Zoological Society Of Cincinnati

THE CINCINNATI ZOO AND BOTANICAL GARDEN WILL WORK WITH FIVE PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS TO ESTABLISH THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF RHINOCEROS SCIENCE, WHICH WILL RESEARCH HIGH-PRIORITY AREAS OF RHINOCEROS HEALTH. PROJECT ACTIVITIES WILL PRODUCE SCIENCE-BASED, AFFORDABLE, AND FEASIBLE MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS TO MONITOR AND CONTROL RHINOCEROS? PHYSICAL CONDITION, IRON OVERLOAD, AND REPRODUCTIVE DYSFUNCTION. THE PROJECT WILL INVOLVE HIRING A GRADUATE STUDENT ALONG WITH INTERNS TO SUPPORT RESEARCH ACTIVITIES. THE PROJECT ACTIVITIES WILL ADVANCE THE SCIENCE NECESSARY TO ENSURE THE LONG-TERM HEALTH, WELL-BEING, AND SUSTAINABILITY OF A SPECIES THREATENED IN THE WILD, PROVIDING A SAFETY NET FROM EXTINCTION FOR RHINOCEROS AND IMPROVING CARE AT THE 74 ACCREDITED ZOOS THAT ARE HOME TO 365 RHINOCEROSES.

NATIONAL LEADERSHIP GRANTS

THE LINDNER CENTER FOR CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH OF ENDANGERED WILDLIFE AT THE CINCINNATI ZOO WILL PARTNER WITH OMAHA?S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM TO IMPLEMENT A PROJECT ADDRESSING THE REPRODUCTIVE CHALLENGES OF MANAGING SUSTAINABLE POPULATIONS OF TIGERS, SNOW LEOPARDS, AMUR LEOPARDS, AND JAGUARS IN ZOOS. THEY WILL ENHANCE THE ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES SUCH AS SEMEN BANKING AND ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION TO HELP ENSURE THE VIABILITY OF THESE FOUR ICONIC CAT SPECIES, AS WELL AS CREATE A GENOME RESOURCE BANK. THEN THEY WILL DEVELOP AN EFFICIENT, RELIABLE METHOD FOR ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION TO ALLOW PROPAGATION OF GENETICALLY VALUABLE PAIRS THAT CANNOT BREED NATURALLY.

THE CINCINNATI ZOO AND BOTANICAL GARDEN WILL CONDUCT A THREE-YEAR RESEARCH PROJECT TO IMPROVE BREEDING SUCCESS AMONG ZOO-HOUSED CATS. MOST CAT POPULATIONS IN THE WILD ARE DECLINING AND BREEDING SUCCESS HAS BEEN DECREASING THE PAST TWO DECADES. ZOO SCIENTISTS WILL UTILIZE THE JAGUAR AND LEOPARD AS MODELS TO ASSESS THE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH OF FEMALES THROUGH A MULTIMODAL APPROACH TO REPRODUCTIVE EXAMS USING ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES THAT WILL ALLOW THE PROPAGATION OF GENETICALLY VALUABLE CAT PAIRS UNABLE TO BREED NATURALLY. THE PROJECT WILL BUILD CAPACITY OF THE ZOOLOGICAL COMMUNITY THROUGH ADVANCED TRAINING OF STAFF IN RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND VETERINARY TECHNIQUES, AND BY CREATING A PAID UNDERGRADUATE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM. THIS PROJECT WILL RESULT IN ENHANCING THE GENETIC VIABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF BIG CAT COLLECTIONS MAINTAINED IN NORTH AMERICAN ZOOS.

