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UPCOMING EVENTS ZtoU ZtoU brings you news about issues important to the Cleveland Zoological Society and people, like you, who support us.

Cleveland Zoological Society3900 Wildlife WayCleveland, Ohio 44109-3132

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It’s almost done. African Elephant Crossing was first conceived way back in 2002 just as the Zoo was breaking ground for the Sarah Allison Steffee Center for Zoological Medicine. For those of us (staff, donors and vendors) who have been with the project from the beginning, the satisfaction of bringing African Ele-

phant Crossing into being is thrilling. “We’ve known for years that African Elephant Crossing is something special. Now we can see the elephants in the space, walk the vil-lage and truly appreciate what we have accomplished” said Liz Fowler, Executive Di-rector of the Cleveland Zoological Society.

Having the Zoo’s three elephants home is a significant benchmark in the timeline for completing African Elephant Crossing. Last November, Moshi, Martika and Jo, all re-turned from their stay at the Columbus Zoo and got the first look at their new home. The three female elephants were transported via a specially equipped tractor-trailer. Martika and Jo rode together first and Moshi was driven separately later. Two of their keepers, a Zoo veterinarian and an animal care manager accompanied the elephants on both trips.

“Bringing the elephants back to Cleveland now allows ample time for both the elephants and their keepers, who stayed with them in Columbus, to get acclimated to the new ex-hibit before it opens on May 5,” said Zoo Director Steve Taylor. Continued on pages 4-5

ZtoU SPRING 2011 02 WHAT’S NEW AT THE ZOO? Inside Information

03 ADOPT A BUSH BABY! You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby!

04 FROM THE FIELD Countdown to African Elephant Crossing07 IN THE CIRCLE Behind-the-Scenes Tours and SO much more!

08 WHAT’S THE BUZZ? Dates to Remember

THEY’RE BACk!

2 ZtoU Spring 2011

RARE INFANT BUSh BABy BORN AT CLEVELAND METROPARKS ZOOLast fall the Zoo was proud to announce the birth of a Mohol bush baby. The lit-tle one is the offspring of mother, Yetty, and father, Yaupon, two of the fewer than 15 bush babies on exhibit in North America. Bush babies are a type of pro-simian, small primates that are neither monkeys or apes. “We’re very lucky to have this baby here. Cleveland Me-troparks Zoo is dedicated to nocturnal prosimians, and to contributing to the body of information about bush babies,” said Curator of Primates and Small Mammals Dr. Chris Kuhar. The Zoo’s three bush babies currently share a mixed nocturnal exhibit with two pottos and three giant elephant shrews in the Primate, Cat & Aquatics Building.

FRESh AIR As of January 1, 2011, Cleveland Me-troparks Zoo is smoke free. The non-smoking status reflects a trend in zoos and parks across the country. Addition-ally, the Zoo’s most recent visitor sur-veys indicate that the majority of Zoo guests would prefer a smoke-free Zoo. The new policy ensures a healthier en-vironment for Zoo guests, particularly children. Said Zoo Director Steve Tay-lor, “Bottom-line — it’s a sound deci-sion made for the safety of our animals and the comfort of our guests.”

TONS OF FUNWith the opening of African Elephant Crossing, 2011 is sure to be a BIG year for the Cleveland Zoological Society and Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Corporate

donors will have terrific opportunities to entertain and engage employees and cli-ents at your Zoo - you’ll be sure to get their attention in a BIG way!

How can you get in on all of the action? Become a Corporate Champion by making a donation of at least $2,500 and we’ll say thank you with exciting benefits and incentives.

Want to reward your most loyal employ-ees and clients? Participate in our Cor-porate Bulk Buy program and give the gift of Zoo Membership while enjoying volume discounts. Exclusive member-ship events surrounding African Ele-phant Crossing make Zoo Memberships an even better value in 2011.

Call (216) 661.6500 x4420, email Cor-porate@ClevelandZooSociety.org or visit ClevelandZooSociety.org to learn about all the great ways to support the Zoo and Zoo Society.

DR. MIKE SELIG jOINS ThE ZOOThe Sarah Allison Steffee Center for Zoological Medicine has a new full-time veterinarian on staff. Dr. Selig comes to the Zoo from the Barberton Veterinary Clinic in Summit County where he gained exotic animal experi-ence doing contract vet work for the Akron Zoo. Dr. Selig started working at the Zoo as a relief vet in June, and came on staff full-time in late November.

“We’re very pleased to have someone of Dr. Selig’s caliber on staff,” said General Curator Geoff Hall. “He’s a great fit for our organization.” A lifelong animal

lover, Dr. Selig, 33, began his veterinary career at the Sharon Center Veterinary Hospital in Medina County. He earned his undergraduate degree and his doctor-ate of veterinary medicine at The Ohio State University.

