Jaguar Genetics

This female jaguar, Zassi, is enjoying a fish embedded Popsicle at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. She is wild-born, on loan from the country of Guyana, South America, and extremely important to the Species Survival Plan (SSP) population. She had a single male offspring on the first of January, 2009, and if he breeds, Zassi will be a "founder." Ideally, she will need to produce four offspring that all contribute offspring, thus, mathematically, 93.75% of her genetic material will pass on to the captive population.

The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has a long history with jaguars, including the prolific Zorro, a black male from the early seventies, who passed on his melanistic gene into the population. (All black jaguars in this country can be traced back to Zorro.) In 1998, the zoo imported 1.2 (one male and two females) jaguars from Venezuela. This was the first time wild-born jaguars had been brought legally into the US in well over a decade.

At that time, the scientific community believed that there were at least three and maybe four different subspecies of jaguars represented in Venezuela. The Zoo was very careful to select three animals that originated from the same part of the country (the Llanos), so that they would be "pure."

Unfortunately, the male had no interest in breeding and there have been no offspring from any of the Venezuela cats. As it turned out, the efforts to identify animals from one region were not necessary. Newer DNA evidence shows that there are eight subspecies of jaguar and only one from Venezuela: Panthera onca onca.

The two surviving Venezuelan jaguars are too old to breed naturally, but the Zoo has not given up on them. The veterinary department has been collaborating with scientists on artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization. This cutting edge research is providing answers to many questions about the reproductive physiology of the jaguar.

Photo by D. Bear-Hull

Pronghorn Antelope Exam

The Lee Richardson Zoo in Garden City, Kansas was well known for its productive pronghorn antelope herd when I worked there several years ago. Every year, the group was caught up for annual exams, a process that was as efficient and stress-free as possible. Unlike a scenario using chemical tranquilizers, the Kansas pronghorn were processed by bold, experienced keepers who knew how to move quickly and firmly.

The first photo is of the "catch" crew who enter an empty stall where a single animal has been shifted (each antelope is separated to be worked; the rest of the herd is visually separated and remains calm). The catch team use a "baffle" board, which can be seen in the middle left. The baffle board is a four by eight foot sheet of plywood, with handles on one side. It is used as a mobile squeeze chute, where, in seconds, the animal is pushed against the stall wall. Sometimes, pronghorns react to this by dropping to the ground, which this particular animal has done. Staff on the right are reaching down over the board to secure the head.

The second image shows the keepers quickly moving the animal outside of the stall. The head and feet are secured, although this animal was not really struggling. In the third photograph, the exam takes place in the hallway, with the barn doors closed. One of the secrets for hoofed stock handling was a thick mattress, which was comfortable for the animals (and staff!), and seemed to have a calming effect. Note that the head and legs are firmly held (here, the antelope's left front leg is the critical one that must be restrained to prevent her from standing) and that all staff work from behind the pronghorn, to prevent injuries from kicking.

The Lee Richardson zoo vet checked teeth, took blood, vaccinated, and examened each antelope. They were weighed and the hooves were trimmed. One of the benefits of annual checkups is that there can be incidental findings, such as the thick pus-like material oozing from above and between the claws of a hoof. It smelled strong and we all thought it was some kind of infection, possibly from a foreign body in the foot. A gentle squeeze of the other feet showed the same whitish ooze, in exactly the same place! The other pronghorn were similiar -- the material was natural, coming from a scent gland used to mark territory.

In addition to the nasty foot gland odor, pronghorn have a curious body smell that many found objectionable. To me, especially the male seemed sweetish, almost like he was drenched in maple syrup perfume. Pronghorn stiff, hollow (for insulation) hairs are coated with a brownish red oil. When they were worked up, this herd was shedding, so greasy hunks of hair came out by the handfuls, and stuck everywhere.

Everyone had a job to do, and the operation went smoothly. The average time on the mattress was five minutes, and four animals were processed in less than one hour. With experienced handlers, the hand restraint of selected species can be done safely and successfully. Another reason for the success with these particular pronghorn is that they were hand reared by keepers from one day of age and returned to the herd at two months of age. This "imprinting" technique reduced the startle reaction of a species that depends on sight to identify predators. The animals integrate successfully with the herd, and breed, but they do not react violently to people and man-made commotion.

