed
techniques—the chase, the stalk, and the ambush.
Active Hunting:
The Chase
Many predators catch their prey by chasing it. Some predators are solitary hunters by nature,
and others use the pack technique. Chasing can involve a significant expenditure of both time
and effort in order to make a successful capture. To be efficient, predators that chase their prey
must concentrate on species that will provide enough nutrition to offset the energy burned up
during a capture.
Passive Hunting:
The Stalk
Herons employ a different technique. Standing motionless in shallow water, or wading slowly
along the shore, the heron patiently searches for prey, which it captures with a quick lunge of
its long, sharp beak. This method does not require much energy. The search time may be great,
but the time used to catch prey once it is found is minimal. A stalking predator can afford to
choose smaller prey and still meet its energy requirements.
The Ambush
Many predators are ambush hunters. This technique requires minimal energy requirements. It
is used by both endotherms and ectotherms. Prior to settling in to await prey, the predator
determines that the specific location it is hunting in has potential prey (pretty savvy!). The
choice of ambush spots is not random (Polar Bears and Seal airholes). Animals have diverse
ways of locating prey. It would be foolish, and even deadly, for an ambush hunter to wait in a
location where a meal is unlikely to pass. If a current location is no longer sufficient, ambush
predators will search out new locations. To remain inconspicuous, ambush predators usually
hunt alone.
The Nile Crocodile prefers to lie and wait until something good to eat wanders by (yummy
Zebra, perhaps). This method of hunting requires little effort at all. However, chances for
success are fairly low. The alligator, a reptile, and therefore an ectotherm, has minimal energy
requirements. Its metabolism is so slow that it can survive with infrequent meals.
Because a successful ambush depends on the predator avoiding detection, most ambush
hunters are fairly small, and they are well adapted to go unseen until it is too late. One
example of a small, well-camouflaged ambush predator is the Black Footed Cat.
Overview of QUESTing
Questing is a new way for learners to become more engaged and participate in their own
adventure as we hike throughout the Zoo! So have the students put on their sleuthing cap and
use rhyming clues to discover their hike destinations!
As facilitators of a QUESTing excursion:
For the Reptile House: There will only be one clue that takes students to the Reptile House.
Needs:
-One Test Tube with the Reptile House clue inside
Facilitation:
-This should be student directed- Read the first two sentences of the rhyme and allow the
students to make guesses as to where on the Zoo map they will be going. Make sure you hear
all their voices if they have an idea or guess.
-Then read the last two sentences and give hints if they haven’t figured it out yet!
-While you walk to the Reptile House- Talk about the many different predators that across the
continent of Africa and how Africa has many different types of habitats with many different
food webs (See curriculum for more details). In each ecosystem there are different niches,
predators, prey and adaptations specific to the environment.
-Tropical Rainforests
-Desert
-Open Savannah
Clue #1
African predators come in all shapes and sizes
These animals are known for their cryptic disguises
Hunting rodents, lizards and birds
These animals you won’t find in herds
REPTILE HOUSE:
Objectives:
At this tour stop, we will discover successful African predators that are
not mammals, and investigate different techniques of predation.
Outside the building, explain to the group that they will be doing some
self-exploration with a partner. Make sure that the group is aware of
what the food web is, and give some clues of reptiles’ roles/niche.
During the exploration, the children are to look around and decide on one African animal that
interests them the most. They then need to discover a few things about the animal:
1. What does the animal eat? What might eat this animal?
2. Where in the food pyramid is the animal located? (Producer, Primary Consumer, etc.)
3. What is one interesting fact about the animal?
4. How do they get their food?
5. How do they help their environment (niche)?
6. Why are they important to their ecosystem?
This should take around 5-7 minutes. After each group has picked an animal, go around and talk
about the animals. The kids get to tell the rest of the group which animal they chose, and the
information about the animal that they learned. Instructors can add fun and interesting facts to
what the kids have said. Instructors can also “pick” an animal that was not chosen so the group
get
the
information
Africa Overnight I
x
x
Students will understand the importance of African reptiles as predators.
Students will recognize the hunting techniques of reptiles.
x
x
Students will encounter the diversity of reptiles and how this directly applies to their
role/niche in the environment.
Students will take part in creating their own knowledge, based on investigative skills.
Africa Overnight II
x
x
Students will understand the amazing techniques reptiles use to hunt and capture prey,
including chemo-reception, thermo-reception, vibration, and scent (vomeronasal).
Students will take part in creating their own knowledge, based on investigative skills.
Order of animals in the Reptile house as of March 2013 re-opening:
Counterclockwise from Gaboon Viper:
x
Gaboon viper
x
Blue tree monitor
x
Green tree python
x
x
Nelson’s milk snake (top exhibit)
Dumeril’s Ground Boa (bottom exhibit)
x
x
x
x
x
Madagascar giant day gecko (top exhibit)
Black rat snake (top exhibit)
African fat-tailed gecko (top exhibit)
Rhinoceros Viper
Everglades Rat Snake
x
x
Thai red mountain rat snake (top exhibit)
Yucatan neotropical rattlesnake (bottom exhibit)
x
x
x
x
California king snake (top exhibit)
Timber Rattlesnake
Puff adder (bottom exhibit)
Pancake tortoise (bottom exhibit)
x
King Cobra
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Mexican west coast rattlesnake & Eastern diamondback rattlesnake
x
x
x
x
Aruba Island rattlesnake (top exhibit)
Angolan python (top exhibit)
Tropical Racer
Black milk snake (bottom exhibit)
x
x
Cat Eyed Snake
Beaded lizard (bottom exhibit)
Terciopelo, Parrot Snake, Brazilian Lancehead, Rainbow Boa
x
x
x
x
x
Jameson’s mamba
Amazon milk frog
Cave salamander
Spotted salamander
x
Ornate monitor
x
Chinese alligator, Alligator snapping turtles, & Red-eared sliders (center display)
Focus Animals:
Jameson’s Mamba
Angolan Python
Puff Adder
African Fat-Tailed Gecko
Gabon Viper
Rhinoceros Viper
Background/Overview:
Reptiles have been on Earth for 360 million years. They were the first successful colonizers of
land. They range from primitive species, such as boas and turtles, to highly sophisticated
species, such as cobras, and monitor lizards. As far as predation is concerned, these animals are
highly evolved, and some, thus far, have had no need to change. For example, the Chinese
alligator has remained unchanged for sixty five million years (about the time of the dinosaurs).
Conversely, hominids, from which we are directly descended, have been on Earth for only 23
million years. The first modern human beings emerged only 120,000 years ago!
Reptiles fill many niches in their environments:
x They are successful hunters of animals we consider pests.
x They provide an abundant food source for other predators, birds and small
mammals.
x They serve as good indicators of ecosystem health.
o Characteristics that make amphibians/reptiles good candidates for
monitoring changes in riparian/aquatic conditions
 Biphasic (aquatic and terrestrial) life cycle
 Sensitive physiology
 Mid-level position in food webs
 High relative abundances
Jameson’s Mamba
Niche: Secondary Consumer- Feeding on birds, lizards and small mammals
-Primarily lives in trees (arboreal) in Central Africa
-Venomous- Injects a highly toxic venom that attacks the nervous system
-Strikes very quickly and is active during the day. It has been known to drop from tree limbs on
unsuspecting prey
Angolan Python
Niche: Secondary Consumer- Feeding on small mammals
-Found in scrubland and in rocky outcroppings (Namibia & Angola)
-When frightened will roll into a ball as a defensive behavior
Puff Adder
Niche- Secondary Consumer- Feeding mainly on small mammals
Normally a sluggish snake relying on camouflage for protection.
Interesting Behaviors:
If disturbed, they will hiss loudly and continuously, adopting a tightly coiled defensive posture
with the fore part of their body held in a taut ‘S’ shape. At the same time, they may attempt to
back away from the threat towards cover. They may strike suddenly and with very high speed,
doing so to the side as easily as forwards before returning quickly to the defensive position,
ready to strike again. During a strike, the force of the impact is so strong and the long fangs
penetrate so deeply, that prey items are often killed by the physical trauma alone. They are
apparently able to penetrate soft leather.
They can strike to a distance of about one third of their body length. Juveniles, however, will
launch their entire bodies forward - Go get them Tiger. These snakes rarely grip their victims,
instead releasing quickly to return to striking position. Mostly nocturnal, they rarely forage
actively, preferring instead to ambush prey as it happens by.
More interesting information:
Its wide distribution, common occurrence, large size, potent venom, and willingness to bite
make it responsible for more fatalities than any other African snake. Although puff adders are
far from the deadliest venomous snake in Africa, they cause more venomous bites to humans
on an annual basis then any other. One reason for this is their tendency to use human
footpaths after dark. Since footwear is minimal or non-existent for many in Africa, nocturnal
encounters result in a lot of puff adder bites.
A female puff adder from Kenya in a Czechoslovakian zoo once gave birth to 156 young, the
largest litter for any species of snake in the world.
Fat Tailed Gecko
Niche- Secondary Consumer- Eating mostly insects
Native to Sahara desert and inhabits dry arid environments
The tail of a fat-tailed gecko serves as a unique defense system. If the tail detaches from the
body, nerve impulses remain in the tail and cause it to twitch for a few minutes. The predator
will concentrate on catching the tail, allowing the gecko to escape. The tail eventually
regenerates, but contrary to popular belief, only a small stump will regenerate
Gaboon Viper
Niche- Secondary Consumer- Feeding on small mammals and birds
Gaboon vipers are the largest vipers in the world. Gaboon vipers have a unique pattern of
colors that range from shades of brown to pinks and purples. The patterns on its body help it
stay camouflaged among the leaves of the forest floor. They have broad heads and horns
become present with age. They’re also known for their large fangs that can reach up to 2 inches
in length.
