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Buffalo Zoo’s “Rich”
a First-Time Father at the San Francisco Zoo
 The Buffalo Zoo is pleased to announce that Rich, a western lowland silverback gorilla who resided at the Buffalo Zoo from March 25, 1987 until December 3, 2004, has fathered a baby boy at the San Francisco Zoo!
Born on Monday, December 8, 2008 at 11:30 a.m., the baby gorilla is the first to be born at the San Francisco Zoo in a decade. The birth plays a contributing role to the conservation efforts taking place for this critically endangered species through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP). This is the fourth successful gorilla birth in North America this year.
 First-time mother, Monifa, who is on breeding loan from the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Washington, initially showed text book signs of motherhood. However, as the day progressed, Monifa left the nest and has not returned, leaving the infant by himself. The San Francisco Zoo veterinary and primate teams monitored the infant overnight and at approximately 4:30 a.m. on December 9, they decided to pull the infant from the nest to ensure he received the needed supportive care. The staff continues to move into stages of trying to reunite mom and infant long-term. While in the 1970s, the philosophy was to pull babies and raise them by hand to eliminate any possible risks, standard practice now is to maintain a birthing plan that duplicates, as closely as possible, how the birth would occur in the wild.
The baby is also the first offspring for Rich, who is owned by the Buffalo Zoo but on breeding loan to the San Francisco Zoo. While Rich was a favorite among Buffalo Zoo visitors, gorillas are individuals with distinct personalities, and the females in the gorilla troop never took to him. The decision was made to transfer him to the San Francisco Zoo in 2004 to see if he could help contribute to the future of his species. Once he arrived at the San Francisco Zoo, he was well-received by their female gorillas.
The current gorilla troop at the Buffalo Zoo includes females Becky, Sidney, Lily and Kwizera, as well as silverback, Koga, who arrived from the Memphis Zoo on April 25, 2007.
Buki, Jothi and Surapa Help Celebrate the DVD Release of Fox Home Entertainments’ Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who!
 The Buffalo Zoo’s three female Asian elephants, Buki, Jothi and Surapa, received a special treat on Sunday, December 7, 2008 to celebrate the DVD release of Fox Home Entertainments’ Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!
The elephants were treated to a gift basket full of goodies, including grapes, watermelon, peanut butter, bread and jelly beans. To show their gratitude and support for the film, Buki held a Horton sign while Surapa donned a Horton Santa hat for the camera.
The $294 million worldwide box office hit will arrive in stores as a Two-Disc Special Edition DVD and Blu-ray Disc (BD) including Digital Copy on December 9. Featuring Horton the elephant, one of Dr. Seuss’ all-time classic children’s books, Horton Hears a Who (1954), comes to life with the help of an all-star voice cast, including Golden Globe® winner Steve Carell (“The Office,” Get Smart), and six-time Emmy® Award winner Carol Burnett (“The Carol Burnett Show”).
East Aurora Public High School Junior to Represent Buffalo Zoo at Polar Bears International Leadership Camp
 The Buffalo Zoo is pleased to announce that Molly Mariea, a junior at East Aurora Public High School, is the recipient of an $11,000 scholarship that will enable her to travel to Churchill in Manitoba, Canada, where she will represent the Buffalo Zoo at the Polar Bears International’s Leadership (PBI) Camp.
From October 9-16, 2008. Molly, along with other students representing approximately 15 other zoos across the country, had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study polar bears in the wild. Other camp highlights included: studying the impact of climate change and how to process data; discussing the role of zoos in polar bear conservation and the difference between captive and wild management; listening to guest speakers, including leading polar bear researchers and scientists; taking a Hudson Bay helicopter flight to observe a maternal den; and learning how to effectively communicate the importance of conservation.
Participants stayed in the 328-foot long Tundra Buggy Lodge, which is comprised of specialized modules that are linked together. The Tundra Buggy Lodge is mobile and takes campers to the heart of prime polar bear habitat for “round-the-clock” viewing of these amazing animals.
Molly was selected from four finalists to attend the camp. As part of the application, she wrote an essay and was interviewed by a panel of local animal experts.