A resident of Richfield, this Northeast Ohio native credits his parents with nur-turing his love of animals. “I had my fair share of pets,” said Selig. “I have to thank my parents for being very understanding whenever I brought home pets I found hiking or from the store where I had my first job as a teenager.” Dr. Selig shares his home with his wife, two sons, three cats, a horse, a miniature donkey and 12 turtles.

What’s New at the Zoo?INSIDE INFORMATION

MARY MCMILLANDirector of Finance & OperationsCleveland Zoological Society

JOE YACHANINMarketing & Public Relations Specialist Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

Don’t forget—the Zoo is open year-round and we always have something cool going on. Spring is a wonderful time to come visit your Zoo. The days are fresh and sunny and the animals are ready to get out and enjoy the warm weather—just like you.

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Locals are not startled by nighttime cries coming from trees in Eastern Africa —these are the sounds of the bush baby, a small, nocturnal prosimian. Adopting a bush baby helps the Zoo provide the best possible care and environment for our bush babies, as well as the thousands of other animals that call our Zoo “home.”

ADOPT A BUSH BABY FOR JUST $75, AND YOUR gIFT PACkAgE WILL INCLUDE: • Anofficial“ZooParent”collectible key chain• Acollectibleplushtoy• Personalizedadoptioncertificate• Acolorphotoandfunfactsheet about bush babies• Afullyearofaward-winning membership publications • AninvitationtoZooFriends’ Night 2011, a VIP family summer event (mailed separately)• Namerecognitionon ClevelandZooSociety.org

Upgrade your single adoption to $100, and the ZooParent will receive all of the above AND a terrific T-shirt or tote bag and rec-ognition on Zoo grounds.

Climb up to the $250 adoption level and you’ll enjoy all the benefits above, as well as an invitation for you and a guest (16 years or older) to go on an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour at the Zoo

Animal adoptions are a great gift for any holiday, anniversary, birthday or for that special someone that has everything...but a bush baby. Your adoption kit in-cludes something for all seasons — a custom gift package NOW, plus a year-round subscription to Z magazine, plus a chance to visit your animal on Zoo-Parent’s Night 2011.

Adopt a bush baby today! Call (216) 661.6500, x4440 or visit ClevelandZoo-Society.org

Adopt a Bush Baby!yOU MUST hAVE BEEN A BEAUTIFUL BABy!

4 ZtoU Spring 2011

FIONA gREEN Manager of Capital & Special Gifts

MARY MCMILLANDirector of Finance & Operations

From the FieldCOUNTDOWN TO AFRICAN ELEPhANT CROSSING

Continued from page 1

For anyone who has done home renova-tion, the feeling is familiar. You can see how wonderful the final product will be, but there are punch-list items that have to be wrapped up before the new space is re-ally ready. “African Elephant Crossing is about 98% done” said Taylor. “There are some issues with the sound and cameras we will be using, and the circulation of the water system needs some adjustments. Now that the elephants are back, everyone is trying out the building functions.”

And it will take some time — African Elephant Crossing is immensely differ-ent from the Pachyderm Building the elephants left behind in 2008. The new exhibit quadruples the space dedicated to elephants, and features outdoor ranges, stimulating surroundings with ponds for swimming, a waterfall, sand pit, mud wal low and boulders for scratching. Since African Elephant Crossing won’t be open to the public until May, the ele-phants will be off exhibit. However, as the weather improves, watchful visitors might catch a glimpse of the elephants as they explore the outdoor ranges that are visible to the public.

The landscaping of the main outdoor yards still needs some finishing touches and the elephants won’t experience them until later in the spring. Meanwhile, the herd gets to explore the Wilber Night Range, an off exhibit outdoor area that allows them to be outside at night for the f irst time. “Elephants sleep for much shorter durations than people do and the Wilber Night Range a l lows them to stretch their legs under the stars, dig

The campaign has raised $12 million and has just $500,000 to go! Now is the time to be talking with ev-eryone about what a wonderful boost this will be for Cleveland. We have come so far and are just a few gifts away from finishing this remarkable journey. Talk to your friends, neighbors and colleagues about how they can help make something great happen for our elephants, area kids and families in Cleveland.

around in the thousands of tons of sand or lie down and sleep in the open air,” said General Curator Geoff Hall. The elephants can choose to use the Wilber Night Range even in the winter. It fea-tures radiant f looring to keep ice and snow from forming and conventional ra-diators on the ceiling for warmth.

The vast amount of sand in the interior and Wilber Night Range of African Ele-phant Crossing is just one of the special features included for the comfort and health of the elephants. Some of the ex-hibit’s other special features are not only beneficial for the elephants but also are directly related to the Zoo’s conservation mission. African Elephant Crossing was designed with LEED ( Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) criteria in mind and we hope to achieve

silver status when all the points are added up. This internationally recog-nized green building certif ication is a great opportunity to raise awareness among visitors of sustainability issues and to show how the Zoo’s operations and conservation mission are connected.

