TAG Annual Report Template

Rodent Insecitvore Lagomorph TAG Annual Report Date: 2016 TAG Annual Report Template *** Please note that Annual Reports must be digitally submitted to AZA Vice President of Animal Conservation (cdorsey@aza.org) and the TAG s WCMC Liaison no later than August 1. *** Please adjust the tables as necessary to accommodate complete answers. *** This template is available in a digitized Word form at https://www.aza.org/programleaderportal/ 1. Please provide a list of the most current TAG Steering Committee members and Advisors. Example: NAME ROLE INSTITUTION EMAIL Rebecca Bearman Chair Zoo Atlanta rbearman@zooatlanta.org Dawn Petefish Vice Chair Peoria Zoo dpetefish@peoriaparks.org Kristin Smith Secretary Denver Zoo KSmith@denverzoo.org Jessica Hoffman Treasurer Greensboro Science Center jhoffman@greensboroscience.org Lori Bruckheim Steering Committee Disney Animal Kingdom Lori.Bruckheim@disney.com Kenton Kerns Steering Committee National Zoo kernsk@si.edu Kathy Russell Steering Committee Santa Fe Teaching Zoo kathy.russell@sfcollege.edu Lindsay Sears Steering Committee Omaha Zoo porcupine@omahazoo.com Stuart Wells Steering Committee Phoenix Zoo SWells@phoenixzoo.org Linda Kunze Education Advisor Caldwell Zoo lkunze@caldwellzoo.org Deborah McWilliams Nutrition Advisor monogastricnutrition@yahoo.ca Joe Barkowski WCMC Liaison Tulsa Zoo Jcbski@aol.com 2. Please list any new or revised statements or guidelines that the TAG has adopted in the past year (note that new or revised Policies, Position Statements, White Papers, and Guidelines must be approved by the AZA Board of Directors). 3. Please attach an updated, Animal Programs Summary Table (See Table 3 in the TAG Handbook, p. 47-51 for more information). Common name (Genus species) Brazilian Agouti (Dasyprocta leporina) Capybara (Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris) Rock Hyrax Procavia capensis Perdido Beach Mouse (Peromyscus polionotus trissyllepsis) Sample Animal Programs Summary Table Date of Last PVA/B&T Plan Studbook 12-Nov- 2015 Current Population Size (N) 25-Feb-11 161 12/11/2014 ; Informal B&T recs 9/15 There is not an AZA one, but we have a breeding plan with the new founder through Current Number of Participating AZA Member Institutions 84 38 66 total 48 AZA Projected % GD at 100 years or 10 generations ** Insufficient data Insufficient Data SSP Program Designation 5 year target Population size Space Needed (Target Population size minus current space) Recent 5 year Population Trend (increasing, decreasing, or stable 55.55 110-80=30 Increasing 200 144 33 NA 170 42.42.3 (87) 3 90% Red program 200-161=39 170-144=26 Declining Stable 175 175-87=88 increasing USFWS IUCN CITES Least Concern Not listed Not Listed Least; Concern; Not listed USFWenda ngereed

USFWS and University of Florida as of June 28, 215 Porcupine, Cape (Hystrix africaeaustralis & Hystrix cristata) 6/30/15 67.76.7 (Hystrix africaeaust ralis) 13.10.5 (Hystrix cristata) Porcupine, North American (Erethizon dorsatum) NO CURRENT COORDINATO R 17-Feb-15 39.44.9 63 (H. africaeaustra lis) 10 (H. cristata) 76.30% 140 0 Stable CITES II 50 (42+8 non-aza) 73% 50.50 100-79=21 Stable (2011=70; 2014=66) Least Concern Prehensile-tailed Porcupine (Coendou prehensilis) 6/2/2014 117 63 80% 100 100-117= -17 Increasing IUCN Least Concern Squirrel, Mount Graham Red (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus grahamensis) 5 1 Insufficient Data RED Program 8.8 3 Declining (2014=242) USFWS Endangered Prevost s squirrel (Callosciurus prevostii) 10/15/14 B&T Plan 71 32 56.2% (2014 B&T Plan) 100 100-71=29 decreasing Not listed Least Concern Not Listed Shrew, Northern Tree (Tupaia belangeri) Tenrec, Lesser Madagascar Hedgehog (Echinops telfairi) 4 May 2015 (update and MateRX) 21.20.0 21 54% Red SSP 65 65-41=24 4-Dec-13 64.49.4 43 Insufficient data 125 8 **Please include footnotes to indicate the document type (year) from which these data were obtained Declining (2013=47;2015= 41) Not Listed Increasing (2013=86; 2016=117) Not listed 4. Please attach an updated Animal Program Summary Table with Roles, Goals, and Essential Action items. (see Table 4 in the TAG Handbook, p. 47-51 for more information). Please provide the action steps the TAG/SSP is taking, or intends to take, in order to achieve each identified goal, and indicate an approximate timeline for these actions. Animal Program Roles, Goals and Essential Actions Table RIL TAG Goals Complete RCP due Dec 1, 2015 Completed and now in revisions due Dec 2, 2016 TAG Officers and Steering Committee Members will identify priorities for Animal Care Manuals and solicit for volunteers to complete one Animal Care Manual per year 2014-2016 in order to promote exceptional husbandry of the species under the TAG s purview. 2014-2016 Kenton Kerns is spearheading this project and has already determined what ACMS are in progress and we have determined which animals are priority in terms of having an ACM. Kenton is working to find champions to spearhead the creation of ACMs. TAG Officers, Steering Committee Members, and Program Leaders will collaborate with the Animal Ambassador SAG to work toward creating TAG managed

