Meet the Summer Interns

The WildTimes

We are very excited to have 15 interns this Summer. Two of them are continuing from the Spring Semester, and one of them is returning from last Sum-mer. We are happy to have them with us! Make sure you stop and say hello when you see them educating the public during our many exhibit chats and presenta-tions this summer. They will be identified by their bright blue shirts that say EDUCATION on the back. Here’s a bit more about them—and stay tuned for the next issue to meet the re-maining Summer Interns!

Hi, my name is Jennifer Lorge, and I am finishing a BS in Biolo-gy from UW-Milwaukee. Work-ing with and caring for exotic animals makes me happy. As an intern at the NEW Zoo I will get to work up close and personal with animals during educational presentations. I am most looking forward to learning about differ-ent species of animals.

Hello! My name is Michael Pietraszek. I graduated this spring from the University of Wisconsin Green Bay as an Ani-mal Biology Major, and I was fortunate enough to be accepted into the NEW Zoo internship program! I've always loved the Zoo ever since I've been little, and it has been one of the main places where my passion for

animals was nurtured as I have grown up. I hope to gain the skills to pursue a professional career in Biology, and to do my part to give back as much as I can with our community (and our ecosystem!) here in Green Bay. I won't hold back for a moment in being the first to offer up my knowledge about animals, biolo-gy, and ecology to educate as many people as I can about why the animals at the NEW Zoo are important and what we can do to help protect them in the wild! If we all work together, we can care for one another, prevent animal populations from going extinct, and make sure that our planet will be a healthy and sus-tainable place to live! :)

My name is Haley Grunwald and I just finished my second year at St. Norbert College. I am double majoring in biology, with an organismal concentration, and environmental science. This is my second internship in a zoo and needless to say, I love work-ing with animals and educating the public.

Hello! My name is Riley Benz, I am a Junior at Wisconsin Lu-theran College majoring in Bio-logical Anthropology. I have always been involved with ani-mals, they are my passion. I am highly interested in primate con-servation. Interning with the NEW Zoo is a true blessing be-

cause they care about animal conservation so greatly while also teaching the public about the animals and the importance of each species. I am so thankful for this opportunity, and I look forward to all the wonderful learning experiences.

Hi! My name is Erin Dalebroux and I am a sophomore at UW-Madison. I have loved going to the zoo since I was small, and I am hoping to someday be a zookeeper. I am very much look-ing forward to working at the NEW Zoo and for all of the fun experience that comes with it.

Hi, my name is Trevor Laszczkowski and I'm a Junior at UW-Stevens Point studying biol-ogy and captive wildlife. I want-ed to be an intern at the zoo because I am interested in gain-ing hands on experience working in a zoo setting to better myself and prepare for a future in ani-mal care.

Hi! My name is Megan Cies-lewicz and I will be graduating from UW-River Falls this com-ing December with a degree in animal science and a chemistry minor. I have had much experi-ence with small animals and cattle, so I am really excited to get the chance to work with exot-ic animals. I am also looking forward to the opportunity to teach others about these animals.

Inside this Issue...

Conservation Connection 2

Animal Collection Report 3

N.E.W. Zoological Society 4

Summer Zoo Camp Registra-tion - LAST CALL -

5

From the Director 6

Calendar of Events

Kids’ Page

NEW Zoo & Adven tu r e Pa r k

June 2015

Issue 87

The June 2015 Paws & Claws

Gift Shop Special Is…

10% off all ALLIGATOR

items

We are excited to announce our “Summer Line Up” of educational programs and presentations at the zoo this year. All of our chats and presentations will feature educational topics, the vast majority with conservation topics. These programs will occur DAILY now through August 15th, so be sure to stop by and take advantage of these free, fun of-ferings! Here’s the daily schedule:

10:00am Raccoon Exhibit Chat

10:45am Red Wolf Exhibit Chat

10:30am Bald Eagle Chat & Diving Duck Feeding

12:00pm Animal Presentation in Amphitheater

12:30pm Prairie Dog Exhibit Chat

1:15pm North American River Otter Exhibit Chat

2:00pm Animal Presentation in Amphitheater

3:00pm African Penguin Exhibit Chat

4:00pm Animal Presentation in Amphitheater

5:00pm Bald Eagle Chat & Diving Duck Feeding

And, don’t forget, our Giraffe Feeding Experience will also be open DAILY from 10:30am to 1:30pm and again from 2:30pm to 5:30pm. We look forward to having you visit this summer!

Conservation Connection: Free Programs at the Zoo

Page 2 The WildTimes

Something NEW for Zoo Pass Members this Summer

This summer, Zoo Pass Members have an opportunity to BEAT THE HEAT during the first Wednesday of every month in June, July, and August, because the NEW Zoo will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. exclusively for our

Zoo Pass Members!