The pronghorn, from the western North American plains, is the sole represenative of its family. It is known for its sprints of over 50 miles per hour and is theorized that a cheetah like cat, now extinct, would have preyed on the pronghorn. Both sexes have bone-cored horns that are shed every year. The pronghorn is known for its brilliant white rump patch which it erects to signal danger. It cannot jump fences, but chooses to crawl under them, and conservation-minded ranchers will use a smooth wire on the bottom rung of barbed-wire fences.

Sedgwick County Zoo Lion Exhibit

This postcard illustrates a key mission of modern zoos -- to connect the zoogoer to animals in an impactful way. The use of glass enables the public to get very close to wild animals that they will never be able to appreciate in any other way. In the wild, an encounter such at this would be highly dangerous, yet in a zoo, it is a safe "thrill."

Creating a connection to wildlife is a powerful tool for today's zoo. If a zoo links its animal collection to conservation projects in range countries, it comes full circle with an environmental message. The visitor can springboard from emotion (awe, admiration, respect) to actions (sustainable biodiversity). Actions do not have to be dramatic: "green" locally focused behaviors are a first positive step.

Hog Heaven

You can't put a hog in a zoo--
There's no telling what he will do.
He may get loud
And charge at the crowd
Or just lie there not looking at you.
Roy Blount, Jr

The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has two female warthogs; a three year old female and an eleven year old female, who lost her companion last year. Warthogs are one of my favorite animals, because of their endearing "pigness." I used to raise pigs and enjoy watching the Zoo's warthogs acting like swine every time I visit them.

Pigs have a startle reaction to unusual situations, and they avoid confrontation by fleeing. The first reaction of a warthogs, also, is to try to escape by running away. They run with their tails stiffly raised, like a flag. The younger female is athletic and she sometimes shows off her racing form as she laps the exhibit early in the morning.

The pig family is social, and like all social species, there is always a hierarchy. The two "communicate" their differences head to head, through a series of squeals, grunts, low chattering, and high-pitched groans. They push each other fiercely, as if to test the other's ground hugging frame. The elder places her head high upon the younger's forehead, as if to say, "I'm the top hog here!"

But, after some jousting, the two make their peace, and settle down to the business of the day -- sleeping, plowing up the dirt in the yard, and waiting for the keeper to distribute a treat or two, which comes at odd times, and is pretty much hog heaven.

Photos by J. Reed

Giant Otter in CONNECT

CONNECT is the monthly magazine of the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). In March, the giant otter was featured on the cover in an announcement about the species being displayed in a new exhibit at the Miami Metrozoo's Amazon & Beyond exhibit. Miami is only the fourth American facility to hold the charismatic giant otters, after the Philadelphia Zoo, the Dallas World Aquarium, and the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens.

The $50 million dollar project, now finished after two years of construction, showcases jaguars, howler monkeys, hummingbirds, Orinoco crocodiles, harpy eagles, giant anteaters, and fruit bats on 27 acres, which is divided into three sections -- Cloud Forest, the Amazon Forest, and the Atlantic Forest.

Twin Tree Kangaroos

This photo documents twin Matschie's tree kangaroos sharing their mother's pouch. They were born at the Lincoln Children's Zoo in Lincoln, Nebraska in December, 2008, but poked their heads out of the pouch for the first time in June. One of the fraternal twins (on the left) seems to be to be about one week ahead of the other. He opened his eyes earlier, has more fur, and peaked out of the pouch earlier. The babies weigh only about eight ounces.

Twins are rarely reported in kangaroos, so this double surprise is a welcome success for the Matchie's tree kangaroo that is collectively managed by participating member AZA (American Zoo and Aquarium Association) zoos. The species is found in the rainforests of Huon Peninsula of Papua New Guinea, with perhaps only 2,500 animals left. AZA zoos, led by the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle are actively involved in tree kangaroo conservation in the wild.

Photo by Lincoln Children's Zoo

Growing Up Jaguar

The 49th jaguar cub born at the Jacksonville Zoo made his debut on 1 January, 2009, in a hay-bedded, camera monitored den. Staff remotely observed the mother interact with the newborn singleton cub, licking, licking, and licking some more. The reason for the hands-off was that the mother had been wild caught and human reared from a cub in Guyana. Her mothering skills were at first in question, but she proved to be an exemplary parent.

These photographs were taken in an off-exhibit holding yard, where the cub is playing with his mother. In the first, momma still tries to pull him around by the nape of the neck or the head -- she can barely fit her mouth over his broad body. He is about five months old in these images, and like a kitten, his antics are non-stop, punctuated by cat-naps, snuggling with momma, and watching the guests go by. He is also eating an adult meat diet, just like his momma.