When African Elephant Crossing opens, it will be the Zoo’s most power-ful tool yet to spur conservation and sustainability awareness in the Zoo’s visitors. The Zoo’s Conservation Edu-cation Department will interpret sus-tainabil ity with Zoo volunteers or interpretive staff posting at African Elephant Crossing. Addit iona l ly, Connections to Africa, a new enrichment program for schools, will leverage ex-citement surrounding the exhibit and engage teachers, schools and students in programming at the Zoo. This in-quiry-based elementary school pro-gram is designed to immerse students in African Elephant Crossing, requir-ing them to make observations, gather data and share it with others in a variety of formats.

The animals of African Elephant Crossing will also act as ambassadors to help tell the story of their species in the wild. In Africa, the Zoo promotes ele-phant conservation by supporting proj-ects that conduct research on elephant ecology and habitat use, investigate areas that bring elephants into contact with people, educate children and com-munities about elephants, and protect and create travel corridors that connect vital habitat and allow elephants to move freely across the landscape.

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The main issues facing elephant conser-vation in the wild are habitat fragmenta-tion and degradation, conf lict with people and illegal hunting. For example, in the Serengeti ecosystem of Tanzania, a growing elephant population is ex-panding outside protected areas and is coming into conflict with local agricul-tural people. One study, supported in part with funding from the Zoo and Zoo Society, investigated the impact elephants have on habitat and other

wildlife, providing information neces-sary for effective long-term land use.

The next few months will be very busy as the finishing touches are put on Afri-can Elephant Crossing. The meerkat, naked mole rats, python and birds are already in Cleveland awaiting their turn to explore their new home. The animal care staff is anticipating the arrival of Willy, a 13,000-pound bull, and possi-bly another elephant this spring.

Jo, Moshi and Martika seem to be adjust-ing well to their newly renovated home. An elephant’s trunk is an amazing ap-pendage, almost always moving, touch-ing and exploring. On one of their first days back, Martika was observed build-ing a small “pillow” of sand for her trunk, and then closing her eyes, laying down her trunk and taking a nap. Sounds like a nice way to relax in her new home.

6 ZtoU Spring 2011

Up close and personal takes on a fan-tastic new meaning when you’re a member of the ZooKeepers’ Circle. With a VIP membership you get access to be-hind-the-scenes tours and invitations to exclusive gatherings. Every Zoo-Keepers’ Circle member with an email address now has the capability to sign up for tours online by going to events.ClevelandZooSociety.org. Don’t miss out on your chance to hang out with the animals on their side of the fence.

Tour registrations open:

• March 8, 2011 – Sign-up for tours in April, May & June

• May 31, 2011 – Sign-up for tours in July, August & September

• August 30, 2011 – Sign-up for tours in October & November

Don’t worry if you don’t have email! You can always call in your reservation to (216) 661.6500, x4440. We look forward to see-ing you at a tour this year!

$250 AND UP

AFRICAN ELEPHANT CROSSINgMay 2 & 3 (family-friendly)

Bring the kids along to see Cleveland’s most exciting exhibit before it opens to the public. Don’t miss your opportu-nity to view the most visible and im-pressive exhibit ever built at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

In the Circle2011 BEhIND-ThE-SCENES TOURS

The ZooKeepers’ Circle Membership program pro-vides significant support for our wildlife conservation mission. This year we encourage you to take advan-tage of one of the many opportunities to check out the Zoo’s brand new African Elephant Crossing.

TARA TURNERDirector of External Relations

THE SCOOP ON ALL THE POOP july 26 & 28

Join Compost & Recycling Coordina-tor Nancy Hughes for an informative lecture on composting and recycling then take the tram over to visit the Zoo’s extensive composting site.

A DATE WITH THE APESOctober 11 & 13

Get a fascinating opportunity to see our primates and others enjoy fun enrich-ment act iv it ies. This evening is a chance to explore the Primate, Cat & Aquatic building in an intimate setting with keepers will be on hand to answer all your questions.

$500 AND UP

AFRICAN ELEPHANT CROSSINgMay 4 (adults only)

This is your chance to see Cleveland’s most exciting exhibit before it opens to the pub-lic. Don’t miss your opportunity to view the most visible and impressive exhibit ever built at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

RHINO & SARAH ALLISON STEFFEE CENTER FOR ZOOLOgICAL MEDICINEApril 5, 7, 12 & 14

Get up close and personal with the newest addition to the Zoo’s crash of rhinos and then head over to the Sarah Allison Steffee

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Center for Zoological Medicine for on an exciting tour led by our veterinary technicians.