Gaboon vipers play a large role in controlling the rodent population in the rainforest. Their bite
is so lethal that smaller prey is killed instantly when bitten; larger animals are struck, released
and then tracked by scent.
The gaboon is a sluggish snake that sits and waits for its prey. However, its bite is not to be
underestimated. The gaboon has one of the fastest and most lethal strikes of any serpent. Like
other snakes when threatened, a gaboon will rear up and hiss to reveal its fangs to an
encroaching predator.
Rhinoceros Viper
Niche- Secondary Consumer- Feeding mainly on small mammals
This snake’s cryptic coloring and “horns” provide camouflage as the snake rests among leaves
on the forest floor in equatorial Africa.
The rhinoceros viper is one of three species of puff adders. Some reasons these venomous
snakes are called puff adders are that, when excited, they have the ability to enlarge their size
considerably by inflating their bodies. This creates the "puffed" look that is approximately twice
the normal size of the snake's body. These adders also make a sort of hissing noise through
their nose as part of their respiratory function.
QUESTing to Africa
As facilitators of a QUESTing excursion:
The QUEST to Africa will have the most clues (4)
Needs:
-One Test Tube with the first clue that will lead students to the second clue (near the bridge
over Swan lake)
-Blacklight flash lights (enough for several students to share them)
-The clues on this QUEST will be marked with blacklight paint near the next clue
Facilitation:
-This should be student directed- Read the first two sentences of the rhyme and allow the
students to make guesses as to where on the Zoo map they will be going. Make sure you hear
all their voices if they have an idea or guess.
-Then read the last two sentences and give hints if they haven’t figured it out yet!
-For the following clues you can have the students read them if they want to
-Your job as an instructor is to capitalize on the interpretive moments created by the rhymes!
The words underlined in the rhymes are things you should focus on
-While you walk to the following clues- Have the students get out their blacklight flash lights
and explain to them that they will be looking for blacklight paint that will mark where the next
clues are.
The Clues are as follows some may need facilitation:
CLUE #1On the hunt for predators is our goal
Peak your predatory senses as we stroll
Head down the hill toward Giraffe Ridge
Your next clue awaits you just passed the bridge
 Talking Points: What senses may a predator use? What about those that hunt at night?
What about those that hunt during the day- Do they rely on different senses?
CLUE #2
Our first predator’s adaptations are opposite of a snail
The fastest land mammal with the long spotted tail
Hunting during the day
It finds most of its prey
 Talking Points: Define adaptations. Talk about being active during the day (Diurnal),
reinforce the idea of prey animals, especially in the context of what cheetahs would eat.
-After finding and reading this clue- talk to the students about how the cheetah was persecuted
for being a diurnal predator. The cheetah is active during the day and farmers graze their
livestock during the day- the conflict. After you talk about the conflict and as you head toward
the cheetah exhibit start to change the interpretation to coexistence through- people and their
innovative spirit! People (We) are the solution! (See background Cheetah/Dog program for
more details).
-You will need to give this prompt to the students for them to find the next clue:
Your next clue can be found
Where animals live in a mound
CLUE #3
From the cheetah slightly built, solitary and speedy
Our next predator is much larger and slightly greedy
Stealing prey from other animals just as needy
This predator is known for being social, males with manes
However, females are the ones on their game
 Talking Points: Here you can talk about how predators can eat other predators or steal
the prey they just killed. Also, talk about Lions being the only truly social cat speciesthey can make 9 different vocalizations- a specialized adaptation for an animal that lives
in social groups (prides).
CLUE #4(optional depending on time-If John the lion is not visible)
Across the train tracks we must go
To animals found howling in the moon’s glow
North America’s pack hunter awaits you
This clue is here in case there are no lions on display- talk about the coexistence strategies used
by the Maasai people and ask if similar measures could be used in the US?
Objectives:
At this tour stop, students will learn how animals have been impacted over the centuries by
human interaction. They will explore successful coexistence strategies between humans and
wildlife. They will observe the cheetah or lion and learn what makes this hunter so successful
and distinctive.
Africa I
x
x
x
Students will learn that most cat species are solitary predators but some are social
predators.
Students will experience food chain dynamics and become familiar with the factors that
create change in these systems.
Students will investigate the how farmers in Namibia and farmers in Kenya are living in
an integrated landscape successfully with top predators
x
Students will take part in creating their own knowledge, based on investigative skills.
Africa II
x
x
x
x
x
Students will learn about lion pride hunting, pride dynamics, and where lions are living
on the same landscape as humans.
Students will take a closer look at the Zoo’s role in supporting global conservation,
specifically in Kenya
Students will learn about the Pastoral livelihoods of the Maasai culture in the South Rift
Valley
Students will take part in creating their own knowledge, based on investigative skills
Students will understand that people are the solution to conservation issues and the
future of conservation is not to separate humans and wildlife but coexistence- Through
HOPE (Habitats, Opportunities, People & Education)
The Cheetah Exhibit
The exhibit contains large shade trees under which the cheetahs are expected to rest in view.
Fabricated weaver bird nests hang from one of the trees. There is an artificial termite mound in
the public space (this is where one of your clues will be hidden) with a flip-up interactive.
Predatory Adaptations:
Built for Speed
A cheetah can sprint across a distance of 92 feet in a single second.
· Head—Small aerodynamic head
· Shoulders—Long, thin streamlined body
· Spine—Flexible spine for maximum stretching
· Legs—Long, strong legs for long strides
· Claws—Claws for traction, like cleats on running shoes
· Brake pads—Hard, pointed pads for braking
· Tail—Long tail for balance and steering
General Information
Length: 3.5 to 4.5 ft
Weight: 85 to 140 lbs
Lifespan: Up to 12 yrs in wild
Habitat: Savanna and dry forest
Prey: Small antelope, warthog, hare and game birds
Status: Species at Risk (IUCN—Vulnerable)
Range: Africa and western Asia (Iran)
Supporting Cheetah Conservation
Cheetahs are endangered and their population worldwide has shrunk from about 100,000 in
1900 to an estimated 9,000 to 12,000 cheetahs today. The Cincinnati Zoo has been dubbed
“The Cheetah Capital of the World” because of its conservation efforts through education,
public interpretation, and the captive cheetah breeding program.
The Angel Fund
In 1982, a woman named Cathryn Hilker – Individuals can make a huge change in the world!!
Even people right here in Cincinnati!!! and a cheetah called Angel launched a program at the
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden that was the first of its kind for zoos in the nation: the Cat
Ambassador Program. Cathryn and Angel were partners for 12 years here at the Zoo, working
to educate people about cheetahs—where they live, what they need, and what we need to do
to save them. In her lifetime, Angel connected with over 1,000,000 people through the Zoo’s
programs.
In 1992, The Angel Fund was established in Angel’s memory to continue the work which she so
bravely began by letting her very presence, day in and day out, speak for every living cheetah.
Angel helped give cheetahs, everywhere, a presence, a voice, a real chance. Funds raised by the
Angel Fund support cheetah conservation efforts worldwide.
Livestock Guarding Dog Program
Commercial farmers in Namibia were in need of more protection for their cattle and other
small stock (goats, sheep) for which they earn a living. As a direct response to this need, CCF
introduced a special guard dog program. We breed Anatolian Shepherds, place them with
farmers, supply free medical care for the dogs and train farmers in the best dog care and
support. These wonderful working dogs then live with the herds 24 hours a day, scaring away
predators such as the cheetah. What a success this program continues to be! To-date we have
placed over 200 dogs and can report a dramatic impact on lowering the number of wild
cheetahs trapped and killed in Namibia.
Cat Ambassador Program
Cathryn Hilker and the Cincinnati Zoo’s Cat Ambassador Program (CAP) continue Angel’s legacy
with the assistance of other cheetah ambassadors, including Sarah, Bravo, Chance, Tommy, Nia
and Savanna, who work like their predecessors to make the connection that people will save
what they see.
The CAP presents a seasonal Cheetah Encounter show, displaying running demonstrations and
other natural behaviors of the cheetah. During the school year, the CAP takes the cheetah to
school assemblies to spread the word that cheetahs are running for their lives and their future
will be a bright one as long as the trend of coexistence continues.
Regional Cheetah Breeding Center
The Angel Fund was also the inspiration and funding source for the Zoo’s cheetah off-site
breeding facility at the Mast Farm. The Zoo’s Regional Cheetah Breeding Center is one of only a
handful of similar facilities in the United States managed by the Species Survival Plan. More
than 60 cheetah cubs have been born in Cincinnati so far.
In Situ Conservation
The Angel Fund and the Cincinnati Zoo are integral parts of a true international effort
committed to the cheetah’s survival in Africa. From South Africa and Botswana in the south up
through Kenya and Tanzania in East Africa, the Angel Fund has contributed more than $1
million in support of predator coexistence in the wild.
Lion Exhibit
The lion exhibit is built with a lot of rockwork. In the wild, lions are often seen surveying their
kingdom atop large rocky outcroppings called kopjes. To the left of the viewing glass is a small
cave-like space through which kids can walk and get a unique look out into the lion exhibit (this
is where the final clue will be hidden- on the entrance to the cave on top). There are Maasai
rock paintings on the cave walls.