Members can enjoy free coffee and juice in the Mayan Restaurant during this time, as well.

While you’re visiting, keep an eye out for Neil and the Fox 11 Van—as you just might see them “in action” during one of their live television spots.

These “Early Admission” days for Zoo Pass Members are June 3rd, July 1st, and August 5th. We look forward to seeing you here!

Not a member?? There’s still time to join! Check out our website for the details: http://newzoo.org/support/zoopass/

FREE animal encounters and Discovery Carts will also occur throughout the summer season!

You can also FEED THE DIVING DUCKS during our daily Bald Eagle Chats & Duck Feeding sessions.

Purchase tickets for just $2 each in the Visitor Center!

Petunia and Clover, the two young American Bison, are now residing in the Prairie Grasslands exhibit with the elk and pronghorn. The bison were released on exhibit to “repopulate the plains” as part of the AZA SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) program kickoff on May 15th. American Bison, like Black-footed Ferrets and Red Wolves, are an example of a species that would no longer exist in the wild without the help of captive breeding pro-grams in zoos. Before 1800, an esti-mated 60 million bison roamed North America. By 1900, only 300 re-mained in the US. In 1913, a reintro-duction program began with 14 ani-mals from the Bronx Zoo. Today, there are about 20,000 bison living in the wild. Although unregulated hunt-ing is no longer a threat to the spe-cies, loss of habitat remains a prob-lem.

After three years, young male Black Bear Aldo (below, right) has finally gained both the size and confidence to live full-time with adult female Winnie. Although the two have spent time together over the past year, the hand-raised male often felt intimidat-ed by the older female. Most of the time, the bears took turns being on exhibit. He is now finally comforta-ble with her rough style of play and the two can often be seen happily wrestling together.

The various pools, waterfalls and fountains throughout the facility are up and running for the season. Sever-al of the tropical birds (macaws, cockatoos) are still spending some colder days indoors but are now visi-ble in their exhibits when tempera-tures permit.

Two peacocks underwent vasectomy

procedures this month. This method of contraception does not affect the beautiful plumage or behavior of the birds but keeps our peafowl popula-tion to a manageable level.

Many of our birds were kept (or moved) indoors during the Spring migration season to protect them from Avian Influenza being spread by wild ducks. While they were in-side, the Trumpeter Swans laid their annual brood of eggs. To avoid dis-rupting incubation, the swans will remain off exhibit until the young have hatched. The rest of the bird collection has returned to life as usu-al and the swan family will be back in their exhibit when the cygnets are a day or two old.

The Canada Lynx gave birth to a sin-gle kitten (pictured with mom, above right) on 5/9/15. Lucy, a first time mother, is doing very well with her kitten. Because she has not yet been willing to leave the nest box when staff is present (and we see no need to force her), we have not yet deter-mined the sex of the baby. The kitten

will spend the majority of its time sleeping or nursing for the first 6 weeks of life. Although Lucy may choose to spend some time on exhibit with male lynx Carson, the kitten is not expected to make a public debut until it is old enough to venture out of the nest box later this summer.

Animal Collection Repor t: May 2015, by Carmen Murach

Page 3 The WildTimes

TICKETS ON SALE NOW (BY PHONE) 16TH ANNUAL “FEAST WITH THE BEASTS” EVENT,

PRESENTED BY CAPITAL CREDIT UNION! Hosted by: N.E.W. Zoological Society, Inc. & Wisconsin Restaurant Association

Monday, August 3rd from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the NEW Zoo

$35 in advance & $40 at the door (if any available, last year we SOLD OUT before the event)

Call 434-6814 to purchase tickets *Tickets will go on sale at other locations late June or early July*

Presenting the 2015 Food, Beverage, & Music Participants! 1951, alcorso restaurant, The Bottle Room, Caliente, Culver’s, Dean Distributing, De Grand Family Restaurant, Edible Arrangements, Fajita Republic, Four Way Bar & Restaurant, General Beverage, GFS Marketplace, Grazies, Green Bay Distillery, Hagemeister Park, HuHot Mongo-lian Grill, Indulge Catering, Kay Distributing, 95.9 KISS FM, 104.9 NASH FM, Krystal Kleer, Legends, La Java, Los Banditos, Michael Gilles-pie & the Trio, The Marq, Noodles & Company, Olsen’s Piggly Wiggly, Pepsi, rustique pizzeria + lounge, Sam & Louie’s Pizza, St. Brendan’s Inn, Subway, Texas Roadhouse, Titletown Brewing, Triangle Distributing, Tundra Lodge, Woodfire Lodge, & Zesty’s Frozen Custard!