“We are very proud to have Molly represent the Buffalo Zoo at PBI’s Leadership Camp,” Buffalo Zoo President/CEO, Dr. Donna M. Fernandes, said. “We are most impressed by her charisma, poise and dedication to animals. Even at the age of 11, she already showed great compassion for animals by volunteering to make scarves to support homeless dogs and cats. She continues to dedicate her time to helping animals and shows great promise for bringing others’ attention to the conservation of polar bears. Her desire to learn and make a difference is exactly what we were looking for in our Arctic Ambassador!”
Launched in 2004, Polar Bears International’s Leadership Camp has provided 52 high school students and 26 teachers from around the world the chance to travel to Churchill to study polar bears and the challenges they face in the wild. For more information about PBI, please visit www.polarbearsinternational.org.
To read Molly’s daily blog on life at the Polar Bear Camp, go to http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/student-journals/mariea-/
Time Warner Cable Celebrates First Birthday of Namesake Tiger Cubs
To help commemorate this occasion, 20 students from Buffalo Public School #67 attended a birthday party at the Buffalo Zoo to celebrate the cub’s first birthday
 In celebration of the Amur tigers cubs’ (Thyme and Warner) first birthday, the Buffalo Zoo and Time Warner Cable threw a birthday party on the morning of October 7th to help mark this special occasion.
Twenty kindergartners from Discovery School (Buffalo Public School #67) brought energetic attitudes and plenty of smiles to the party. The youngsters wore homemade party hats, presented the cubs with birthday cards, sang “Happy Birthday” and blew out the candles on the cake. They also were given a behind-the-scenes tour of the Zoo and received tiger cubs T-shirts from Time Warner Cable.
Born last October, Thyme and Warner’s births marked a significant achievement for both the Zoo and Time Warner Cable. These male and female cubs were the first surviving tiger cubs to be born at the Zoo since 1988. The births helped launch a new partnership between the Zoo and Time Warner Cable, which are both dedicated to animal conservation.
“We are very proud of what we have been able to achieve through our partnership with the Zoo,” stated Robin Wolfgang, Vice President of Public and Government Affairs, Time Warner Cable. “At Time Warner Cable, we strongly believe that it is important to help save wildlife, and our dedication to the animal conservation program at the Zoo is a perfect demonstration as to how seriously we take this issue. The first birthday of these two cubs is certainly a memorable occasion.”
“We truly appreciate the support we’ve received from Time Warner Cable to underwrite the care of our endangered Amur tigers,” said Dr. Donna M. Fernandes, President/CEO, Buffalo Zoo. “It's wonderful to watch our beautiful cubs develop into young, healthy tigers and celebrate their first birthday!”
"My students have been so excited about going to the Zoo for Thyme and Warner's birthday party,” said Donna Kellum, teacher, Discovery School. “Every day they ask, are we going today? Time Warner Cable and the Buffalo Zoo have provided us with a unique opportunity to learn about the Amur tigers. I am amazed at how much they have learned and how many questions they have. It was a great party and learning experience."
Fowler’s Chocolate Factory Tours to Benefit the Buffalo Zoo
 Kick off the holiday season by taking part in the annual factory tour at Fowler’s Chocolates! Get a “sweet” peek at what Fowler’s Chocolates is planning for Sweetest Day (October 19), Thanksgiving and the entire season, and help out the Buffalo Zoo at the same time! Tickets are on sale now for the 5th annual factory tours, which are being held on Saturday, October 11 and Monday, October 13 at Fowler’s factory at 100 River Rock Drive in Buffalo. Tickets are available for $2 each at all Fowler’s locations in Buffalo and Rochester. Funds raised from the tours will benefit the Buffalo Zoo and its animal residents. On the tour, visitors will see sponge candy being made, delicious treats being drenched in chocolate, the old fashioned art of hand dipping chocolate and state of the art candy molding! Five one-hour tours will be offered each day. Fore more information, please call Fowler’s Chocolates President, Ted Marks, at (716) 877-9983.
Wines in the Wild 2008 a Huge Success!
 Buffalo, NY – The Buffalo Zoo, the Pro Zoo Board and the Women’s Board are proud to announce that this year’s Wines in the Wild event, held on Wednesday, July 30, was the biggest and most successful to date! More than $65,000 was raised for the Zoo’s Adopt an Animal program, which helps feed the Zoo’s 1,000 animal residents.
The Buffalo Zoo would like to extend special thanks to this year’s event sponsors, AT&T and Bank of America; our media sponsors, the Entercom Group, WUTV Fox 29/myTV49 and Buffalo Spree; and our entertainment sponsor, Zaio East-Kirchmeyer Division.