"THE CINCINNATI ZOO AND BOTANICAL GARDENS CENTER FOR CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH OF ENDANGERED WILDLIFE WILL PARTNER WITH THE LYON ARBORETUM TO CONDUCT A THREE-YEAR RESEARCH STUDY TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES OF THE OFF-SITE CONSERVATION OF ENDANGERED EXCEPTIONAL PLANTS (EEPS)-PLANTS THAT ARE NOT ABLE TO BE CONSERVED IN SEED BANKS. THIS PROJECT WILL IMPROVE THE ABILITY OF BOTANICAL GARDENS AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS TO ADDRESS THE SIGNIFICANT INFORMATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC, AND COST CHALLENGES OF EEPS BY PROVIDING NEW INFORMATION ON PROTOCOLS USED FOR CONSERVING EEPS, AN ANNOTATED LIST OF EEPS, GENETIC INFORMATION TO GUIDE THE BANKING AND USE OF THESE COLLECTIONS, AND A NETWORK AND WEBSITE TO CONTINUE FACILITATING FUTURE RESEARCH AND COLLABORATION BETWEEN INSTITUTIONS."

THE CINCINNATI ZOO AND BOTANICAL GARDEN WILL EVALUATE AND EXPAND THE COEXISTENCE IMPACT FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM. THIS INITIATIVE ADDRESSES A CRITICAL NEED TO BUILD CAPACITY FOR CONSERVATION LEADERS ROOTED IN THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITIES WHILE ALSO ACTIVATING ZOO STAFF AROUND THE ORGANIZATION’S MISSION. FIRST, FELLOWS WILL DEVELOP TECHNICAL ABILITIES WITH TRAINING IN CORE SKILLS NEEDED FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY CONSERVATION RESEARCH, SUCH AS LEADERSHIP COMMUNICATIONS, PROJECT DESIGN, DATA ANALYSIS, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. THROUGH THIS TRAINING, THEY WILL CREATE CLEARER PATHWAYS TO ACHIEVING CONSERVATION IMPACT IN THEIR REGIONS, ULTIMATELY LEADING TO GREATER ECOLOGICAL STABILITY AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCE. SECOND, THIS MODEL FOR PROACTIVE COLLABORATION AND RESOURCE-SHARING WILL BENEFIT OTHER ZOOS, AQUARIUMS, AND MUSEUMS BY PROVIDING A TESTED AND SCALABLE FRAMEWORK THAT CAN BE ADOPTED ACROSS THE SECTOR. THE PROJECT’S FINDINGS WILL BE SHARED BROADLY THROUGH PUBLICATIONS AND CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS.

THE CINCINNATI ZOO AND BOTANICAL GARDEN WILL CONDUCT RESEARCH TO ADDRESS CRITICAL NEEDS OF THREATENED AND ENDANGERED BEAR SPECIES THAT ARE FACING REPRODUCTIVE CHALLENGES. BUILDING ON A DECADE OF RESEARCH INTO POLAR BEAR REPRODUCTION, THIS PROJECT WILL EVALUATE AND IMPLEMENT INNOVATIVE REPRODUCTIVE MONITORING TECHNIQUES, ESTABLISH A STANDARD OF BEST PRACTICES IN FERTILITY ASSESSMENTS, AND ENHANCE REPRODUCTION AND PRESERVE GENETIC MATERIAL BY PROVIDING ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES SERVICES ACROSS BEAR SPECIES. THE MUSEUM WILL TRAIN A POST-DOC SCIENTIST AND CREATE THREE PAID SCHOLAR POSITIONS TO ASSIST WITH THE RESEARCH, AND FACILITATE CROSS-TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES WITH RESEARCHERS AT THE MEMPHIS ZOO. THE OVERARCHING GOAL OF THE PROJECT IS TO PROVIDE EXEMPLARY COLLECTIONS STEWARDSHIP OF CAPTIVE BEARS BY IDENTIFYING NEW SOLUTIONS FOR WIDESPREAD CHALLENGES, WHICH WILL HELP TO ENSURE THE PRESENCE OF BEARS IN ZOOS FOR YEARS TO COME.

