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STAFF Storytime Supersize Salamanders
Some people learn by seeing, some learn by ARRIVAL At first glance, the newest salamanders in The Swamp
hearing, and some learn by reading. Chicago might not appear to be too different from those you can
find tucked away near Chicagoland’s swamps and ponds. The exhibit’s
Zoological Society docent Anna Grob reaches them all. salamanders could easily fit in two hands.
In addition to her weekly docent duties—where she teaches But just give it a few years. These little guys could get up to 5 feet long!
They’re Chinese giant salamanders, the largest amphibian in the world.
guests about wildlife and conservation by answering questions While incredibly impressive, these record-setting salamanders are a rarity
in North American zoos. (The last time Brookfield Zoo housed one was in
and sharing observations about various animals—Grob also the 1970s.) The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists them
as critically endangered, largely due to overexploitation for the pet trade
writes and illustrates children’s books, all of which are based on and habitat destruction.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (FWS) found these salamanders at
her experiences at a post office last year, when they entered the United States through the
mail as part of the illegal pet trade. After confiscating the animals, FWS
Brookfield Zoo. gave them to the Chicago Zoological Society, as they could not safely
reintroduce the salamanders to their native habitat—they were not
Anna Grob poses with exactly sure where they came from, or if they might have been exposed
her books (above), and her latest book, to any diseases.
Gibbon Finds a Friend (left). Grob’s books The four salamanders spent their first year at Brookfield Zoo behind
are available for purchase at Brookfield the scenes, getting acclimated to their new home as animal care staff
Zoo’s Wildlife Trading Post. prepared their exhibit. But this spring, they were officially placed in their
new habitat in The Swamp. For now, the four salamanders may share the
same habitat, though as they grow, they will be separated in order to
provide each of them with the space they deserve.
Her third book, Gibbon Finds a Friend, was published in 2017. Chinese giant
It focuses on the unique behavior of primates and is based on salamanders
the time she’s spent in Tropic World, and is dedicated to another can grow up to
Tropic World docent, Frank Veselak. Veselak has been a docent for 5 feet long.
nearly 30 years, and taught Grob much of what she knows about
primates. Veselak even appears as a character in the book!
Gibbon Finds a Friend teaches children about some of the struggles
animals in the rain forest might face. Grob strongly believes it is
important for her readers to understand these challenges, which
include the illegal pet trade and habitat degradation, so they might
be motivated to help rain-forest animals.
Grob’s other books include A Coyote Who Wished He Lived in
a Zoo and An African Painted Dog Without a Patch, which won a
National Indie Excellence Award for children’s nonfiction in 2016.
All three of Grob’s books are for sale at the zoo’s Wildlife
Trading Post. A portion of the proceeds benefit the animals she
writes about.
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