General Information:
Length: Male – 8.5 to 10.5 ft
Female – 5 to 6 ft
Weight: Male – 330 to 530 lbs
Female – 270 to 400 lbs
Lifespan: Up to 18 yrs in wild
Habitat: Savanna, woodland, and desert
Prey: Hoofed mammals, hares, small birds and reptiles
Status: Species at Risk (IUCN—Vulnerable)
Can People and Carnivores Coexist?
Yes, and the Maasai people have lived with lions and other wildlife for thousands of years in
Kenya’s South Rift Valley. However, as times change and their culture evolves, the traditional
Maasai way of maintaining that coexistence must also adapt.
Sharing the same space can be tricky for lions and people.
Livestock and wildlife often graze in the same areas. Lions need to eat, and sometimes happen
upon livestock rather than wild animals. Losing one of their beloved cows to a lion is a hard for
loss for a Maasai, often creating a desire to retaliate. It is far better to prevent lion attacks in
the first place.
Cultural changes bring new challenges
Traditionally, young Maasai men would look out for lions and chase them away. As more of
these young men go off to school today, livestock herds are much more vulnerable to lions.
How can the Maasai protect their flock in this new day and age and still share the land with
predators? “The Maasai know how to live with lions; we do not need to separate people and
wildlife for we have learned how to move around one another. For conservation to succeed, it
must maintain this balance between livestock and wildlife”
Rebuilding the Pride
Rebuilding the Pride is a community-based conservation program that combines tradition and
modern technology to restore a healthy lion population while reducing the loss of livestock to
lions in Kenya’s South Rift Valley. New technology keeps tabs on the lions. Local Maasai
research assistants track lions with Global Positioning System (GPS) collars. Knowing where the
prides are lets herders know where to avoid grazing their livestock.
Game scouts help protect livestock
When herders must move through areas with lions, they call on community game scouts to
accompany them for extra protection. The pride—of lions and people—continues to grow.
Nasha is one of two lionesses in a pride of about a dozen lions that lives in the South Rift. Her
pride is often out in the open and easy to view. As Nasha’s pride grows, so does the pride the
Maasai take in sharing the land with lions.
Supporting Community-based Conservation in Kenya
The Zoo partners with the African Conservation Centre (ACC) in Kenya. ACC’s primary aim is to
bring together the people and skills needed to build East Africa’s capacity to conserve wildlife.
ACC is located in the South Rift Valley of Kenya, stretching from the Maasai Mara National
Reserve through Amboseli National Park. More than 75% of Kenya’s wildlife lives outside of
national parks, which makes the South Rift Valley one of the most spectacular wildlife areas on
the planet.
SORALO and ACC
The Maasai people have coexisted with wildlife in southern Kenya for centuries. As a nomadic
culture, the community makes decisions together and shares the landscape. People and
wildlife migrate seasonally as necessary to meet their needs for food and water. Unfortunately,
a growing population is creating pressure to subdivide the land and build fences, which puts the
land, wildlife, and people in trouble.
Leaders from 14 Maasai group ranches established SORALO (South Rift Association of Land
Owners) to manage the sustainable use of their natural resources by integrating tourism,
livestock development and other income generating activities to improve communities’
livelihoods. SORALO established community conservation areas on two group ranches,
Olkiramatian and Shompole, which provide refuge for wildlife and serve as drought refuge for
Maasai livestock. SORALO and the Olkiramatian and Shompole group ranches invited ACC to
help assess their conservation projects and to provide guidance in future management
strategies. ACC initiated an integrated research program to understand the dynamic
interactions between people, livestock, wildlife, habitat, water resources and temperature,
which are all key components of the ecosystem. If research can identify the necessary criteria
for people, wildlife, and landscapes to persist, then the community will be well-equipped to
tackle current and future management concerns.
Research is conducted both by local community members and resident or visiting scientists.
Community Resource
Assessors assist with ecological monitoring, livelihood surveys and land use assessment.
Community game scouts play a crucial role in protecting wildlife by arresting poachers, rescuing
wounded animals, protecting threatened animals, controlling human-wildlife conflict and
collecting scientific data on biodiversity. For a great overview, watch a documentary on the
coexistence of Maasai and lions in South Rift Valley of Kenya produce by Anna Campbell at
www.annacampbell.tv/films.
Rebuilding the Pride
The Zoo provides funding to support Rebuilding the Pride, a community-based conservation
program that combines tradition and modern technology to restore a healthy lion population
while reducing the loss of livestock to lions in Kenya’s South Rift Valley. Local Maasai research
assistants track the movement of both livestock and lions in an effort to understand seasonal
movements and identify conflict hotspots. Some of the lions have been fitted with Global
Positioning System (GPS) collars for better tracking. The collars transmit four locations a day to
a central server, giving detailed information on the exact movement of the lions. Knowing
where the prides are lets herders know where to avoid grazing their livestock. The program also
deploys a Conflict Response Team to mitigate any conflicts that arise between people and lions.
When herders must move through areas with lions, they call on community game scouts to
accompany them for extra protection. The team also helps find and rescue lost livestock that
would have otherwise fallen victim to predation. Thanks to these efforts, lion populations are
growing on the Olkirimatian and Shompole ranches. Once down to a low of about 10 known
lions in the area, the population is now estimated to be nearly 70. The prides have been
producing cubs and new lions are moving in from surrounding areas. COEXISTENCE EQUALs
SUCCESSFUL CONSERVATION!!
Maasai Lion Bracelets
To inspire, connect and engage guests in our conservation efforts in Kenya, the Zoo created the
Maasai Lion Bracelets program. Beadwork is an integral part of the Maasai culture. The Zoo
purchases beaded bracelets hand-crafted by the Olkirimatian Women’s Group. The bracelets
are then sold to Zoo guests as a symbol of the coexistence between Maasai and lions and a way
that guests can contribute to conservation. The proceeds are sent back to the Women’s Group
to support the Resource Center and the Maasai community. Some of the funds pay for the
education of Maasai girls.
QUESTing to Commissary
For the Commissary Tour: There will only be one clue that takes students to the Front and Back
of Commissary.
Needs:
-One Test Tube with the Commissary clue inside
Facilitation:
-This should be student directed- Read the rhyme and allow the students to make guesses as to
where in the Zoo they will be going? Make sure you hear all their voices if they have an idea or
guess. Tell them it is not on the map and is a special place that we will be visiting. Also there
are no live animals in this building in the Zoo.
-While you walk to the Commissary- Talk about how it is like a food web (See curriculum for
more details).
CLUE #1
Kroger has nothing on our animal grocery store
The Zoo keeps all animal diets neatly packed here from ceiling to floor
Carnivores, herbivores and omnivores delight plus many more
Instructors- Check it out:
-We need to make a concerted effort to keep this part of the tour lively! To do this here are
some suggestions:
Front of Commissary:
-To reinforce the food web and keep it fun and participatory-Gather everyone in a circle in the middle of room
-Tell everyone that they are going to have to use their predatory senses
(listening and sight) as we re-build the food web based on the bagged food labels
-Ask the participants to first find and stand next to a predator’s diet
-Repeat with as many different trophic levels you can (I know there are bags
labeled “Herbivore Diets & Carnivore Diets”
-This should help facilitate the conversation and reinforce the food web
Back of House Commissary:
-For the walk in refrigerator- Take out a bin (not a primate bin) and show the
participants the different kinds of food the commissary distributes
-Ask them what Zoo house do they think the bin goes too? (cover the side of the bin it is
written on)
-If you show the participants a box of cereal- Ask them are there any animals that live on
only Cheerios? The parents will probably say yes (their kids). Of course not this is
enrichment for our animals- we can easily hide some morsels of food around their
exhibit and they will have to actively find their food just like animals would do in the
wild.
-For the walk in freezer- if you pull out a bag of mice/rabbits/etc. Make mention of
where in the food web they fit into. Ask the participants what they think eats these
yummy frozen-thawed critters (many animals from reptiles to bird to predatory
mammals?
Commissary Tour: “The Zoo’s Food Web”
Objectives:
x
x
x
x
Participants will have a basic understanding of the types of diets animals have (i.e.
herbivore, carnivore, insectivore, omnivore, etc.)
Participants gain an appreciation for the quantity and quality of the food fed to the Zoo
animals.
Participants understand more about how the diets of animals in the wild are
“converted” into diets that can be fed to their captive counterparts.
Participants will understand that the Zoo employs a special nutritionist who is trained to
keep up with the changing needs of our animal population.
Theme:
It takes a lot of time, knowledge and space to prepare food for and feed the many species of
animals that call the Zoo home.
Vocabulary:
x
x
Carnivore - an animal that eats other animals.
Decomposer - an organism, especially a bacterium or fungus that causes organic matter to rot
or decay
x
x
x
x
Folivore – an organism that eats foliage or leaves.
Herbivore - an animal that feeds only or mainly on grass and other plants.
Insectivore – an animal that feeds primarily on insects. Moles, shrews, and hedgehogs
are all insectivores.
Omnivore - an animal that will feed on any kind or many different kinds of food, including both
plants and animals.
x
x
Piscivore – an animal that feeds primarily on fish.
Sanguivore – an animal that feeds mainly on blood.
Rules:
Outside the building or on your way to the Commissary, explain to the group that they are
about to visit a part of the Zoo that many do not visit. It is very important for the groups not to
touch anything because our animals can catch many human diseases, from the common wart to
the flu! All people entering this building must step in the footbath when entering and leaving
this area. No one is allowed to touch anything, the only thing touching should be their feet! 
**Instructors: PLEASE check to make sure that you have no direct contact with any food items
that are fed out to primates. Make sure to wash your hands prior to handling anything in the
commissary.
