Sharon Freedman Education Director Niabi Zoo 12908 ... - Library

Sharon Freedman
Education Director
Niabi Zoo
12908 Niabi Zoo RD
Coal Valley IL 61240
]www.niabizoo.com
Niabi Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The AZA
is America's leading accrediting organization that sets rigorous,
professional standards for zoos and aquariums. The AZA is building North
America's largest wildlife conservation movement by engaging and inspiring
the 143 million annual visitors to its member institutions and their
communities to care about and take action to help protect wildlife.
1. What is the name/location of your zoo/aquarium?
Niabi Zoo, Coal Valley, IL
2. What was your zoo’s/aquarium’s role in the Year of the Frog?
We partnered with the local botanical center (in their jungle area) to
present a guest lecturer who was an amphibian biologist. We answered
questions about amphibians, the botanical staff answered questions about
rainforests.
We participated in Party for the Planet - as we do each year. We focused
several of our summer classes/camps on amphibians and their conservation.
We are currently constructing a new amphibian exhibit in the Discovery
Center. And we have registered our zoo pond as a Frogwatch site. Our
teen volunteers will be making observations this season.
3. What kind of response did you receive regarding the Year of the Frog?
Generally good, although some people still don't understand why this
should be a concern to them, personally.
4. What role will the zoos of the world play in saving declining toad
and frog populations?
Zoos play an essential multi-layered role. We house and breed species
which are endanger of being lost in the wild. With a bit of luck and good
management, we may someday be able to re-establish wild populations.
Zoos are important research facilities with a number of amphibian based
studies underway in various zoos (not here though).
Most, if not all zoos, are major financial contributors to worthwhile
conservation organizations which support animals and their habitats.

5. How can zoologists contribute to unraveling the mystery of chytrid
fungus?
Zoologists are trained scientists currently doing research in the lab and
the field.
6. Have you had any frogs in captivity that have died from the chytrid
fungus? If so, why?
No. Our amphibians are all captive bred from chytrid free populations.
7. Has your zoo/aquarium focused its research on the anatomy of the
chytrid fungus or ways to protect the frogs from chytrid fungus and other
diseases?
We have not. We do however maintain an ongoing rainforest conservation
interest in Costa Rica. We have limited research funds and they are
directed elsewhere at this time.
8. How is global warming, destruction of the world’s rainforests,
greenhouse gases, and acid rain directly affecting frog/toad populations?
In addition to the obvious loss of habitat and the ensuing loss of food
and breeding grounds. Amphibian populations have been condensed into
smaller areas. When these areas are densely populated with amphibians,
all diseases, including chytrid can spread much faster.
9. Now that the Year of the Frog is complete, is there anything you would
like the public to know further regarding the chytrid fungus or declining
amphibian populations? What would you like to see happen next for frogs?
Our concern is that people should not forget that even though the
"Year of the Frog" is over, the crisis of the frog is not.
10. What is one thing you would like the public to appreciate about frogs?
Two things: Frogs are rather low in many food chains, therefore, the
effects of changes in the frog population will be seen throughout the
populations of all animals "higher" than them in the chain.
Also, amphibians are delicate animals which are rather quickly affected by
environmental changes. The condition of frog populations today is a
prediction of the condition of reptile, bird and mammal populations in the
future - unless something is done to change the current trends.