Thank you to our wonderful Sponsors! 95.9 KISS FM, 104.9 NASH FM, FOX 11, Advanced Disposal, Associated Bank, BayCare Eye Clinic, BayTek Games, Capital Credit Union, DeLeers Construction, GBES, Green Bay Packers, Hart Design Foundation, Jones Sign, Kuehn Printing, PDQ, Reinhart Foods, S & L Motors, Treehouse Design, Victory Sign, Winona Foods, & Zeise Construction!

All proceeds from the event benefit the missions of the N.E.W. Zoological Society, Inc. & the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.

Celebrate that special man in your life with our Month of June “Father’s Day” specials because…

Dads Are Special Too!!! Purchase a raised arm river rock bench and have the name of a gentleman that is special to you en-graved and we will include an additional 10 letters at no cost to you! ~$80 value

~or~ Buy an 8x8 laser engraved brick, which includes up to 6 lines of wording, and we will include a stick-man dad, clipart at no extra charge! Cost of the brick $175.00

-savings of $75.00 off regular price

Happy Father’s Day!

N.E.W. Zoological Society News

Page 4 Issue 87

Children must be registered to attend a day that corresponds to their age group. The grades listed correspond to the grade the child will be entering at the end of the summer. Children should dress for the weather and wear comfortable shoes. Pre-registration is required and a limited number of spaces are available for each day’s session. Parents must provide a sack lunch for each child that does not require a microwave or refrigeration.

Cost is $21 per day for Zoo Pass Members OR $26 per day for non Zoo Pass Members.

Programs run from 8:45am to 2:00pm daily.

Summer Zoo Camp Program Descriptions

Sensational Senses: Animals have amazing senses! But how DO they see in the dark, hear under water, and feel without fingers? In this Zoo Camp, we’ll explore how animals make sense of the world around them. Offered July 8th and July 20th

Animal Bling: Animals may not wear clothes or jewelry, but they do have many ways of looking beautiful. They also need to look fierce, and sometimes strong, and sometimes even well-hidden! In this Zoo Camp, we’ll explore body coverings and learn how and animals either stand-out or blend-in. Offered July 16th and July 22nd

Classy Critters: Animals have class! Classification, that is. In this Zoo Camp, we’ll learn about the five different classes of vertebrates – amphibians, reptiles, fish, birds, and mammals – and discuss what makes them different. Offered July 6th, 14th, and 23rd Full on the 14th.

Animal Extremes: Animals survive in some seriously extreme environments! From the coldest frozen tundras to the hottest blazing deserts, in this Zoo Camp we’ll discover what “extreme living” is truly like. Offered July 7th, 15th, and 24th Full on the 15th.

Night Life: The life of a nocturnal creature, awake in the darkest night, is very different from that of a daytime animal, surviving under the sun. In this Zoo Camp, we’ll explore how nocturnal animals are adapted to see, hear, and survive in their environments. Offered July 9th and 21st Full with Wait Lists.

Alien Invaders: We don’t mean Martians from space! We’re talking about the invasive, exotic species that are taking over habitats around the globe. In this Zoo Camp, we’ll discuss how certain species cause harm to environments, as well as how and why we should stop them from invading. Offered July 13th . Full, Wait List.

All in a Day’s Work: Do you have what it takes to work with animals? In this Zoo Camp, we’ll learn about what zookeepers and other animal care staff members do on a day-to-day basis. Campers will even have an opportunity to enter an exhibit and experience the life of a zookeeper first-hand. Offered July 10th, 17th, 28th, and 31st. FULL Wait Lists started.

Back from the Brink: A zoo is more than just a place to see animals! Modern zoos play a very important role in bringing species back from the brink of extinction. In this Zoo Camp, we’ll learn about how animals become endangered, and discover what zoos – and you! – can do to help save them. Offered July 27th FULL, Wait List

AdditionalDetailsAvailablehttp://newzoo.org/education/zoo‐camps/

Toregistervisitwww.newzoo.org/ZooCampRegistration

For students entering 5th, 6th, OR 7th grades:

For students entering 3rd OR 4th grades:

For students entering 1st OR 2nd grade:

For students entering 5K:

Last Chance to Register for Summer Zoo Camp!

Page 5 The WildTimes

On May 15th the North-eastern Wisconsin Zoo & Adventure Park joined in with AZA accredited zoos and aquariums across the country to unveil a new and excit-

ing collaborative conservation initiative. A press conference was held and several new educational exhibits were unveiled. The new initiative is known as SAFE.

What is SAFE?

The Mission of AZA SAFE: Saving Ani-mals from Extinction is to combine the power of zoo and aquarium visitors with the resources and collective expertise of AZA members and partners to save ani-mals from extinction.