Introduction to the Commissary:
What does a tour of the Commissary have to do with predators and prey?! Zoos have a
fundamental responsibility to “recreate” the food web for our animals. The animals are not
able to hunt or graze for their food naturally as they would in the wild, so we must provide it for
them. How and what captive animals eat is often very different from their wild counterparts.
Zoos have a multitude of predators (lions, wolves, birds of prey, etc.) as well as a multitude of
prey animals (zebra, antelope, etc.) that are not only on display for education, but they are
often in captivity for breeding due to declining wild populations. For this reason, it wouldn’t be
a very good idea to house our lions and zebras together and call it a day! Instead, we must
provide an adequate substitute of their dietary needs, whether the animal is classified as
predator or as prey. Commissary keepers do not decide the diet of our animals. This is the job
of the vets/nutritionist, and each individual animal here has their own specific diet. The
commissary sends large bins down to each animal area with enough food for all of the animals
in that area. It is up to the keepers to distribute the correct amount of food out to each animal.
Some might need vitamins, some might need medication, and some might even need a day off
from eating!
Background:
Monkey biscuits? Bones? Crickets? Reptile salad? These are just a few culinary examples of
dietary components enjoyed by animals in our zoo. When it comes to diets, we are far more
familiar with what it takes to keep a human healthy than any other species of animal. This is
because we have been studying human health for thousands of years. The effect nutrition has
on the health and well-being of zoo animals has always been a concern of keepers. However, it
has only recently become a separate field of nutrition science.
In addition, zoo nutrition is especially challenging because of the variety of species, all with
special dietary needs and challenges to consider. With hundreds of species come
representatives of many digestive strategies and ecological niches. Feedstuffs in the wild vary
extremely from species to species and region to region, and the animals have adapted their
digestive system to the specific type of food they find in the wild. Under captive conditions,
animals have to be fed a substitute diet. In order to formulate such a diet in the zoo, many
factors have to be taken into account. The first, and most important, aspect to consider is the
animal's dietary habits in the wild. Many zoos adapt the animals to diets designed for domestic
livestock and pets with respect to their natural behavior. However, seasonal variations of food
intake of some species should also be kept in mind when designing a diet. Other important
considerations are the availability given in the enclosure for natural behavior during food
intake, and the needs of related species whose requirements are known. Finally, it is also
essential to know how the animals eat behaviorally. Are they fed in groups, or individually? Is
there a dominant animal that keeps the others from eating the amount they need?
Another factor that captive animals face is compromised health and physical atrophy due to old
age. Good nutrition, veterinary care, and lack of predators and/or major interspecies conflict
lead to captive animals living longer than their wild counterparts. Some zoo food manufacturers
have come out with specific food for aging and elderly zoo animals which takes into account
these changing dietary needs. In the wild, generally animals don’t live long enough to develop
any health-related issues.
In other cases, a change in the animal’s lifestyle, or exposure to different environmental
conditions, lead to potential chronic health challenges, which may be partially treated with
dietary modifications or nutritional support. Orangutans, for instance, often develop Type II
diabetes and need insulin-sparing diets when they are sedentary. In zoos, they are no longer
able to swing from tree to tree over hundreds of miles of territory as they would in the wild. Big
cats that contract feline HIV require additional amounts of fat and calories in their feed. Obese
animals receive greater amounts of fiber so they are eating the same amount of food, but not
as many calories.
If figuring out the correct balance of food, and knowing when, where, and how to feed each
animal seems like enough to worry about, zoos also have to look at the logistics of obtaining
and storing food. There are several companies that manufacture food intended for zoo animals.
ZuPreme, Mazuri, and Nebraska Brand are all exotic animal diet suppliers. For produce, our zoo
uses all first quality fruits and vegetables. That means that they are “restaurant quality” or
better. Some animals may also need special or unusual food items. For example, our Sumatran
rhinos require fichus leaves to stay healthy and reproductive. The leaves come from San Diego,
Florida and must be shipped in twice a week. The annual cost to simply order and ship browse
like these fichus leaves is around $100,000. Here is a breakdown of some other monthly food
costs: $9,750 for hay, $17,400 for produce, $2,625 for rodents (mice fed to snakes, birds, etc.),
$5,150 for frozen fish, $5,000 for meat…and the list goes on. With monthly costs like these, it is
no wonder that the zoo’s annual budget for animal food is over 1 million dollars. To be
economical, many zoos buy freezable or nonperishable food in bulk. The Brookfield Zoo, for
example, would buy $20,000 to $30,000 worth of fish at a time and store them in a freezer.
They soon discovered, however, that when fish remain on ice for an extended period of time,
they lose their stores of vitamin E and thiamine. To be sure the penguins received these
vitamins the staff had to hide nutritional supplements in the gills of fish. This is called “gut
loading”.
Zoos with large herbivores and ungulates (hoofed animals) also buy hundreds of tons of fodder
(food/ hay) at a time, including four varieties of hay, as well as straw and alfalfa. Elephants, for
instance, feed almost exclusively on low-quality hay (bordering on sticks). The way their
digestive systems are designed, elephants develop diarrhea or life-threatening nitrogen disease
when switched to high-quality hay. Because giraffes are used to chewing on tender leaf buds
along the high branches of trees, they eat high-quality hay that is replete with protein. The
amount of water in a shipment of hay is also a concern because of the threat of spontaneous
combustion. If hay is harvested too early, it harbors a considerable amount of water, which
causes stored hay to rot and generate heat. Even variations in color make hay more or less
appetizing to animals! Some prefer green fibers while others choose to eat the more yellow
strands.
Fortunately, zoos are now able to learn from each other’s successes and failures, and share
dietary information via a new database called Zootrition©. Zootrition© was created by Eric
Mirell at the request of the Wildlife Conservation Society of New York. This interactive database
allows more than 60 zoos worldwide to share information and ideas on diets and enrichment.
Finally, just as restaurants are inspected by local health departments, and hospitals are
surveyed by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), zoos
are accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) in Silver Spring, MD.
During accreditation, AZA curators and veterinarians review written materials and conduct 2-4
day inspections that comb over zoos with a fine tooth, says Denny Lewis, manager of
accreditation. Part of the accreditation process scrutinizes nutrition: where food is prepared,
who is preparing it, and which commercial companies are supplying animal feed.
A Zoo Nutritionist must bear in mind that no single chemical constituent consistently underlies
animal food choices. Feeding behaviors may simply not be dictated by nutrition. Taste, texture,
odor, size, shape, color, and movement are all important facets in feeding programs, at times
even more so than the actual nutrient composition of the food. There is an estimated 1,143,000
species of living organisms which are known. About 248,000 are higher plants, and of the
remainder, 1,032,000 are animals. Included are 4,000 mammals, 9,000 birds, 6,300 reptiles,
4,200 amphibians, and 18,000 fish and lower chordates. Within the world’s zoos, somewhat
more than 3,000 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians are represented, about
13% of the known species of terrestrial vertebrates. This is not a large number, compared to
the total, but development of diets that will nourish those species appropriately is a very
daunting task.
Vocabulary Cards: Print these and take them with you!
Carnivore: Wolf
Diet in the Wild
Diet at the Zoo (daily diet for pair)
Often prey on animals larger than they are,
including elk, caribou, and deer, as well as
beavers, hares, and other small animals
Natural Balance Carnivore Beef (52%), Mazuri Exotic
Canine Dry Food (48%)
Herbivore: Zebra
Diet in the Wild
Diet at the Zoo
Grasses (70%), shrubs, and trees
Timothy Grass Hay (51%), ZNN Herbivore Grain (40%),
Apples, Carrots, Marion Leaf Eater Biscuits (as treats)
Insectivore: Aardvark
Diet in the Wild
Diet at the Zoo (daily diet for a pair)
Termites
Mazuri Insectivore Diet and Water (14 cups)
Diet in the Wild
Diet at the Zoo (daily diet for a 13 bats)
Flowers and Fruit
Fruit Mix (45%), Veggie Mix (31%), Mazuri Soft Bill
Bird Diet, ZuPreme Canned Primate Diet
Frugivore: Fruit Bat
Omnivore: Skunk
Diet in the Wild
Although striped skunks are classified as
carnivores, their diet is omnivorous. In the
wild, skunks eat snakes, lizards, insects, frogs,
eggs of ground-nesting birds, fruits, roots, and
leaves. Primarily insectivorous.
Diet at the Zoo
IAMS Weight Control Dog Food (23%), Frozen Veggies
(10%), Grapes (18%), Apple (46%), Banana (1%)
Fun Animal Food Facts:
Moe the Two-toed sloth
Daily diet:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Callitrichid powder
ZuPreem canned primate
Hardboiled egg
Carrot
Sweet Potato
Corn (on the cob)
Romaine lettuce
Mango
Apple
Pear
Grape
= 39 grams
= 15 grams
= 45 grams
= 24 grams
= 27 grams
= 27 grams
= 27 grams
= 24 grams
= 24 grams
= 24 grams
= 24 grams
TOTAL = 300 grams ~OR~ 0.66 pounds
** Daily cost to feed Moe = $1.00
Suci the Sumatran Rhino
Our female, Suci, weighs about 1,600 pounds.
Daily diet:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Fichus
ZNN Herbivore Diet
Orchard grass/Alfalfa
Apples
Bananas
Sweet potatoes
Carrots
= 80.0 lbs.
= 25.2 lbs.
= 2.5 lbs.
= 6.6 lbs.
= 4.4 lbs.
= 2.5 lbs.
= 0.64 lbs.