NATIONAL LEADERSHIP GRANTS

"THE ANCHOR FOR ACCESS AND INCLUSION PROJECT WILL ADVANCE THE STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE OF THE CINCINNATI ZOO AND BOTANICAL GARDEN TO HELP IT BECOME ONE OF THE NATION'S MOST WELCOMING, ACCESSIBLE, AND INCLUSIVE ZOOS IN THE COUNTRY FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND THEIR FAMILIES. THE ZOO WILL PARTNER WITH CINCINNATI CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER TO TRAIN ALL 244 FULL-TIME STAFF AS WELL AS 75 SEASONAL EMPLOYEES AND 50 VOLUNTEERS. THE ZOO WILL WORK WITH A PARENTS' ADVISORY COUNCIL TO DEVELOP EVIDENCE-BASED VISUAL AND OTHER SENSORY SUPPORTS TO HELP PREPARE INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND THEIR FAMILIES FOR VISITS AND BETTER ENGAGEMENT AT THE ZOO. THE PROJECT WILL BE INFORMED BY BOTH FORMATIVE AND SUMMATIVE EVALUATIONS, AND PROJECT RESULTS WILL BE SHARED THROUGH LOCAL MEDIA AND THE NETWORKS OF DISABILITY ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL AS THROUGH PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCES AND PUBLICATIONS."

THE CINCINNATI ZOO & BOTANICAL GARDEN WILL CONDUCT RESEARCH TO IMPROVE THE CONSERVATION OF THREATENED SPECIES OF OAK TREES. SEEDS FROM EXCEPTIONAL SPECIES, WHICH INCLUDE OAKS, ARE NOT ABLE TO WITHSTAND STORAGE IN SEED BANKS, BUT CULTURES OF THEIR STEM CELLS AND OTHER TISSUES CAN BE STORED IN LIQUID NITROGEN IN CRYOBANKS. OBTAINING THESE CULTURES CAN BE TIME-CONSUMING, WITH LOW LEVELS OF SUCCESS. RESEARCH WILL FOCUS ON UNDERSTANDING THE FACTORS INVOLVED IN SUCCESSFULLY ESTABLISHING CULTURES TO CREATE CRYOBANKED COLLECTIONS OF SIX THREATENED OAK SPECIES. THE PROJECT INCLUDES THE TRAINING OF A POST-DOC, A GRADUATE STUDENT, AND INTERNS, AND THE CREATION OF NEW DIGITAL TOOLS TO ASSIST FUTURE RESEARCH ON OAKS AND OTHER THREATENED SPECIES. BY IMPROVING THE PROCESS OF CULTURE INITIATION FOR THE CRYOBANKING OF OAKS, THE CONSERVATION OF EXCEPTIONAL PLANTS MAY BECOME MORE EFFICIENT AND SCALABLE IN THE FUTURE.

NATIONAL LEADERSHIP GRANTS - MUSEUMS

THE LINDNER CENTER FOR CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH OF ENDANGERED WILDLIFE AT THE CINCINNATI ZOO AND BOTANICAL GARDENS WILL IMPROVE COLLECTIONS STEWARDSHIP OF ZOO POLAR BEARS BY CONSERVING GENETICS, ENHANCING REPRODUCTION, AND IMPROVING ANIMAL WELFARE. THE CAPTIVE POPULATION OF POLAR BEARS IS IN DECLINE GLOBALLY DUE PRIMARILY TO A LOW REPRODUCTIVE RATE, AND THERE ARE ONLY 66 INDIVIDUALS IN THE NATION'S ZOOS. THE ZOO WILL CREATE A PERMANENT POLAR BEAR SPERM BANK BY COLLECTING AND CRYOPRESERVING SEMEN; MONITORING AND DOCUMENTING THE SEXUAL MATURATION IN THE SPECIES TO BETTER DRIVE BREEDING RECOMMENDATIONS; AND CREATING AND EMPLOYING A NON-INVASIVE PREGNANCY TEST TO BETTER MANAGE THE COLLECTION AND PROVIDE ENHANCED ANIMAL WELFARE. MEASURES OF PROJECT SUCCESS WILL INCLUDE THE NUMBER OF SEMEN SAMPLES COLLECTED AND CRYOPRESERVED, THE NUMBER OF JUVENILES MONITORED FOR SEXUAL MATURATION, AND THE EMPLOYMENT OF A METHODOLOGY TO DIAGNOSE PREGNANCY IN BOTH PREGNANT AND NON-PREGNANT INDIVIDUALS. A MINIMUM OF THREE MANUSCRIPTS IN OPEN-ACCESS JOURNALS WILL SUMMARIZE PROJECT RESULTS FOR THE FIELD.

