[House] Celebrate the Holiday Season at SF Zoo!

Fri Dec 23 11:01:31 PST 2022

ANIMAIL - The latest news at San Francisco Zoo & Gardens!
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ZOO HIGHLIGHTS
Enjoy the Holiday Season at SF Zoo

On behalf of all of us here at San Francisco Zoo & Gardens, we wish health, happiness and peace to you and yours this holiday season and throughout 2023. As a friendly reminder, we are open every day in December, including Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Years Day!
Good News For Monarch Butterflies

The results of the Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count are in and they are encouraging. 247,237 monarch butterflies were observed across their western overwintering sites. This is a hundredfold increase from their record low numbers last year! You can help with this recovery by planting native nectar plants. The butterflies will need sources of nectar when they fan out across the west from their coastal overwintering sites in the spring. Click here (https://sfzoo.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=05b8326f4402b997fe7a097e3&id=5a794b7246&e=7683a9aed3)  for plant guides.
Where are the Bears? Learn About Torpor
Tis the season to settle down for a long winters nap, and San Francisco Zoo's resident black bears "Juneau" and "Valdez," and grizzly bears "Kachina" and "Kiona" are no exception.

Brown bears and black bears are animals that experience a seasonal physical and behavioral change known as “torpor.” This hibernation-like state is something which all temperate bear species experience, whether they are in a zoo setting or in the wild. During torpor, activity and heart rate lowers, and the bear’s metabolism slows down significantly. Torpor is an adaptation that evolved in bears due to availability of resources at different times of the year. It is considered by zoo industry leaders a good wellness practice to allow temperate bears to experience torpor as it is an innate biological adaptation.

At the San Francisco Zoo, we provide opportunities for our bears to develop a full range of natural behaviors, including torpor. During these winter months, our bears have the choice of denning in their indoor dens or sleeping outside.  For the animal care staff, managing bears seasonally allows for a more holistic approach to their care. Keeping in line with best practices, animal staff are encouraged to offer enriching experiences throughout the year that include opportunities for choice and control. This time of year, these choices include opportunities to den, and experience torpor.

To prepare for torpor, black and brown bears go through a phase in the late summer and fall known as "hyperphagia." During this phase, bears may eat up to 20,000 calories (or more!) a day. That's about 40 McDonald's "Big Macs!" That being said, our bears avoid the fast-food line and opt for healthier options such as nuts, fish, lean ground beef, insects, and a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Our animal care staff collaborate with the Zoo's Nutrition Department to create a diet that reflects the bears' needs throughout the year. In addition to collaborating with our Nutrition Department on seasonal changes and torpor, our animal care staff receive year-round support for our bears from a variety of SF Zoo departments. When it comes to bear care, it truly takes a zoo!
Keep Our Oceans Amazing
AZA has partnered with Disney and Avatar’s “Keep Our Oceans Amazing” campaign as they release Avatar: The Way of the World now in theaters. San Francisco Zoo & Gardens’ unique location adjacent to the Pacific Ocean is a constant reminder of the fragility of ocean life and our on-going support of the need to conserve our oceans. Disney and Avatar have launched a global "Keep Our Oceans Amazing" campaign to raise awareness of the challenges facing oceans and marine life. The campaign supports The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and its work to protect 10 of our oceans' amazing animals and their habitats, connected to the beauty of Pandora. One of the experiences, called the Virtual Pandoran Ocean, transports fans to the wonders of the reef. Through this unique digital activation, fans can help Disney and Avatar "Keep Our Oceans Amazing" now through December 31, 2022 by creating their very own Avatar-inspired ocean creature at Avatar.com/KeepOurOceansAmazing. For every creature created in the Virtual
Pandoran Ocean, Disney will give $5 to TNC, up to $1 million, to help the organization achieve its goal of protecting 10% of the ocean by 2030.
Looking for ways you can help support your SF Zoo this holiday season? Check out our holiday Gift Guide (https://sfzoo.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=05b8326f4402b997fe7a097e3&id=b33308094a&e=7683a9aed3) for a variety of gifts for the animal lovers in your life!
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...

We've partnered with the SF Ballet this holiday season! They will collect electronic devices on our behalf for the Gorillas on the Line (https://sfzoo.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=05b8326f4402b997fe7a097e3&id=0c709cde15&e=7683a9aed3) (GOTL) campaign.  To celebrate this partnership, our chimpanzee had a Nutcracker themed celebration with plenty of yummy treats includidng popcorn and lots of veggies. Check out a video of the celebration here (https://sfzoo.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=05b8326f4402b997fe7a097e3&id=03f0c18a4b&e=7683a9aed3) !

** SF Zoo Membership Every Day!
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A Zoo Member (https://sfzoo.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=05b8326f4402b997fe7a097e3&id=06581ec2f4&e=7683a9aed3) enjoys FREE admission 365 days a year while supporting our mission of caring for and conserving animals. Become a Member, gift a Membership or renew your SF Zoo Membership now! Members now receive a 10% discount for all facility rentals and catering events. Thank you for your support!
https://sfzoo.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=05b8326f4402b997fe7a097e3&id=c2d3953dd4&e=7683a9aed3

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Photos by Marianne Hale and SF Zoo staff

San Francisco Zoo and Gardens
Sloat Blvd at The Great Highway
San Francisco, Ca 94132
USA
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