TOTAL = 121.88 pounds
** Daily cost of Fichus leaves alone = $400 (4 boxes @ $100.00/box)
** Annual Fichus leaf expense for Suci = $146,000
Schottzie, Jati, & Mai Thai the Asian Elephants
Each of the 3 female elephants has the following daily diet:
o
o
o
o
o
o
Timothy hay
ZNN Herbivore diet
Apples
Bananas
Sweet potatoes
Carrots
TOTAL = 141.25 pounds
= 116.50 lbs.
= 10.00 lbs.
= 5.30 lbs.
= 4.40 lbs.
= 1.25 lbs.
= 3.80 lbs.
** Daily cost to feed each elephant = $30
** Cost for a year = $10,950
Building Notes:
x
x
x
x
x
x
Front access is the front door across from the dumpster. Back access is the first door you
come to, next to the barn. The key to both doors is orange.
When entering the building from the back, the light switch is on the wall behind you to your
right. There are 2 switches. The one on the left always stays on.
Use the footbath as you enter and leave the commissary.
The Zoo’s 75 acres house 510 animal species and 3,000 plant varieties.
Each day, the commissary delivers to more than 25 different animal exhibits.
When combining all the food and care costs, the zoo spends 5+ million dollars a year.
Commissary “Front” Notes:
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Depending on the day of the week, the volume of food will vary.
o Food is shipped in to the zoo 6 out of 7 days a week from many different
countries
All food for the animals is ‘restaurant grade’ quality.
No live animals are kept in the commissary. They are shipped directly to the different
animal areas.
Human food cannot be in the same refrigerator as animal food in order to maintain our AZA
accreditation and USDA status.
On the wall are dispensers for Rodent Biscuits and Monkey Biscuits. The commissary staff
ship out larger quantities of them to the animal houses.
Orangutans love to eat onions like we eat apples. This is because they have a very poor
sense of smell!
Meat Defroster
o Takes down the temperature of meat and fish gradually without allowing let
them spoil
o Fish: herring (big ones) capelin (smaller ones)
o The Polar bears get 12 pounds of clean, fresh herring daily
o Only cow meat (beef) is used at the zoo
o Larger cats need more fat in their diet (the meat with a lot of white specks) and
small cats need lean meat.
o
x
x
x
**The packages with are messy and you will get blood on her hands! Make sure to wash your
hands.
Saw used to cut neck bones for carnivore enrichment
o Bones are easier to cut when they are still frozen
Do not allow the public into the freezer. They will stick to the floor! The temperature hovers
between -10 and -20 degrees Fahrenheit.
Refrigerator
o The light is above your head inside the fridge. Remember to TURN IT OFF!
x
o The zoo goes through 60 dozen eggs/week to a variety of animals
o There are various fruits and veggies to show the diversity and quality of food at
the zoo
o DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING THAT IS GOING TO PRIMATES! (Anything labeled
J.T./Jungle Trails, Gorillas, Nursery, or Lemur Island is HANDS OFF!)
The Zoo imports fichus leaves for our Sumatran rhino, Suci, twice a week from San Diego
o The leaves are kept in the large, free-standing refrigerator located outside the
front door to the commissary
o This is the single most expensive food we supply because of the need to have it
shipped in twice weekly. Some is harvested on zoo grounds when possible.
Commissary “Back” Notes:
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Walking through from the front, the light switch is on the right just inside the double doors.
Another light switch is located by the garage doors.
This is a good place to talk about nutrition and vocabulary. (See Vocabulary Cards)
The Vets and Nutritionist determine animal diets with help from the keepers. Other zoos
will share new findings, and discuss problems and solutions.
All food items are stored off the ground on pallets because of mice and rats. We cannot use
chemical pesticides!
o Note that chemicals/housekeeping supplies are caged, and are required to be kept
separate from all food items by the USDA.
There are different colored labels on the bags of food for various animals/diets.
o Polar Bear Chow
 The polar bears get 3-4 bags per week per bear, plus apples, carrots, grapes,
hard-boiled eggs, and even the occasional watermelon and pumpkin
o Mazuri Herbivore Diet
 Basic mixture for hoof stock in the Veldt and Wildlife Canyon
 Rhinos, zebras, bongos, duikers
Flamingo Diet
o Already has Roxiathian Red in it, which gives the birds their pink color
o It is moistened into mush and then fed out. The flamingos have different foods in
the summer versus in the winter.
ZuPreme Cans: Given to primates and cats
R/D Feline Diet: Given to cats with bladder issues
Monkey Diet: Soaked and used in rice bread at times
IAMS Less Active: Given to Polar Bears and any older, less-mobile animals
The bags along the wall are mostly for birds. These diets change seasonally.
The barn (next building over) houses all of the hay
o Timothy hay for hoof stock, Orchard grass for Sumatran rhinos, alfalfa, and straw for
bedding
o Natural light destroys the nutritional value of alfalfa and timothy hay, so the
windows are painted black
The Story of King Tut (Silverback gorilla)
o Back in the 1960’s, King Tut became very ill and no one was sure what the problem
was. A visitor mentioned that King Tut seemed to have the same symptoms he did
when he found out he was allergic to wheat. All of our primates got bread as part of
their diet, so the zoo immediately stopped feeding bread and started making rice
bread as a healthy alternative. The original recipe contained boiled rice, raisins, and
Karo brand syrup (sugar!). After several years of eating raisins every day, many of
the primates developed high levels of iron in their blood, so the raisins were
removed. Also, after several years of the Karo syrup, the animals developed
problems with their teeth, so it was removed as well. The Commissary keepers no
longer make “gorilla rice bread” because it is not nutritionally necessary.
Green Initiatives: Composting
x
x
The average American produces approximately 1,600 pounds of solid waste every year
o Only about 1/3 of this is recycled, while the rest is sent to landfills
o 25% of trash produced in the U.S. is yard trimmings and food scraps
 This can be composted into nutrient rich organic material
 Biomass (organic material such as wood, crops, manure, food
scraps, etc.) can be converted into usable forms of energy
 Methane gas
x Released from rotting garbage/animal waste
 Transportation fuels
x Ethanol and Biodiesel
The Cincinnati Zoo is going for #1 at #2!!
o What goes in must come out!!
o “Zoo Doo”
 Produced per day
 1,100 pounds of dung from Elephant Reserve
 Asian elephant & Giraffe
 900 pounds of dung from Wildlife Canyon
 Sumatran rhino, Camel, Takin, Red river hog, Gazelle,
Przewalski’s horse
 700 pounds of dung from the Veldt
 Indian rhino, Black rhino, Zebra
 About 1 million pounds of Zoo Doo produced annually
 Projected to recycle 500 tons within first year of project (March 2011March 2012)
 6 months into project
 182.4 tons of organic waste have been recycled
o Zoo received a $35,000 grant from the Hamilton County Recycling and Solid
Waste District to launch and implement the first year of our composting project
 All-terrain forklift and 7 dumpster-sized compost bins were purchased
o The Zoo has partnered with Marvin’s Organic Gardens in Lebanon, OH
 They receive the organic material for their gardens
 Eventually it will be available to the public to purchase
o Current exhibits incorporated into the program:
 Elephant Reserve
 Wildlife Canyon
 Veldt
 Manatee Springs
 Children’s Zoo/Nursery
o Benefits of the program
 Less waste in landfills
 Reduction in methane production in landfills
 $5,000-10,000 a year saved by the Zoo in waste management costs
Green Initiatives: Eco-Cell Project
x
x
The Cincinnati Zoo works hard to recycle batteries, cell phones, light bulbs, and electronics
o Encourage the public to also recycle these items at the Zoo
The Cincinnati Zoo has partnered with local schools to collect and recycle old cell phones
o Statistics
 270 million cell phone users in the U.S. and 4.1 billion cell phone users
worldwide
 On average, cell phone users in the U.S. buy a new cell phone every 18 months
 Less than 1% of old cell phones are recycled
o Cell phones contain hazardous waste
 Lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic are all found in cell phones
 When cell phones are thrown away and end up in a landfill, this
hazardous waste can get into the soil and groundwater
o Cell phones and conservation
 Cell phones contain an ore called coltan
 Coltan is mined in endangered gorilla habitat in Africa
 Reducing the need to mine coltan can help reduce the loss of
the rainforest and primate habitat
 The Cincinnati Zoo sends the phones collected to Eco-Cell, a Louisville-based
company
 In return, the Zoo gets a small profit for recycling phones to Eco-Cell
 The funds raised are used to support gorilla field conservation
projects such as the Mbeli Bai field study
Food Web African Savannah Game
1. Introduce the simulation activity.
Ask students to imagine that they are animals in Africa’s Savannah ecosystem. Explain that you
will assign each student a role, and they will explore what happens when they interact with
other animals in the food web.
2. Assign roles.
Give each student a slip of paper that assigns him or her the role of one of the following
animals in the African Savannah food web: cheetah, impala, zebra, and lion. There should be far
fewer lions than cheetahs, impala, and zebra. For example, if you have a class of 30 students,
there should be 4 lions, 6 cheetahs, 10 impala, and 10 zebra.
3. Conduct the simulation.
x
x
x
x
x
x
Designate one section of the room as an area of savannah grass. Explain that the
savannah grass supports many animals and is very important to the ecosystem.
Ask the impala and zebra to go to the savannah grass area. Explain that the grass is their
favorite type of food. Tell them they cannot leave the savannah grass area.
Ask the cheetah to stand in an area near the savannah grass (under an acacia bush).
Explain that they might be looking for impala to eat.
Have the lions travel slowly to the area where the cheetah, impala and zebras are.