MEXICAN WOLF SPECIES SURVIVAL PLAN

THE LINDNER CENTER FOR CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH OF ENDANGERED WILDLIFE (CREW) AT THE CINCINNATI ZOO AND BOTANICAL GARDEN WILL CONDUCT A PROGRAM TO IDENTIFY THE REASONS FOR LOW REPRODUCTIVE RATES AMONG POLAR BEARS IN ZOOS AND HELP IMPROVE PROPAGATION AND BREEDING MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES. THE CAPTIVE POPULATION OF POLAR BEARS IS IN DECLINE GLOBALLY AND, IN THE UNITED STATES, ONLY APPROXIMATELY 40 REMAIN IN THE NATION'S ZOOS. WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH THE POLAR BEAR SPECIES SURVIVAL PLAN (SSP) AND ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES THAT HOUSE POLAR BEARS, SCIENTISTS AT CREW WILL QUANTIFY A SUITE OF HORMONES AND SIGNALING MOLECULES THAT WILL PROVIDE METRICS FOR ASSESSING AND IMPROVING POLAR BEAR REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND WELLNESS. THROUGH OPEN-ACCESS PUBLICATIONS, THE DATA WILL BE ACCESSIBLE AND USEFUL TO VETERINARY AND ANIMAL CARE STAFF, FIELD RESEARCHERS, AND SCIENTISTS HOPING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT POLAR BEAR PHYSIOLOGY AND ALLOWING FOR MORE ADVANCED REPRODUCTIVE DIAGNOSTICS AND AN INCREASE IN REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS AND NUMBER OF CUBS BORN EACH YEAR.

THE CINCINNATI ZOO & BOTANICAL GARDEN WILL SCALE UP ITS ANIMAL WELFARE PRACTICES TO ESTABLISH A SUSTAINABLE CULTURE OF ANIMAL EXCELLENCE. OVER 100 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES AND MANY SEASONAL STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS WILL PARTICIPATE IN TRAINING COURSES, EFFICIENCY COACHING, AND LEADERSHIP COACHING DESIGNED TO INCREASE THEIR KNOWLEDGE, TEAMWORK, AND RESOURCES SURROUNDING ANIMAL WELFARE. SELECT ANIMAL CARE STAFF AND CURATORS WILL ATTEND OFFSITE COURSES FOR MORE ADVANCED TRAINING. BASED ON THE PRIORITIES OUTLINED IN A LOGIC MODEL SESSION, THE MUSEUM WILL WORK WITH A CONSULTANT TO DELIVER CUSTOMIZED TRAINING FOR STAFF IN FIVE-DAY WORKSHOPS FOCUSED ON TEAM-BUILDING, LEADERSHIP, AND "TRAIN THE TRAINER" TECHNIQUES. PROJECT RESULTS WILL INCLUDE THE CREATION OF AN INTRANET DIGITAL RESOURCE CENTER FOR STAFF USE, A LEADERSHIP PLAN FOR 11 ANIMAL MANAGEMENT LEADERS, A PUBLIC MESSAGING STRATEGY ON ANIMAL EXCELLENCE, AND DOCUMENTED IMPROVEMENTS TO ANIMAL WELFARE.