AN AUSTRALIAN ADvENTURE july 13

Australia is your playground for this fun and fascinating tour! Take several behind-the-scenes tours of one of the Zoo’s most popular attractions and enjoy delicious treats courtesy of Outback Steakhouse.

ZOO OPSAugust 9 & 11

Have you ever wondered what it takes to keep a world-class Zoo running like a well-oiled machine? Learn all about the Zoo’s maintenance and operations. Then take a peek at the working greenhouse and learn how the horticultural staff keeps our Zoo looking great!

gONE FISHINgNovember 1, 3 & 9

Visit the Zoo’s Primate, Cat & Aquatics building and see Cleveland’s ONLY aquar-ium, including our new Great Barrier Reef exhibit. Have the opportunity to see the sharks being fed and learn more about the Zoo’s expansive aquatic collection.

$1,000 AND UP

BEHIND-THE-SCENES OF AFRICAN ELEPHANT CROSSINgjune 21, 23, 29

A truly VIP experience that everyone will be talking about! Get to see the areas of this state-of-the-art exhibit that only our keepers experience everyday.

SEA LION TRAININg & WINE TASTINgAugust 23 & 25

Witness our sea lions demonstrate some amazing learned behaviors and enjoy an informative and flavorful wine tasting with local sommeliers.

FURS, FINS & SCALES & TAPAS TASTINgSeptember 13 & 15

You’ll discover how area students get their first “hands-on” Zoo opportunity through this award-winning education program. Then, have a chance to partic-ipate in an informative (and educational!) hors d’ouevres tasting.

VIP BONUS!(Invitations mailed separately)

There is added value in being a Zoo VIP! As a ZooKeepers’ Circle Member you’ ll also re-ceive invitations to join us for…

ZOOFRIENDS’ NIgHTjuly 6 (all ZooKeepers’ Circle levels, family-friendly)

THE DAvID STEFFEE ADDRESS IN vETERINARY MEDICINESeptember 21 ($500 members and above)

ZOOkEEPERS’ CIRCLE DINNER($1,000 members and above) November 16

ThANK yOU FOR yOUR LOyAL AND GEN-EROUS SUPPORT! Please note the specific tour benefits that are available at your level of giving. ZooKeepers’ Circle members at the $250 level may enjoy two tours a year; those at the $500 level and above may at-tend four tours (except for the $1,000-level tours); and $1,000 level members may enjoy up to six tours (from any level) per season. All tours start at 6:00 PM (except where stated) and last approximately 90 minutes; light refreshments will be served. Tour dates are subject to change and will be updated at ClevelandZooSociety.org.

ZooFriends’ Night

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What’s the Buzz?2011 DATES TO REMEMBER

Photo Safari Begins

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INSIDE INFORMATION

ZIPPITYZOODOO june 10 Celebrating African Elephant Crossing 6:00 p.m. to Midnight

You’ll have zoo-pendous fun at Cleveland’s longest running benefit. The evening fea-tures dinner by Aramark, dancing and a

“wild” silent auction. Individual reservations and tables of 10 are available. For more in-formation contact Rachael Fuller at Fuller@ClevelandZooSociety.org or (216) 635.3324.

TWILIgHT AT THE ZOO Presented by Scene Magazine August 5

Advance Ticket sales begin May 1. Don’t miss the city’s largest fundraiser and a great celebration of Cleveland’s vibrant music scene! Enjoy tasty hors d’oeuvres and beverages while roaming the Zoo. Dance under the stars to the rhythms of 14 bands playing reggae to rock, disco to country. Visit ClevelandZooSociety.org for information and etickets to the best party of the summer.

Meet Your Best Friend at the Zoo

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Mother’s Day

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Travel Night at Museum of Natural history

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ElephanTuesdays

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African Elephant Crossing Opens to the public

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Australian Adventure Opens

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Design:Nesnadny+Schwartz,Cleveland+Newyork+Toronto|Contributing Photographer: Roger Mastroianni; all other photos courtesy of Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

ZtoU is an exclusive publication of the Cleveland Zoological Society for those who advance our mission of promoting the conservation and propagation of wildlife—particularly endangered species—through support of Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Thanks to you, we are able to advance our Zoo to the top tier of zoos nationally, and strengthen our commitment to research and environmental education. For more details about all our events, please visit ClevelandZooSociety.org

This publication was printed at an FSC-certified printer (Certification No. SW-COC- 002929). The FSC Logo identifies products that contain wood from well-managed forests certified in accordance with the rules of the Forest Stewardship Council. Soy-based inks; elemental chlorine free, acid-free, recycled and recyclable papers were employed throughout this publication.

Earth Day Coalition “EarthFest”

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