Explain that the lions and cheetah are hungry—what will they decide to eat today?
Allow each lion to choose “prey” by selecting one of the other students to “eat” and
tapping the student on the shoulder. The students “eaten” by the lions should go to
another area of the room to watch the rest of the simulation.
Pause the simulation and tell the cheetahs that they are scared of lions. Tell the cheetah
to take three steps away from the savannah grass when a lion gets close to them.
Each lion, meanwhile, should return to the savannah grass area and “eat” another
impala or zebra.
4. Have students reflect on their experiences and new understandings.
Ask students to describe what they learned from the simulation. Ask: What would be different if
there were no lions? Students should recognize that the lions changed the behavior of the
cheetahs. They should also realize that the lions, by eating impala and zebras, help keep those
animals from eating too much savannah grass. Ask: What might happen if the animals eat too
much of the savannah grass? Students should understand that if the savannah grass disappears,
so will many of the animals that eat it, including impala and zebra, and possibly cheetah and
lions. Make sure students understand that the savannah grass is important in the ecosystem,
and the lions and cheetah help keep the savannah grass at just the right level by eating the
animals that eat the grass.
Discussion After the hike
Explain that we have just seen some elements of the African savannah ecosystem
Have students stand in a large circle with their ecosystem role cards visible. One at a time, have
students read aloud from their card, “I am the…and I am connected to…because…” and toss the
ball of string to the environmental factor or organism (student) they are connected to. Discuss
the relationships and continue building the community web until all roles are part of the web.
Next, have one student let go of the string and discuss what would happen if that factor or
organism were no longer part of the community web. Then, have another connected student
let go of the string. With an emphasis on the African savanna ecosystem, discuss how all of the
strings are essential in keeping the web together. Discuss how humans interact with the African
savanna community. Ask: What is the role of humans in the ecosystem? (Humans are omnivores
and top-level consumers. They use ecosystem resources and alter the environment so they
often compete with other organisms for food and space.) Ask: How do humans and big cats
interact? What about the cattle? Elicit from students that humans and big cats have a similar
role in terms of feeding relationships. They are both top carnivores and help balance the
ecosystem by consuming herbivores. Humans and lions and cheetahs also come into conflict
because they are on the same trophic level. This leads to conflict which has become
coexistence between predators and people in the integrated African landscape.
Works Cited:
Beyond Ecophobia- David Sobel
The Safari Companion- Richard Estes
Hope for animals and their World- Goodall & Maynard
Biology- The Dynamics of life” Glencoe/Mcgraw Hill
Ecology: Concepts & Applications- Manuel Molles
Elmwood Park Zoo- Website
Africa Outpost Games:
**Africa I (ages 7-11)
OH Antelope!
Introduction:
This lesson in environmental education is necessary to show children the interdependence of
animal life with their environment. With our planet in the serious condition it exists in today,
children need to see the plan of nature so that they can understand the need to preserve and
protect our resources.
Objectives:
x Describe the fundamental necessities of animals: food, water, shelter, and space in a
suitable arrangement.
x Demonstrate to students that without these essential components, animals cannot
survive.
Playing:
Have students count off in fours, with all those sharing the same number gathering in certain
corners of the classroom. Mark off two imaginary parallel lines on the floor that are about ten
yards apart on each side of the classroom. Have all the “1’s” stand behind one line, and have
everyone else stand behind the other line. The “1’s” will become the deer. The other students
will become the components of a habitat: food, water, shelter, and space.
When a Antelope is looking for food, it should clamp its hands over its stomach. When it is
looking for water, it puts its hands over its mouth. When it is in need of shelter, it holds its
hands together over its head. When it needs space, it should hold its arms straight out at its
sides. The students who are the components of habitat may choose which component they will
be at the beginning of each round, and will depict that component in the same manner as the
antelope. An antelope can choose to look for any of these needs during each round, but it
cannot change what it is looking for in that round. It can change in the next round if it survives.
Have one chaperone watching the “habitat” and one watching the “antelope” for cheaters! No
one can change their minds!!!
The game starts with all players lined up on their respective lines with their backs to the
students at the other side. The teacher asks all students to pick their sign. When they are ready,
on the count of three, have the students turn and face each other, showing their signs.
The Antelope WALK to the habitat component they are looking for and take that component
back to the antelope side of the line. (If they do not walk, they dehydrate and die before they
can get to their necessary match!) Finding a match means that deer has successfully met its
needs, and has reproduced as a result. Any antelope that fails to find the component it was
seeking dies, and will become part of the habitat, joining the students on the habitat side.
The instructor keeps track of the number of antelope at the beginning and end of each round as
a graph on a whiteboard. Continue to play until you have a decent graph on the board.
Interpretive Points:
x
x
x
At the end of the rounds, discuss the activity, encouraging the students to talk about
what they observed and experienced.
o The herd grows in the beginning of the game, and then some must die as the
habitat is depleted. This fluctuation is a natural process, unless factors which
limit population become excessive.
Discuss what excessive limiting factors are:
o Drought, fires, uncontrolled OR controlled hunting
Have the students summarize what they have learned from the activity.
** Instructors can also create obstacles for the antelope!
x
Instructors can play Mother Nature and create drought (no water), fire (no food), or the
increase of predators in the habitat (smaller space).
**Instructors can ask the students to sit down and help them come up with some of these
scenarios after playing a few rounds. Ask what naturally/unnaturally occurring events increase
antelope populations. This can become an interesting conversation—keep it going!
QUICK FROZEN CRITTERS
Introduction:
This activity is best done after an activity that introduces the concepts of limiting factors, such
as “Oh Antelope”.
There are many factors that influence the survival of animals. A few examples are disease, overgrazing of cattle, accidents or food shortages. When one of these factors influences the survival
rate of a population of animals, it then becomes a limiting factor.
Predators can be limiting factors for prey, and even vice versa when you think about it. Animals
display a variety of behaviors in predator-prey relationships like signaling to others, fight or
flight, scrambling for cover, and even “freezing” on the spot to escape detection or capture.
Many times, this really depends on how close the predator is to the prey.
The closer the predator comes to the prey animal, the more likely it is that the prey will
“freeze” in place. This occurs due to a kind of physiological shock in the animal. Shelter or
camouflage may also make them invisible to the predator when they freeze.
Too often, people who come upon animals quickly, and see them immobile, infer that the
animals are unafraid, when, in reality, the animals are “frozen” (or, as the saying goes, “frozen
stiff”). The major purpose of this activity is for students to recognize the behaviors of prey
when predators are in the area.
Equipment:
x Food tokens (enough for 3 per student)
x Colored flags (to tie to the predator’s arm)
x 3-4 hoops to serve as “cover” markers
x Pencil/paper to record number of captures, if desired
Group Size:
x 15+ students
o One “predator” per every 4-6 “prey”
Setting:
x Indoors/Outdoors
Key Vocabulary:
x Predator
x Prey
x Adaptation
Playing:
Select any of the following pairs of animals:
**After playing a few rounds, you can assign different pairings.
Prey
Impala
Springbok (gazelle-like)
Wart hogs
Predators
African wild dogs
Lions
Cheetah
Organize the group with predators on one side of the room and prey on the other side, with
one end of the field as the “food source” (where the tokens are lying) and the other end as the
“shelter”. There should be at lease three food tokens for each prey animal. Predators should be
clearly identified.
Have students help identify some adaptations each species might have to stay alive.
Three to four hula hoops are placed on the open area between the “shelter” and the “food”.
These represent additional shelter, or “cover”, for the prey, and can be randomly placed.
At the beginning of the round, the prey move from their shelter to the food source, collecting
one food token per trip in their cups, and then returning to the primary shelter. To survive, prey
must obtain three food tokens. Their travel is hazardous, however. They need to be alert to
possible predators. If they spot a predator, they can use various, appropriate prey behavior,
including warning other prey that a predator is near.
x
x
x
Impala have to emit a warning snort (often high pitched) alarm call: “Snort-Snort-snort”
Springbok have to pronk: which is a stiff legged jump- they will do when running
Warthogs have to make a snorting sound: “Grunt-Grunt-Grunt”
Prey has two ways to prevent themselves from being caught by predators: 1) They may “freeze”
any time a predator is within five feet of them (Crouching on the ground is the best way to be
clear as to who is frozen.) or, 2) They may plunge into cover (All of the body must be in the hula
hoop to be safe!).
Frozen prey may blink, but otherwise should be basically still, without talking. Predators must
move on if their prey is frozen. If it is the end of a round, and the prey is not in a safety zone,
you can discuss what might happen to that animal. Normally, the predator will move on and the
prey will escape if the prey is still or well-camouflaged.
Predators start the activity anywhere in the open area between the ends of the field, and thus
are randomly distributed between the prey’s food and the primary shelter. Predators attempt
to capture prey in order to survive, tagging only moving (not “frozen”) prey.
Optional:
Prey can have bandanas in their pockets that the predators have to capture to represent a
successful predation. Predators must each capture 2-3 prey in order to survive. (This works well
if the room is small, or if the predators are good at tagging.) Captured prey will give the
predator their food tokens.
Play 4 rounds, allowing each student to be both predator and prey.
**NOTE: Establish ground rules for student behavior—no full tackles, grabbing clothes, etc.! A
time limit of 5-7 minutes is suggested for each round of the game. (Captured prey on the
sidelines will get restless if rounds are much longer!)
Remind prey that they can remain frozen for as long as they like, but if they do not have enough
food at the end of the activity, they will starve to death. In nature, an animal must balance the
need to find food with the need for safety.