CONSERVATION PROGRAM

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

RECIPIENT NAME: CINCINNATI ZOO AND BOTANICAL GARDENCOOPERATIVE AGREEMENT NUMBER: G24AC00593PROJECT TITLE: USING COMPREHENSIVE VETERINARY RECORDS IN TANDEM WITH SERUM CYTOKINE DATA TO IDENTIFY INDICATORS OF FITNESS IN POLAR BEARS OVERALL PROJECT PERIOD: 09 27 2024 09 25 2026OVERALL BUDGET PERIOD: 09 27 2024 09 25 2026AWARD PURPOSE: BETTER ANALYTICAL APPROACHES ARE NEEDED TO UNDERSTAND HOW A RAPIDLY CHANGING CLIMATE IS AFFECTING POLAR BEAR HEALTH. ENVIRONMENTAL AND ANTHROPOGENIC STRESSORS CAN AFFECT THE HEALTH, FITNESS, AND REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS OF POLAR BEARS. HOWEVER, A DEFICIENCY IN MONITORING TECHNIQUES INDICATIVE OF MORBIDITY AND OR MORTALITY IMPEDES THOROUGH ASSESSMENT OF HEALTH. IN FREE-RANGING WILDLIFE, DISEASE PROCESSES ARE DIFFICULT TO DETECT, GIVEN LIMITED ACCESSIBILITY TO INDIVIDUAL ANIMALS. BECAUSE OF THAT, THERE HAS BEEN LIMITED PROGRESS IN DEVELOPING NEW ANALYTICAL APPROACHES FOR BETTER CHARACTERIZING PHYSIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONING (AND DISFUNCTION) OF MOST SPECIES. THE PROPOSED STUDY SEEKS TO DEVELOP AN IMPROVED APPROACH FOR CHARACTERIZING THE PHYSIOLOGICAL FUNCTION OF POLAR BEARS, USING A LARGE DATA SAMPLE SET COLLECTED FROM BEARS HOUSED IN ZOOS. THE RESULTS FROM SUCH A STUDY CAN BE USED TO INFORM THE DEVELOPMENT OF BETTER DISEASE MONITORING EFFORTS THAT ADDRESS RECOVERY OBJECTIVES IN THE USFWS POLAR BEAR CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT PLAN (USFWS 2016, PAGES 32 AND 50).ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED:1.USE BLOOD AND SERUM BIOMARKER DATA FROM HEALTHY, ZOO-MANAGED POLAR BEARS TO ESTABLISH REFERENCE INTERVALS FOR COMMONLY ASSESSED BIOCHEMICAL ANALYTES FOLLOWING THE METHODS OF FRY ET AL. (2019). 2.USE CLINICAL RECORDS FROM ZOO-MANAGED POLAR BEARS TO: IDENTIFY THRESHOLDS FOR BIOCHEMICAL ANALYTES THAT INDICATE PATHOPHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES AND COMPARE BIOCHEMICAL ANALYTES TO SERUM CYTOKINE MULTIPLEX CONCENTRATIONS. 3.USE THRESHOLDS DEVELOPED FROM ZOO BEAR POPULATIONS TO DRAW COMPARISONS BETWEEN AND MAKE INFERENCES ABOUT WILD POLAR BEAR POPULATION HEALTH. DELIVERABLES AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES:1.DOCUMENTED COMPUTER CODE AND DATA SETS ON ALL PRODUCTS.2.A FINAL REPORT INCLUDING: -ALL RESULTS AND DOCUMENTATION OF METHODOLOGY. -BIOMARKER VALUES THAT ARE INDICATIVE OF DISEASE.-CANDIDATE BIOMARKERS (AND REFERENCE RANGES) PREDICTIVE OF HEALTH AND DISEASE AND-A PROPOSED HEALTH MONITORING PLAN USING CANDIDATE BIOMARKERS.3.MANUSCRIPTS PREPARED FOR SUBMISSION TO A PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL IF ANALYSES PERMIT SUCH DISSEMINATION OF RESULTS.INTENDED BENEFICIARY(IES): THE USGS, THE PUBLIC AND POLAR BEARS.

ECOHIO:WETLAND RESTORATION, OH

TO ADD FUNDS, AND EXTEND THE PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE.

AUTUMN BUTTERCUP - WILD VS. CULTURED PLANTS