Page 6 - Gateways_2017-2018 Winter

News Bites
The latest noteworthy news from around
Brookfield Zoo and beyond the gates
is right at your fingertips.
WELFARE Pupdate
Pinniped Point’s two newest residents—
California sea lion pups Lucy and Taylor, Without us taking her in, she would have starved
born a week apart in June—have drawn
crowds since their debut this summer. But there’s
more to be excited about than their adorable faces.
They are the first California sea lions born at Brookfield
Zoo in 27 years. These births took planning and
coordination, making the pups a success story for the
Chicago Zoological Society.
California sea lions are part of a Species Survival Plan
(SSP) breeding program of the Association of Zoos and
Aquariums (AZA), and the SSP coordinator must approve
all breeding pairs to ensure the species’ genetic diversity.
Jennifer McGee, a lead marine mammal care specialist
here, not only coordinates the SSP for California sea lions
but is also the studbook keeper for the species. The
studbook documents the pedigree of each animal in
the population living at institutions accredited by AZA.
Because we wanted to replicate wild sea lions’
reproductive and generational groupings, we began
looking for two breeding pairs—a male and two
females—who were a good genetic match.
McGee quickly identified our own 7-year-old
Josephine as an appropriate option for one of the
females. Josephine is considered a “founder” sea lion:
she was wild-born and is genetically unrepresented in
the North American zoo and aquarium population. She
has lived here nearly her entire life. When she was a pup,
her mother abandoned her at Pier 39 in San Francisco.
6 GATEWAYS | NEWS BITES
Lucy (left) and Taylor are the newest California sea lion pups at
Seven Seas. Their births add genetic diversity to the population of
this species in managed care.
to death.
After months of searching, McGee found two
additional founder animals. Male Tanner resided at
Shedd Aquarium, while female Arie lived at the
Aquarium of Niagara. Both were also rescued as young
sea lions. Tanner was removed from the wild
permanently because he was feeding on federally
protected salmon. Arie was found stranded on a beach
and was deemed unreleasable after several
rehabilitation efforts failed. The two aquariums agreed
to transfer their animals here.
Animal care staff didn’t attempt to breed the animals
the first year but rather focused on helping Tanner
adjust to life here. This was the first attempted sea lion
breeding here in nearly 30 years, so it was important to
take things slow. Staff were delighted when both
Josephine and Arie became pregnant during the first
breeding season. They were equally delighted when
Josephine proved to be a competent mom because she
hadn’t had a proper role model as a young sea lion but
had been trained in maternal behaviors by staff.
Now both pups and moms are thriving. Though Lucy
and Taylor are young, their personalities are starting to
show. Taylor is chill and laid-back, while Lucy is a bit
more spunky. Both pups started working with a care
specialist when they were about a month old, learning
to navigate increasingly deep pools and setting the
foundation for a trusting relationship between
themselves and their care staff.