Spring Time

Just as I encounter young teenage humans experimenting with their skills in courtship and pair-bonding by making out on street corners and other PDAs, I have witnessed similar behaviors at the zoo.  For many animals, spring is the season for finding a mate.  The sun is shining, the plants are growing anew, and love is in the air!

It's the breeding season for Magellanic penguins

In a zoo, the same is true, as behavioral instincts and hormones almost always rule over environmental consequences.  Zoo animals that are not approved or intended for breeding purposes are given contraceptives in order to avoid births of animals when space and resources are unprepared and limited  But when the zoo is ready and the birth control is stopped...well...

African wild dog mom (left) and dad (right)
relaxing with one of their 10 puppies 

The AZA's Species Survival Plan (SSP) aims to manage and conserve threatened and endangered species, usually those 'flag-ship' species that people tend to have an affinity for.  These are animal like tigers, dolphins, orangutans, toucans and green sea turtles, poison dart frogs, and pandas.  There are currently over 300 species approved for the SSP, and at least 18,350 threatened species worldwide, not even including more than 8,350 species whose conservation status is unknown (IUCN Red List).

Wombat mom and baby

With these statistics, 300 SSP species doesn't sound like a lot, but it makes a big difference, as the organisms that are approved for the SSP are usually those that are not only popular among people, but also play a critical role in their natural habitat.  As well as being flag-ship species, they are often also keystone species, or species that an entire biological community depends for proper functioning.  With this in mind, breeding threatened species in captivity can contribute significantly to the conservation of wild populations and habitats.

Young adult male Bactrian camel (right side, with dark hair) tries out some of his moves with pretty (patient) girl (left side, with lighter hair and lying down)

At my local zoo, and many others, zoo professionals encourage their SSP approved animals to breed.  The photos are of various zoo animals that are experiencing this spring fever, or have already boogied during the long winter.

A Magellanic penguin pair- these birds are usually
seasonally monogamous and at this zoo,
eggs and chicks are relatively common

Lion chases lioness in courtship display, this female was recently removed from contraceptives and has become fertile.  This zoo is hoping they will breed.

This year's Earth Day celebration involves a new DisneyNature movie African Cats and their conservation.  There's  also a new National Geographic adventure movie called The Last Lions, a dramatized account of lions in Africa.