Photos by J. Reed

Birds Appreciate Enrichment

These images are highlights of the monthly special enrichment day at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, and provides insights into normal animal behavior. These birds -- a hadada ibis and a harpy eagle -- naturally manipulate the "toys" provided as they would manipulate items in the wild.

The hadada ibis is a widespread African species that feeds by tweezers-like probing in soil with its long, sensitive bill. When the bill touches a prey item, there is a rapid, almost instantaneous "bill snap." If the prey is small, the ibis may do a head toss, flipping it in the air, then neatly catching it. Or, it drops it, while simultaneously moving the head forward, so that the food item ends up in the mouth.

If, however, the hadada ibis finds something too big to handle easily, it uses the bill like a tool. It will hammer, shake, rip, and otherwise dismember the prey so it can be swallowed in pieces. Our hadada in the photo uses its bill to pull the cheerios off of the sting, to eat them one by one.

The harpy eagle weighs up to twenty pounds, one of the largest raptors in the world. Harpies live in deep forests in central and South America and they hunt by perching quietly and waiting for monkeys, sloths, birds, iguanas, or large rodents to pass by. They then ambush the prey in a swift, surprise flight. The bird's talons are up to five inches long and extremely powerful.

The harpy in the image above is excited when given a new item to play with, such as the pinata football. He will use his talons to grab and crush the cardboard, just as he would kill a prey item in the wild.

Photos by D. Bear-Hull

Lowry Park Zoo Manatee video

The Lowry Park Zoo is one of the places were injured, incapacitated, or infant manatees are transported to be rehabilitated. Some of the animals are returned to the wild at the same site that they were taken, and fitted with tracking devices to monitor their progress. Other manatees have such debilitating wounds that they must remain in captivity, so they are placed on permanent exhibit loan to any one of several institutions that can hold them.

A large network of collaborating specialists participate in the surveillance, research, rescue, transport, rehabilitation, and finally, release or long-term care of these slow moving mammals. Those animals on exhibit in zoos serve as educational messages about how human interaction is harmful to manatees (the most common natural hazard is red tide).

Mankind is responsible for the outflow of warmed water from industry or water treatment plants that can prevent normal migration for winter, causing cold stress and death. Manatees can get caught in or ingest fishing equipment. By far, the most dangerous thing for manatees are boats. White propeller scars on the back of animals or missing parts of flippers and tails attest to the cruel reality of "boat strike" injuries.

The video shows one, then two more manatees feeding on romaine lettuce, and then the same animals from above, in the public area of Lowry Park Zoo. The propeller scars are clearly seen. At the Zoo, severely compromised animals in rehabilitation are kept in "medical" tanks off exhibit.

Video by: D. Messinger

Columbus Zoo Conservation Report

To meet American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) standards, member institutions must include conservation as a key element in their mission statement. Some facilities now produce annual conservation reports that show how the institution is helping conserve wild populations.

The above is an annual conservation report from the Columbus Zoo, a leader in in situ (range country) conservation. The beautifully illustrated booklet features the bonobo. AZA zoos and aquariums are supporting sustainable biodiversity and are sharing their stories with members and visitors.

To learn more about Lola ya Bonobo, see http://www.friendsofbonobos.org/index.htm

The Snorting Gazelle

Speke's gazelles were named after John Speke, an African explorer who looked for the source of the Nile, but ended up naming a bird, a rodent, and an antelope. Speke's are endangered, and the wild numbers are estimated in the low ten thousands. They are found in small, fragmented populations in the horn of Africa, (Somalia and Ethiopia). The largest threat to their survival is the loss of grazing due to the encroachment of livestock.

This little female Speke's gazelle was born at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens last week. She is getting a daily catch-up and weighing (she is around three pounds; the scale reads in metric) for the first week of life, following a protocol established by the St. Louis Zoo.

Only four founding animals had been imported into this country in the late 60's and early 70's, so the resulting inbreeding led to problems including low birth weights, lack of viability, and low fertility. In the 1980's, under guidance of the SSP (Species Survival Plan) the St. Louis Zoo instituted a risky, but critically important program to rapidly breed all of the animals, to produce a large number of offspring, quickly. Over one hundred Speke's gazelles have been born at the St. Louis Zoo. Those with fatal defects did not survive, but the others had not inherited the harmful genes. The plan worked and over two to three generations, the problems had largely disappeared.