More than 2,300 guests sampled food, beer and wine selections, as well as specialty services, from 48 of the area’s finest establishments. Other highlights of the evening included a basket auction, silent auction and animal visits.
Celebrity judges voted for their favorite food and beverage selections falling under eight different categories:
Winners
Best Beer
Flying Bison Brewing Company Dawn Patrol Gold
Best Entrée
Lebro’s Restaurant Pasta with sausage and peas
Best Dessert
Pizza Plant Italian Pub Bread pudding
Most Unusual Fare
Verbena Restaurant Seafood ceviche
Best Presentation
Rich Renaissance Catering Grilled skewered shrimp
Best of Show
Frog Hair Grille & Golf Goat cheese casserole
Best Wine
Freedom Run Winery 2005 Freedom Run Chardonnay
Specialty Vendor
Spa Go of WNY Paraffin hand dips
The following is a list of generous participants:
Vendors
Beastro at the Zoo
Bella Day Spa
Bijou Grille
Buffalo Brew Pub
Carriage Trade Pastries
Chateau Buffalo
Coca-Cola Bottling Company
Dessert Deli
Empire Merchants North LLC
Flying Bison Brewing Company
Freedom Run Winery
Frog Hair Grille & Golf
Fulkerson Winery
Gates Circle Liquor
Global-McKinley-Colonial Liquors
Grille 620
Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards
Hyatt Regency Buffalo
Ilio DePaolo Restaurant & Lounge
Johnson Estate Winery
Kentucky Greg’s Hickory Pit
Lakewood Vineyards
Lebro’s Restaurant
May Jen
Merritt Estate Winery
Mr. Food No Fuss Meals
Perry’s Ice Cream
Pizza Plant Italian Pub
Rich Renaissance Catering
Rich’s Dessert Builders
Risa’s Deli & Catering
Sample Restaurant
Schulze Vineyards & Winery
Southern Wine & Spirits
Spa Go of WNY
Spot Coffee
The Eagle House Restaurant
The Premier Group
The Winery at Marjim Manor
Try-It Distributing
Verbena Restaurant
White Springs Farm Winery
Yancey’s Fancy
Celebrity Judges
Bridget Blythe, WKBW-TV/Channel 7
Tom Buckham, Buffalo News
Russ Burton, WGRF-FM/97 Rock
Elizabeth Carey, Business First
Jericka Duncan, WKBW-TV/Channel 7
Debra Durkee, Metro Group, Inc.
Jim Fink, Business First
David Gallagher, Buffalo Rocket
Laura Gray, WKBW-TV/Channel 7
Melissa Holmes, WIVB-TV/Channel 4
Kyla Igoe, WKBW-TV/Channel 7
Jane Kwiatkowski, Buffalo News
Rob Lederman, WGRF-FM/97 Rock
Elizabeth Licata, Buffalo Spree Publishing
Nick Magnini, WNYO and WUTV
Aaron Mentkowski, WKBW-TV/Channel 7
Sue O’Neil, WTSS-Star 102.5 FM
Shannon Steele, WKSE-98.5 FM
Wease, WKSE-98.5 FM
Brian B. Wilde, WKSE-Kiss 98.5 FM
Mary Beth Wrobel, WIVB-TV/Channel 4
The Buffalo Zoo would like to thank the vendors, judges, event volunteers and attendees for their support!
The Buffalo Zoo Is Now Part of Seaway Trail
 Members of the media were at the Zoo on July 25th as Buffalo Zoo President/CEO Donna M. Fernandes, Ph.D. and Buki, the Buffalo Zoo’s famed Asian elephant unveiled the new Buffalo Zoo/cultural heritage -themed interpretive panel made possible with funding from the Federal Highway Administration’s Scenic Byway Program. This panel, designed by artist Robert McNamara, joins a series of 100 of these community-based Seaway Trail storytelling units on the 518-mile travel and tourism route that is one of America’s Byways and a National Recreation Trail. Located in the Zoo’s main parking lot on the corner of Jewett Parkway and Parkside Ave, the panel depicts a history of the region and the Zoo’s evolution
The cultural heritage theme units showcase interesting facts, legends and lore associated with people and places that are significant to the history of the Great
Lakes Seaway Trail region. The natural history and birding theme units feature unique environmental resources and species of the Seaway Trail region. The
shipwrecks and diving units document reasons to explore the Seaway Trail underwater or at our maritime museums and lighthouses. The French & Indian
War and War of 1812 storyteller units share fascinating facts about these two conflicts that helped shape not only the Seaway Trail region but the future of a
young America. The people and culture along the coastline are highlighted in the panels now adorning the Zoo.