Interpretive Points:
x
x
x
Discuss with the students the ways they escaped capture when they were prey.
What means did they use as predators to capture prey?
In what ways are adaptations important to both predator and prey?
Variations and Extensions:
x
Conduct the activity for 3-4 rounds, recording the number of captures during each
round. Have students who are captured become predators, and each predator who is
not getting enough food become a prey animal in the succeeding round. This quickly
leads to the concept of dynamic balance as prey and predator populations fluctuate in
response to each other.
x
Have the students walk or hop only, or assign different locomotive forms to each
animal.
Africa Overnight II (ages 11+)
The H .O.P.E. Jeopardy Game
There are 4 major factors that influence coexistence between people and wildlife. Each letter of
the HOPE acronym represents a particular factor which allows humans and wildlife to coexist—
Habitats, Opportunities, People, and Education. This acronym is supposed to give kids buzz
words to help them remember how humans and wildlife can coexist.
Coexistence can happen in our neighborhoods as well. We can begin to look at our
neighbors, not only as the Jones’ down the street but also as the cardinals, squirrels and
deer in the backyard. Ask the kids if they can think of anyways to promote wildlife in
their backyards? (Nest boxes, bird feeders, bat houses, native plants, flowers for
pollinators, etc.)- The team with the best response to this question will get to go first in
HOPE jeopardy.
Habitats
-Humans and wildlife share habitats
-Landscape mosaics are important
Opportunities
-Innovations
-Partnerships/Building relationships
People
-Human livelihood is important
-People are part of the natural landscape
-People are also the solution
Education
-Education is critical to help people learn sustainable ways of living and being successful
-Everyone can be a teacher by talking to friends and family about how they can live sustainably
How to play:
Set up the Jeopardy board in front of the room. Split the group into 2-4 teams. Decide which
group gets to go first by asking a trivia question. In turn, each team will chose a point value
within a category. Read the answer from the matching point value on the answer sheet. Allow
the teams a few minutes to discuss and come up with an answer. Use a few selected adults to
help you decide which group had their hand up first. Let them answer, and if they are correct,
give them the point card. If they are wrong, the question goes to the next team. Use the hints
as necessary.
Play until all cards have been answered, time is up, or you feel the group is unable to
concentrate any longer. Have each team count up their points and write them up on the board.
Choose a final jeopardy category, and give each team a piece of paper and pencil to write down
their wager. Read the prompt and give them a few minutes to answer on the paper. With each
answer, add or subtract the appropriate points. The team with the most points wins!
We are all winners for our efforts! Congratulate each team on their concentration and hard
work.
Habitats: (Integrated Landscapes)
500points:
Name two large predators found on the African savannah
-Cheetah/Lion/African Wild Dog/Leopard
700points:
What animals help livestock farmers share their landscape with predators, like cheetahs?
a) Eagles
b) Lions
c) Anatolian Shepards (Dogs)
d) House Cats
1000points:
What percentage of wildlife lives outside national parks and wildlife reserves in Kenya?
a) 100%
b) 75%
c) 50%
d) 25%
1500points:
In Asia, lions are only found in the wild in one place. Where is it?
a) China
b) Mongolia
c) India
d) Borneo
-Asiatic lion are smaller and have shorter manes than African lions. The remaining
population lives in the Gir Forest Sanctuary.
Opportunities (Innovation/Partnerships)
500points:
A partnership between the Cincinnati Zoo and The Angel fund has raised over ______________
dollars in support of predator coexistence in the wild.
a)
b)
c)
d)
$250,000
$500,000
$750,000
$1,000,000
700points:
You have to be a conservation scientist to help coexistence between lions and livestock
farmers?
a) True
b) False
-Living Example of how all humans can make difference in the world-- A 13year old Maasai
boy, named Richard was innovative and created an invention that came from observing lion
behavior. Richard realized that lions were afraid of venturing near the farm's stockade when
someone was walking around with a flashlight. He put his young mind to work and a few weeks
later he'd come up with an innovative, simple and low-cost system to scare the predators away,
lion lights. He fitted a series of flashing LED bulbs onto poles around the livestock enclosure,
facing outward. The lights were wired to a box with switches and to an old car battery powered
by a solar panel. They were designed to flicker on and off intermittently, thus tricking the lions
into believing that someone was moving around carrying a flashlight.
And it worked. Since Richard rigged up his "Lion Lights," his family has not lost any livestock to
the predators, to the great delight of his father and astonishment of his neighbors. We
(adults and kids can make a difference)
1000points:
The Maasai tribe has lived harmoniously with wildlife for centuries. With the integration of
this_________________________ technology the Maasai can better avoid lions and graze their
cattle.
a) Facebook
b) Twitter
c) Global Positioning Systems (GPS)
d) Go Pro Cameras
1500points:
What noise on the African savannah serves as a summons for lions?
a) Elephants trumpeting
b) Great egrets feeding
c) Truck engines
d) Hyenas on a kill
-Hyenas make a lot of noise when devouring prey, which is an irresistible summoning to
lions. Telling them food is available and all they have to do is arrive and scare away the
hyenas.
People
500points:
Rebuilding the Pride is a community based conservation effort that seeks to maintain a healthy
lion population and provide vibrant livelihoods of the local _______________________
community.
a) Maasai
b) Cincinnati
c) Amboseli
d) Kramer
700points:
People living with wildlife are part of the natural landscapes that exist.
a) True
b) False
1000points:
People can be the change _________________ wish to see in the world.
a) We
b) You
c) Me
d) Us
-Reference the background information (e.g. through innovation & coexistence) - Take time
to talk about Cathryn Hilker, Jack Hanna, Jane Goodall and them tell if they want. They can
certainly be the next person to help conserve our wonderful natural world! This is
paraphrased from Ghandi (the question)
1500points:
Researchers can estimate the age of a lion based on what?
a) The length of their mane
b) The color of their mane
c) The length of their tail
d) The color of their nose
- After about 3 years of age, the fleshy part of the nose begins to freckle or become liver
spotted. As the lion ages, more pigmentation appears until the nose is entirely black by about 8
years. A general rule of thumb is that by 6 years noses are >50% black.
Education
500points:
Coexistence between wildlife and people starts with what?
a) Education
b) Innovation
c) People
d) All of the above
700points:
Name one thing you learned tonight
This is completely subjective! Instructor’s call- will you accept their answer?!
1000points:
One of the most important elements of advancing conservation in the future starts with what?
a) Removing people from wildlife
b) Making more national parks
c) Education
d) Drinking lots of coffee
-Education is the starting place for all change in the world! As humans we have no influence
over natural selection and evolution on a geologic time scale. However, we DO have influence
over the social evolution of our species. In this realm we can make a difference! Our actions
and behaviors can socially evolve our species.
-By coming to an overnight you as participants are positively affecting global conservation, they
are supporting the Zoo. Thank the participants for taking the first step in making a positive
change in our world. If people don’t understand the issues that wildlife face now and in the
future we are powerless to change. Remind everyone that we are all educators and we can talk
to family and friends about moving conservation forward- also that we are keystone species
and our behaviors no matter how small can have monumental effects!
1500points:
Predators located at the top of a food web are considered.
a) Primary Producers
b) Secondary Producers
c) Tertiary Consumers
d) Secondary Consumers
Exclamation Round! In order for conservation to happen and be affective- we must be
enthusiastic about it!
!
500points
The continent of Africa is host to several types of ecosystems, name one:
-Savannah, Rainforest, Desert
700points
What element in an African cheetah’s landscape serves as a communication post (i.e.
Facebook/Twitter)?
a) Playtree
b) Water Hole
c) Mountain Range
d) Sand Pit
1000points
Are cheetah’s a diurnal predator or a nocturnal predator?
a) Nocturnal
b) Diurnal
1500points
Co-evolution happens between two types of species, what is their relationship?
a) Predators & other predators
b) Predators & their offspring
c) Predators & their prey
d) Co-evolution does not happen in natural systems
APPENDIX I
Introduction Talking Points:
All Age Groups:
x Of the 235 carnivores worldwide, Africa is home to 66 species, mostly small 50% under
20 inches (smaller than an average winter wreath you would hang on your front door 
or most of these carnivores could fit into a basketball hoop). They range in size from the
dwarf mongoose 9oz to African Lion 400lbs.
o Ask the Prowling for Predators I group- To play a little word association (What do
you think of when you hear the word predator? Big teeth, claws, talons, sharp
beak, etc. Generally, mega-predators (Tigers, Lions, Polar Bears).
o Ask the Prowling for Predators II group- How a predator fits into a food chain?
Are all predators at the top? Can a predator also be another animals’ prey?
What would happen (to the herbivores, their food source, to the scavengers, etc)
if we removed all the predators from an ecosystem? What would happen to the
flow of energy that ultimately begins with the sun?
x The predators featured in our Africa exhibit are mammalian and from the Order
Carnivora. This is an order of flesh eating mammals that arose about 40 milllion years
ago. The Carnivora divided early into 2 separate lines: Felids and their allies & Canids
and their allies.
x Interactions of these predators and their prey helped shape the animals we see today.
By predators always taking the individuals easiest to catch, predators promote survival
of the fittest; as their prey becomes harder to catch, predators that improve
performance are “winners;” their offspring pressure prey species to improve, and so on,
coevolution. If you want to nerd out (Prowling for Predators II- State Standard Grade 5Interconnectedness in a system)- this is often referred to as the “Red Queen
Hypothesis” as life must continually evolve to avoid extinction, especially in terms of
predator/prey. Technically, this is an evolutionary hypothesis which proposes that
organisms must constantly adapt, evolve, and proliferate not merely to gain
reproductive advantage, but also to survive while pitted against ever-evolving opposing
organisms in an ever-changing environment. The term “Red Queen” comes from a
statement that the Red Queen made to Alice in Lewis Carroll's Through the LookingGlass in her explanation of the nature of Wonderland:
o “Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same
place.” The kids may have seen the movie, “Alice in Wonderland.”