The most noticeable feature of this nearly two foot tall antelope is the three to five folds of skin that form the bridge of the nose. This can be inflated into a resonating chamber for the loud, explosive gunshot sneeze that the gazelle uses in alarm. It is also thought to be used to help in cooling because Speke's gazelles live in hot, dry semi-desert habitat. They are also crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk) to help conserve moisture.

Both sexes have S shaped horns, but the male's is noticeably heavier at the base. The gestation is six to seven months and the single, (rarely twin) offspring is weaned at two to three months, Their lifespan is twelve years.

Our little female is staying in an off-exhibit area that is visible from the train. She is often hidden in the grass (a protection defense to avoid predation), but has already started playing, and "pronking" about the yard, with all four feet raised off of the ground in a series of high bounds (also adaptive, to escape predation when being chased).

Photos by Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens

Giant Otter with Whiskers

Giant otters are diurnal, which means that they are active throughout the day -- except for brief periods of napping -- which provides quite a show for the visiting public at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. They cavort in their pool and dry their fur in the sand on the banks. These two brothers were born at the Philadelphia zoo, and are on loan to the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens.

The lower photograph shows the long vibrissae (whiskers) that help the otter "feel" the slightest shift in current that signals either obstacles to avoid, or prey to catch in the murky rivers of South America where they live.

Photos by M. Brickner

Second Exam for Jaguar Cub

This past Friday, the un-named jaguar cub was caught up for his second exam and vaccinations. He is still small enough to be captured and restrained with thick leather gloves, seen in the first photograph. Although at first he growled, hissed, and spat, within minutes he calmed down and seemed resigned to the procedure, in the middle image. (Note that his eyes are changing from baby blue to adult golden yellow.)

In the bottom scene, the team, after taking blood, and giving the shots and a dewormer, is transferring the cub to a plastic dog kennel, which was then weighed. The cub now is 7 kilograms, or around 15 pounds.

The entire procedure was done quickly, so that the mother was not stressed. She had been lured to a second den with meat, and kept distracted with food for the entire procedure. Staff is now planning the steps to introduce the mother and cub to the exhibit sometime in early April. This grand event will be a treat for Jacksonville Zoo goers! At that time, his name, which was auctioned off at an ExZOOberation event, will be announced by the lucky winners.

Photos by D. Messinger

The Most Famous Thumb in the World

In 1993, after the second uprising in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), the Skansen Aquarium in Stockholm supported the orphaned bonobos I was caring for in Kinshasa. Skansen is a small facility located on the grounds of the Skansen Institution, an open air museum that was founded in 1891.

The Skansen aquarium is known for its fresh and salt-water life, reptiles, rain forest exhibit, small mammals, and primates. They have bred hundreds of pygmy marmosets, and the offspring are scattered in zoos around the world. The pygmy marmoset put Skansen on the map, and a baby marmoset on the director's thumb made it on the cover of Reader's Digest. The director's thumb and "passenger" became Skansen Aquarium's logo.

Jaguar: Momma's Little Cub

The little male jaguar at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is around nine weeks old in the above video. He has gotten to that rough and tumble stage, where his anxious mother is having a devil of a time in keeping him corralled. He is stepping over the doorway leading to the outdoors in an off-exhibit, dirt-floored holding pen with a giant plastic tube, logs, and other play toys.

The unnamed cub has started playing with all of the toys available, but he especially likes his mother's tail. Occasionally, she is seen trying to herd him back inside, but he won't have it. Sometimes she puts her huge mouth over his shoulders, as if to scruff him, and carry him back inside. But he is too big to lift now, and she gives up.

The Zoo is planning an event to celebrate the new arrival, when he goes out on exhibit, within the month.

Video by S. Staaden

A Real Dragon in the Window

Last week, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens moved two Komodo dragons -- one from a holding area, and another from the hospital quarantine, to their new exhibit for a member preview. The grand opening of the Asian Bamboo Gardens and Komodo Dragon Exhibit will be Friday, the 6th of March.

The Zoo has two Komodo males, both on loan from other accredited institutions. One is nearly seven feet long, and weighs around 80 pounds. The larger animal is nine feet long and weighs nearly 120 pounds. The photographs show the larger male being shifted into the transport crate. The custom-built box is designed with multiple openings for veterinary access. For example, the base of the tail can be manipulated for blood draws, and there is room below to insert X-ray cassettes.