“This panel will identify the Buffalo Zoo among the key places to stop along the Seaway Trail to learn about the unique people, places and events that make traveling the Seaway Trail byway and visiting its coastal communities a memorable tourism experience,” said Teresa Mitchell, Seaway Trail, Inc. President and CEO.
“We are pleased to partner with Seaway Trail, Inc. to bring this point of local interest to the attention of travelers who will stop here to enjoy our community. Being part of this exciting byway-wide storytelling signage system is a great opportunity for the Buffalo Zoo, “said Dr. Donna M. Fernandes, Buffalo Zoo President and CEO.
OUR ELEPHANTS ARE BACK HOME!
 Buffalo, NY— The Buffalo Zoo’s three female Asian elephants—Buki, Surapa and Jothi—are home again! Zoo officials welcomed the elephants as they return from spending three months at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Powell, Ohio while their historic Elephant House was renovated.
Buki and Surapa arrived at the Buffalo Zoo Tuesday evening in a specialty trailer built specifically for the transport of elephants. Jothi arrived within the 24-hour period on Wednesday to minimize the time these tightly bonded animals are kept apart. Accompanying the elephants are two of their keepers who cared for them throughout the duration of their stay in Columbus, the Zoo’s curator, veterinarian and a former Buffalo Zoo keeper who is now the large mammal curator at the Houston Zoo and president of the Elephant Managers Association.
“We are very excited to welcome Buki, Surapa and Jothi back home,” Buffalo Zoo President and CEO, Dr. Donna M. Fernandes said. “The elephants are favorites within the Western New York community, and we appreciate the support of so many people who helped us raise the necessary
funds to renovate the Elephant House. We’re also very grateful to the staff at the Columbus Zoo for providing our elephants with a wonderful temporary home.”
“It was a pleasure hosting the elephants and staff from the Buffalo Zoo and we are glad we could
be there to assist in the care of these magnificent creatures,” said Jeff Swanagan, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium executive director.
Built in 1912, the Buffalo Zoo’s Elephant House is a fine example of classic zoo architecture, but the facility’s interior holding area fell short of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) updated regulations by 150 square feet. While the building’s exterior had only minor changes (new gutters, roof and cleaning of the façade), the interior holding area was increased from the current 1,050 square feet to 1,800 square feet, which is well above the new standard of 1,200 square feet to house three female elephants. Other new or updated features include a heating system, ventilation system, electrical system, plumbing system, cushioned flooring, upgraded lighting and skylights.
The cost of the project was approximately $1 million, and thanks to the generosity of the members of the Western New York community and the Margaret L. Wendt Foundation who supported the I ♥? Elephants Campaign to raise money for the renovations, the Zoo met its goal. In September 2007, the AZA also extended the Buffalo Zoo’s accreditation for another four years.
In addition to the popular summer shows, Bathtime With Buki and Elephant Art With Surapa, which will resume soon, the Zoo will hold its annual Elephantastic Weekend event July 26-27, 2008. This year’s celebration will also be combined with a Welcome Home Party.
POLAR BLAST AT THE CHILDREN’S CANCER HOSPITAL
Organizations and Businesses Bring the Arctic to Pediatric Patients at M.D. Anderson
Buffalo, N.Y. – The Buffalo Zoo, along with other organizations and businesses, participated in the second annual summer adventure, Polar Blast, hosted by The Children’s Cancer Hospital at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center the week of June 23, 2008.
In this adventure, pediatric patients too ill to travel to M.D. Anderson’s offsite camp visited the polar regions of the planet through video teleconferencing and learned about the people and the animals that live there through a variety of daily lessons and activities.
Smart MultiMedia, Inc, a Houston business specializing in educational technology and learning, produced the week-long adventure by transforming MDACC’s PediDome into an arctic wonderland, complete with life-size penguins and an igloo (a 20’ diameter geodesic dome). Bringing together organizations, including M.D. Anderson, the Alaska Zoo, the Buffalo Zoo, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo, the Houston Museum of Natural Science and businesses such as Ukpea vik Iupiat Corporation, Ukpik LLC (both of Alaska), and Landry’s Downtown Aquarium, Smart MultiMedia created a team of educational experts to provide a virtual field trip to the arctic for the children confined to the hospital at the Children’s Cancer Hospital. Through a series of video teleconferences—broadcast live—the children were able to “virtually” experience the animals and culture of the arctic.