*Live Animal Demonstrations:
You will also bring in African Predators (Barn Owl/Scops Owl/Ball Python) and African prey
species (Hedgehog/Radiated Tortoise) to reinforce the concepts you are verbally describing.
x
These predators have excellent senses- all are acute but variably developed, depending
on their ecological niche. Most predators have frontal placement of their eyes which
increases visual acuity by enabling the animal to see in 3D. There are different types of
predators aside from their morphological differences (i.e. size). Building on the
ecological niche concept, begin to weave the complexities of an ecosystem together for
your participants. For example, predators are a necessary and beneficial part of
ecological systems. If we remove them from the picture, there are consequences.
Predators provide ecological stability by regulating the impacts of grazing and browsing
animals, thus ensuring the overall productivity of the habitat.
o Ask the participants if you were to remove lions from a savannah ecosystem
what would happen? To the herbivores, to the producers? Would the removal
lead to more surviving herbivores, which would eat more grass, etc….
Cheetah Exhibit Talking Points:
-The exhibit contains large shade trees under which the cheetahs are expected to rest in view.
Fabricated weaver bird nests hang from one of the trees. There is an artificial termite mound in
the public space (this is where one of your clues will be hidden) with a flip-up interactive. Also,
in the exhibit there is a cheetah play tree. Play trees are quite distinctive as they normally have
a large trunk, a wide canopy, and a good view of the surrounding area. However, not all trees in
the bush that seem to be suitable play trees are visited by cheetahs, so there is some quality of
the tree beyond the obvious that cheetahs are looking for when deciding which trees to use.
Cheetahs in the wild will use these as marking posts (I would refer to them as the wild cheetahs
facebook page or twitter account, email, whatever). Playtrees are very important for cheetahs
as they can communicate their territory to other cheetahs and if females are in estrus. These
playtrees are communication stations which are critically important for the cheetahs survival as
cheetahs are mostly solitary animals. They require common areas to communicate to
eachother.
Predatory Adaptations:
Built for Speed
A cheetah can sprint across a distance of 92 feet in a single second.
· Head—Small aerodynamic head
· Shoulders—Long, thin streamlined body
· Spine—Flexible spine for maximum stretching
· Legs—Long, strong legs for long strides
· Claws—Claws for traction, like cleats on running shoes
· Brake pads—Hard, pointed pads for braking
· Tail—Long tail for balance and steering
General Information
Length: 3.5 to 4.5 ft
Weight: 85 to 140 lbs
Lifespan: Up to 12 yrs in wild
Habitat: Savanna and dry forest
Prey: Small antelope, warthog, hare and game birds
Status: Species at Risk (IUCN—Vulnerable)
Range: Africa and western Asia (Iran)
o Prowling for Predators I- Mention- the cheetah play tree in the exhibit and how
cheetahs use it as a message board (as the cheetah may be hard to see- State Standard
Grade 2- Interactions with habitat). Also, talk about how a predator like a cheetah
learns how to be a successful cheetah, like we do from our parents over the first
18months of its life (in our case it is 18yrs.). When a cheetah is born it stays with its
mother for about 18months. During these 18months, the cheetah is learning how to
hunt, which prey is ok to hunt and the techniques needed to catch prey. All predators
are born with the innate sense to chase things that run away. However, learning how to
catch, subdue and kill the prey are learned behaviors- (State Standard Grade 3Behavior, growth & changes).
o Prowling for Predators II- Certainly talk about the information above- communication,
learned behaviors and hunting strategies. With this group- drill down into more detail in
terms of coexistence with predators through innovation- The cheetah and dog program
used in Namibia which is a great archetype example of how humans and wildlife are
part of the same system (State Standard Grade 5- Interconnectedness). Ask the group
if cats and dogs get along?! Then talk about the successful program and how individuals
make change in the world (See below).
Supporting Cheetah Conservation
Cheetahs are endangered and their population worldwide has shrunk from about 100,000 in
1900 to an estimated 9,000 to 12,000 cheetahs today. The Cincinnati Zoo has been dubbed
“The Cheetah Capital of the World” because of its conservation efforts through education,
public interpretation, and the captive cheetah breeding program.
The Angel Fund
In 1982, a woman named Cathryn Hilker – Individuals can make a huge change in the world!!
Even people right here in Cincinnati!!! and a cheetah called Angel launched a program at the
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden that was the first of its kind for zoos in the nation: the Cat
Ambassador Program. Cathryn and Angel were partners for 12 years here at the Zoo, working
to educate people about cheetahs—where they live, what they need, and what we need to do
to save them. In her lifetime, Angel connected with over 1,000,000 people through the Zoo’s
programs.
In 1992, The Angel Fund was established in Angel’s memory to continue the work which she so
bravely began by letting her very presence, day in and day out, speak for every living cheetah.
Angel helped give cheetahs, everywhere, a presence, a voice, a real chance. Funds raised by the
Angel Fund support cheetah conservation efforts worldwide.
Livestock Guarding Dog Program
Commercial farmers in Namibia were in need of more protection for their cattle and other
small stock (goats, sheep) for which they earn a living. As a direct response to this need, CCF
introduced a special guard dog program. We breed Anatolian Shepherds, place them with
farmers, supply free medical care for the dogs and train farmers in the best dog care and
support. These wonderful working dogs then live with the herds 24 hours a day, scaring away
predators such as the cheetah. What a success this program continues to be! To-date we have
placed over 200 dogs and can report a dramatic impact on lowering the number of wild
cheetahs trapped and killed in Namibia.
Regional Cheetah Breeding Center
The Angel Fund was also the inspiration and funding source for the Zoo’s cheetah off-site
breeding facility at the Mast Farm. The Zoo’s Regional Cheetah Breeding Center is one of only a
handful of similar facilities in the United States managed by the Species Survival Plan. More
than 60 cheetah cubs have been born in Cincinnati so far.
In Situ Conservation
The Angel Fund and the Cincinnati Zoo are integral parts of a true international effort
committed to the cheetah’s survival in Africa. From South Africa and Botswana in the south up
through Kenya and Tanzania in East Africa, the Angel Fund has contributed more than $1
million in support of predator coexistence in the wild.
Lion Exhibit Talking Points:
-Take your audience on a journey to Africa (have them close their eyes) arrive in Kenya in the
Maasai land. Then have them step off the plane and take a deep breath in…… What do they
smell, endangered feces but more importantly the smell of campfires and cattle dung (this is
truly what it smells like). Now you can begin to talk about the Maasai people and their pastoral
lifestyles. A pastoral lifestyle is that of shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land
(Sharing their land with wildlife) based on the seasons and the changing availability of water
and pasturage.
-When you discuss the topic of coexistence with younger kids and older audiences it may be
helpful to make an analogy between the Maasai people’s cattle and our domestic animals (i.e.
dogs, cats). The Maasai love their cattle like we love our dogs. They also “walk” or graze their
cattle much like we walk our dogs. Have the audience imagine they are walking their dog
through an African savannah ecosystem and see a pride of lions?!!
Sharing the same space can be tricky for lions and people.
Livestock and wildlife often graze in the same areas. Lions need to eat, and sometimes happen
upon livestock rather than wild animals. Losing one of their beloved cows to a lion is a hard for
loss for a Maasai, often creating a desire to retaliate. It is far better to prevent lion attacks in
the first place- this is where Rebuilding the Pride comes into play.
Rebuilding the Pride
Rebuilding the Pride is a community-based conservation program that combines tradition and
modern technology to restore a healthy lion population while reducing the loss of livestock to
lions in Kenya’s South Rift Valley. New technology keeps tabs on the lions. Local Maasai
research assistants track lions with Global Positioning System (GPS) collars. Knowing where the
prides are lets herders know where to avoid grazing their livestock.
Thanks to these efforts, lion populations are growing on the Olkirimatian and Shompole
ranches. Once down to a low of about 10 known lions in the area, the population is now
estimated to be nearly 70. The prides have been producing cubs and new lions are moving in
from surrounding areas. COEXISTENCE EQUALs SUCCESSFUL CONSERVATION!!
Lion General Information:
Length: Male – 8.5 to 10.5 ft
Female – 5 to 6 ft
Weight: Male – 330 to 530 lbs
Female – 270 to 400 lbs
Lifespan: Up to 18 yrs in wild
Behavior:
-Lions are the only truly social cat species, living in prides comprised a group of related females
and a dominant male. Lions are exceptional predators and hunt in groups, cooperatively to
take down large prey animals, like wildebeest, water buffalo and sometimes even elephants. In
order to effectively hunt cooperatively and communicate effectively lions can make 9 different
vocalizations.
Habitat: Savanna, woodland, and desert
Prey: Hoofed mammals, hares, small birds and reptiles
Status: Species at Risk (IUCN—Vulnerable)
Can People and Carnivores Coexist?
Yes, and the Maasai people have lived with lions and other wildlife for thousands of years in
Kenya’s South Rift Valley. However, as times change and their culture evolves, the traditional
Maasai way of maintaining that coexistence must also adapt. Most importantly, coexist is
imperative as more than 75% of Kenya’s wildlife lives outside of national parks, which makes
the South Rift Valley one of the most spectacular wildlife areas on the planet.