The Vision: Together we are saving the most vulnerable wildlife species from extinction and protecting them for future generations. Through AZA SAFE, for the first time, the entire AZA accredited zoo and aquarium community will focus our conservation science, our wildlife expertise and our 180 million visitors on saving endangered species.

The SAFE strategy is to identify 100 species with the most urgent needs in the wild and where the expertise and assets of zoos and aquariums can make the most difference. Then develop and im-plement comprehensive Conservation Action Plans for each targeted species. These will become the “blueprints” for saving species in zoos and aquariums and in the wild.

Let’s look at a few of the numbers of some current species:

For example, the amazing cheetah, the fastest land mammal on earth, once num-bered more than 100,000 in the wild. Today there are estimated to be fewer than 12,000 due to human-animal con-flict and shrinking habitats. AZA SAFE

will bring together AZA accredited zoos and aquariums to work with conservation partners to create a real future for chee-tahs in Africa.

Here are a few more species numbers.

In 1980 there were approximately 1,400,000 elephants in Africa. Today population estimates in the wild are about 450,000. We are losing approxi-mately 96 elephants a year at the current rate.

In 1970 tiger populations in the wild were estimated at approximately 40,000. Today current estimates are at 3,200.

In 1999, giraffe populations in the wild were estimated at 140,000. Today cur-rent estimates are at approximately 80,000.

According to the World Wildlife Fund’s 2014 Living Animal Report, the number of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish across the globe has declined by 52% since 1970.

And one more example of animals need-ing to be saved from extinction is the African Penguin. A species exhibited at the Zoo and part of our conservation efforts and contributions to worldwide conservation initiatives.

In 1920, the African penguin population may have been as high as 1 million breeding pairs. In 1956, the African penguin population was estimated at 141,000 breeding pairs in the wild. The current population is estimated at 17,263 breeding pairs. This means there has been more than a 60% reduction in the population that occurred between the years 2001 to 2009. The present popula-tion is only about 2.5% of its historical level. About 30,000 penguins died in oil spills in 1994 and 2000.

The good news is that AZA members like the NEW Zoo have a lot to offer

when it comes to conservation. Among its 220-plus members, AZA accredited facilities contribute approximately $160 million to field conservation efforts each year. Within AZA zoos and aquariums, there are more than 25,000 scientists, animal care experts and field conserva-tionists caring for more than 750,000 animals representing more than 7,000 species.

AZA members reach more than 180 mil-lion people per year coming through the gates. That’s more than the attendance at all professional sporting events in America combined annually.

Through SAFE, we and other AZA ac-credited zoos and aquariums across the country are using all our resources to-gether in a coordinated fashion to engage our communities and visitors to help us Save Animals from Extinction.

Please plan a visit and see the new SAFE wall & pillar with the life-size mountain gorilla sculptures directly behind our Visitor Center, as well as the additional educational exhibits in the Education & Conservation Center. The Education & Conservation Center exhibits include life size sculptures of extinct animals, a con-servation token voting station and a full size sculpture of a 12 foot great white shark (pictured below).

Plan a visit soon and see how you can save animals from extinction!

From the Director: What is SAFE? By Neil Anderson

Page 6 The WildTimes

In honor of our NEW shark replica, color this SHARK picture!

Kids Page

Page 7 The WildTimes

June 1st

Summer Hours begin. We will be open daily 9am to 8pm. Giraffe Feeding Experience will be open daily from 10:30am to 1:30pm and from 2:30pm to 5:30pm.

June 6th

Girl Scout Day even at the Zoo. 10:00am to 2:00pm. Free with Admission. Fun, educational activities for scouts and all zoo visitors in honor of World Oceans Day.

June 17th

Family Night at the Adventure Park. Reduced rates for families from 4pm to 7pm.

June 21st

Father’s Day. 9am to 8pm. Free Admission for all dads. Gifts while supplies last.

July 4th

Independence Day. The zoo will be open for regular hours from 9am to 8pm. Adventure Park features will be open from 11am to 7pm.

Upcoming Events & Things to Remember.. .

Want to know more about the WildTimes? Have a suggestion for an

article you would like to see, or would you like to submit an article?

Contact the Editor, Angela, at 920-662-2405 or through email, at

education@newzoo.org!

We are your only AZA Accredited Zoo in Northeastern Wisconsin.

4378 Reforestation Road Green Bay, WI 54313

Phone: 920-434-7841 Fax: 920-434-4162 E-mail: info@newzoo.org

NEW Zoo & Adven tu r e Pa r k

Your NEW Zoo is an always new, natural adventure that promotes recreation, education, and conservation through encounters with live animals.

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