I was there when the Komodo was lured into the crate (you can see his head to the lower right). Instead of forcing him to enter, a red laser light was jiggled to shine on the bottom of the crate. The dragon associates the red dot light with food (rats, mice, silversides fish as a special treat), so, with a flickering of his forked tongue, the animal was neatly enticed into the box. Wooden yokes were inserted before and behind his legs to position him so he couldn't move for blood sampling.

In the middle photograph, the dragon has just been released into the outdoor exhibit, planted to resemble the sparse, scrub look of the Komodo islands. He assumes the usual alert, head-up pose of a dragon that is surveying the landscape for moving objects. In the wild, Komodo dragons are effective hunters that have been known to go after deer, wild boars, domestic stock including horses, and even humans.

A bite from a Komodo dragon, even if not immediately fatal, often leads to death from infection, a strategy that fits right in with the carrion-eating habits of the giant lizards. Dragons mouths are teaming with bacteria that are inoculated into the bite wounds. The dragon has a keen sense of smell (guided by the forked tongue that carries chemical particles to the Jacobson's organ, located at the base of the brain, which "tastes" the air.) The dragon simply follows the trail to the dead or dying prey.

Not all is rosy for Komodos -- they are endangered, with only a few thousand remaining in nature. Baby Komodos, hatched from eggs, are eaten by the adults, so they have adapted to climb trees, where the older, heavy-bodied animals cannot follow.

The final photograph shows the Komodo dragon coming inside for the first time. He is extremely intelligent and responded to the keeper, who opened the shift door and called his name. Testing the air, the dragon gingerly entered the heated stall. He investigated the pen, checking out the pool and eyeing the staff who crowded around to admire him. The dragon quickly found and flattened out his body to catch the warmth of an overhead spot heater. Like their mythical namesakes, dragons like it hot -- one hundred degrees is a nice basking temperature.

Photos by D. Messinger

Video of Giant Otters Eating Fish

The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens exhibits a sibling pair of giant otters in the Emerald Forest aviary of the Range of the Jaguar. These males, born at the Philadelphia Zoo, are active throughout the day. They are fed several species of whole, freshwater fish to approximate their natural diet.

The otters are fed up to five times per day, at random intervals. During the public hours, the keepers climbs a staircase to a landing behind the exhibit and throws the fish to the animals. The spectacle of the otters balancing on their broad tails, and leaping and catching their diet is a real treat. As the feeding is unannounced, this video shows what lucky guests can see, if they happen to be at the right place, at the right time.

Video by D. Messinger

First Jaguar of 2009

Featured above is ten pounds of hissing, spitting, and growling jaguar, born on the first of January, 2009. He is being given his "baby" exam and vaccinations on Valentine's day. As a kitten, the little boy was too naive to claw or bite, but for his next shots, the staff of the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is certain that he will be more than a handful.

For good reason, the Zoo has been cagey about announcing the birth, due to the fact that the mother, "Zassi," was a first time mom. Since she had been reared by humans in Guyana, it was not clear that she would have the necessary maternal skills. Only two keepers have been allowed to work in the jaguar building, with no other staff permitted. The area had been roped off from any outside distraction of traffic.

Since the breeding of Zassi with Tuco, a young male from the Houston Zoo, it has been months of planning, anticipation, and waiting. At first, no one was sure that she was even pregnant because, until the very end, she had no weight gain. But in the meantime, a birthing den was placed in a jaguar birthing "suite," with a private outdoor exercise yard. A remote video camera was installed in the wooden box, to be able to monitor the process.

With no disruption in routine, and with the attention of the favorite keepers, Zassi has proven to be an excellent mother. She is almost too protective, preventing her curious cub from going outside. (That should change soon, as the exuberance of the kitten will outpace her concern).

Before the keeper and the vet caught the unnamed cub in thick protective gloves, the mother had been secured in another area, and she was distracted with food. The cub was weighed, checked for vitals, sexed, and given feline vaccinations. Within minutes, it was returned to the mother, and quickly calmed down.

As a zoologist, I have always admired the cats of the world. Seeing the blue eyes of this feisty, innocent baby is a special treat.

Photos by Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens

Otter Looking for Love in All the (Right) Places

This past week, a wild otter found its way into the otter "digs" at the Play Park exhibit of the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. This past Monday morning, the keeper was surprised to discover an extra animal in the exhibit that houses a male and two female North American river otters.

The exhibit is designed to keep otters in, with unclimbable walls in the back and a glass walled stream in the front. It wasn't designed to keep otters out and apparently, this animal had jumped into the exhibit from the berm above.