The final teleconference was a cultural exchange with a group of native Alaskans living in Barrow, Alaska. The group, comprised of children and adults, performed a native dance and shared questions and answers with the children participating in the adventure at M.D. Anderson.
“We were so pleased with the enthusiasm of the national and international organizations that were able to participate in this year’s adventure at the Children’s Cancer Hospital at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Being able to bring—through teleconferencing—the animals,
peoples and scientific research of the arctic regions of the world to the kids in treatment was awesome. We’re counting the days until next year’s adventure and looking forward to doing even more teleconferencing,” said Douglas Smith, Vice President of Education at Smart MultiMedia.
Polar Blast is sponsored by the Child Life Services division of the Children’s Cancer Hospital and produced by Smart MultiMedia, Inc. It was funded in part by the Children’s Art Project.
Local teacher utilizes Distance Learning with the Buffalo Zoo in her national award winning project
 Mrs. Sandra Keppel, who teaches Grade 6 ELA at Akron Middle School, has been honored with the 2008 Time Warner Cable National Teacher Award for her project, "Beep! Beep! Road Runner Research and Enrichment." As one of 15 project winners nationwide, Mrs. Keppel will receive a $2,000 cash grant, a $3,000 technology grant for the school and an expenses paid trip to Washington, DC where she'll join the other winners from around the country at a gala awards banquet.
Mrs. Keppel's students utilized cable programming and Time Warner Cable's Road Runner Hi-Speed internet service to complete animal research projects. The project also incorporated distance learning with The Buffalo Zoo.
The Buffalo Zoo welcomes a New Partner
The Buffalo Zoo would like to welcome its new partner, Delaware Camera, to our roster of corporate partners. The Zoo’s Summer camp program has a unit of study on “Animal Art,” capturing that perfect animal pose in a variety of mediums. To keep the creative juices flowing, long time Buffalo based photography center Delaware Camera donated a large amount of disposable cameras so each camper was able to not only stage the perfect shot, it will be theirs to keep along with whatever other animal images they are able to find during their week at this summer’s Zoo Camp.
Buffalo Zoo Receives Defibrillator from Sisters Hospital in Celebration of Nurses Week
 In honor of National Nurses Week May 6-12, 2008, members of the media joined Sisters of Charity Hospital President/CEO, Peter Bergmann, Cardiologist, Dr. Bruce Platt, and six Emergency Room Registered Nurses as they presented Buffalo Zoo President/CEO, Dr. Donna M. Fernandes, with an automated external defibrillator (AED) to be used at the Zoo in case of visitor emergencies. The AED that was presented to the Buffalo Zoo is the second one to be mounted to ensure visitor safety.
Through a collaborative relationship, Sisters Hospital’s medical staff is prepared to treat Buffalo Zoo animal keepers in emergency situations, including venomous snake bites. As the Buffalo Zoo and Sisters Hospital work together to ensure safety for visitors and keepers, Buffalo Zoo animal curator, Kevin Murphy, also demonstrated how keepers safely work with venomous snakes by conducting a demonstration with a Mexican lance-headed rattlesnake.
Buffalo Zoo and SUNY Fredonia Partner For “Aqua Kids” Television Show Segment
 The Buffalo Zoo and SUNY Fredonia were pleased to welcome the television production crew for the show, “Aqua Kids,” while they taped a segment at the Zoo on the recovery of the population of river otters in Western New York. The show is dedicated to educating children about the conservation of marine environments and the animals that inhabit them.
Molly McKinney, a 21-year-old senior communication major at SUNY Fredonia and Aqua Kids host, has worked on the show since age 13 and traveled throughout the United States, Central America and the Caribbean on filming excursions. At the Buffalo Zoo, Molly met with Tiffany Vanderwerf, the Curator of Education, to learn more about the recovery efforts being made to help river otters. While a portion of the interview was taped outside the Zoo’s otter exhibit, the Aqua Kids crew also hid enrichment items for otters so that when they came into their exhibit they would find special treats.
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