Historically, otters had become rare due to hunting for their beautiful pelts, but a restocking and protection program over the past 20 years has re-introduced the species back into its range. The Jacksonville Zoo is located on the Trout River and occasionally, wild otters are seen in the area.

But what was the otter doing that led it to the Zoo's open-air exhibit? In the north, spring's warming trend and lengthening days are thought to be triggers for the breeding season. It was suggested that this male -- an adult, at 21 pounds, was attracted by the scent of the Zoo's females. He may have noticed a steep bank, and slid down, or dove into the water, only realizing too late that he was trapped on exhibit.

Within minutes, the frightened animal was coaxed into a crate, while Florida wildlife officials were informed of the "break-in." The mammal curator snapped the above photograph. He emailed the photo to staff, as an "APB," in case anyone would see it again, and recognize this first offender. That same afternoon, on the state's recommendation, the wild otter was released at the Trout river.

The Jacksonville Times Union ran a story about the errant otter, and the tale was also picked up by the Wall Street Journal. Zoo staff thinks that a story of a lonely otter looking for love at the zoo was well-themed for Valentines. As a result of this unusual occurance, the back of the exhibit was "otterfied" to be off limits.

Photo by C. Miller

Boom Boom, the Story of a Bear

The San Diego Zoo had a distinct advantage because it was located in a port town. And moreover, it was located in a Navy port town. Because of this, the zoo benefited from donations of wild animals brought in from exotic destinations from all over the world. (This was years before the 1973 treaty between nations governing the movement of wild species across international borders.)

A few years ago, I wrote a story about an Asiatic Bear that lived at the Lee Richardson Zoo, for the local newspaper. I had dug up the fascinating history from military documents donated by the daughter of a former Lee Richardson zoo director:

"In 1965, The Navy Seabees donated a sun bear named Boo Boo to the San Diego Zoo. A year later, the re-deployed Seabees were determined to find a mate for the first bear. They purchased another, from Montagnard tribes in rain forests located 150 miles northwest of Saigon. They named it Boom Boom.

"Bear Boom Boom, service Number is 000 00 01, served as Battalion mascot to the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion TEN, known as the men-of-TEN, at Camp Hoover, in Da Nang, Vietnam from September to December 1966.

"It was noted that Boom Boom was given a cage with tree, swing, and bath. He was fed dog food, which he greatly enjoyed and was taken on daily walks by his handlers. He escaped once, which led “25 Seabees on a merry half hour chase.”

"An enclosed photograph showed a leashed bear turning in irritation against his handler. A second man is wearing a thick pair of welder’s gloves, supposedly to protect against teeth and claws.

"Boom Boom was not an ideal recruit. As noted in the enlisted performance evaluation of his service record, “Assigned 2.0 in Professional Performance. BEAR has failed to entertain anyone. He takes no interest in his tasks and sees fit to just eat, sleep and in general vegetate all day.

“Assigned 2.6 in Military Behavior. BEAR resists all commands and at time becomes belligerent when approached. Further, he has not complied with MCB TEN Notice 1000 in that he will not keep his hair cut to less than 1”.

“BEAR has failed to perform his assigned tasks to any degree of satisfaction. He has not adapted himself to the military way of life. He neither accepts nor tries to carry out regulations or lawful commands He always appears in a complete uniform, but does not maintain a military bearing.

“BEAR often slouches and lets his abdominal muscles relax thereby looking like a slob. He has failed to correct his speech and writing deficiencies and it is suggested he attend the English class now in session.

“Bear has not tried to lose weight voluntarily, and thus it is recommended he be ordered to eat at the Fat Bear’s Table. Assigned 1.0 in Adaptability, BEAR is a loner. He does not try to make friends or get along with personnel in this Battalion.

“It is recommended that he see Dr. BATTLE at “C” MED for psychiatric treatment, because he attempted to strike the Medical Officer while he was performing required medical treatment – immunization.”

"Boom Boom Bear was originally enlisted for a two-years, but upon verbal orders of the commanding officer, he was “transferred under guard” to the San Diego Zoo where he was ordered to report “for processing and proper classification.”

"There was a problem. Boom Boom was an Asiatic black bear and the intended mate was a sun bear. The embarrassed military noted that they would henceforth carry photos of the proper bear species. In May 1967, the Navy gave permission for Boom Boom to be transferred to the Lee Richardson Zoo.

"So that is the true story of how Boom Boom came to Kansas. He lived at the Lee Richardson Zoo for 31 years, making him one of the longest lived Asiatic black bears in captivity."