Goal #4/Essential Actions 2014-2016 Progress toward Goal #4 Goal#1/Essential Action 2016-2017 Goal #2/Essential Action 2016-2017 Goal #3 /Essential Action 2016-2017 Goal #4/Essential Actions 2014-2016 populations for species that have high program animal value, but low exhibit and/or conservation value. First contact has been made and species to begin with have been identified. An AA SAG/RIL TAG liaison will be identified by March 2016. Lindsay North and Lori Bruckheim are spearheading this collaboration. TAG Officers and Steering Committee Members will create partnerships and facilitate communication with our international colleagues in order to share expert husbandry techniques. Dialogue will begin during the joint TAG meeting in March 2016 with details and resources to be identified at that time. Rebecca Bearman and Kathy Russell are working toward creating relationships. The Joint TAG meeting was the start of relationships with TAG counterparts and several species have been identified as priority species for which information needs to shared across regions. Continue work on ACMs Find champions to begin work on priority ACMs by Oct 1, 2016 Collaboartion with AA SAG: PLs and/or species champions will be identified by Dec 2016 for hedgehogs and one or two other soon to be identified species. Create a position statement on management euthanasia to increase sustainability of rodent populations. Draft complete by Sep. 2017 Identify new steering committee members and program advisors to fill in areas where expertise is lacking. Brazilian Agouti / Dasyprocta leporina Representative species, mixed species potential Complete studbook and get it published in 2016. Completed Nov-12-15 Update IR list Completed 2015 Share diet information with IR s via e-mail Completed 2015 Goal #2/Essential Action 2015-2016 Set-up planning meeting by end of 2016 for breeding and transfer plan to be completed in 2017. To help increase space for agouti, compile list of mixed species and advertise to current IR's by end of 2016. Goal #3 /Essential Action 2015-2016 Identify 2 organizations willing to import new founder agouti by 2018. Capybara (Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris)

Conservation action Using ZIMS software, continue to gather pedigree information in order to prepare for 2015-2016 PMC planning session in November 2016. Updated several individuals to LTF status. More research is needed for some individuals. Work with WCMC and the Contraception Center to determine which temporary contraception methods, if any, are available and effective with population. This will be 2015-2016 done in the first quarter of 2017. By July of 2017, protocols will be developed and in place. Have not yet begun. Identify at least 3 new institutions that could house capybara in a mixed species setting. This will be accomplished during the next master planning session in the fall 2015-2016 of 2016. During 2017 set up transfers to get animals into these new exhibit spaces. January 2018, animals will be in all 3 selected institutions. Planning session is scheduled for November 2016. Goal#1/Essential Action 2016-2017 Goal #2/Essential Action 2016-2017 Set up transfers to get animals into new mixed species exhibit spaces. Get ACM published. It is currently under review with AZA Goal #3/Essential Action 2016-2017 Prepare studbook for publication. Due early 2018. Rock Hyrax/ Procavia capensis Promote participation in contraceptive trials for this species No females are currently on reversible contraception. Several males have deslorelin implants to control aggression that are also acting as contraception. Publish nutritional research. Promote Nutritional Advisor's recommendations and publish ACM. Diet recommendations will again be highlighted in husbandry resources being compiled at this time with distribution goal of Aug 2016. This information will also be used as starting point on ACM (John Fried from Dallas Zoo has agreed to work on ACM) Work towards equalizing family groups. No progress to date. Contact appropriate IR s about possibility of placing females not recommended to breed on MGA implant. Goal #2/Essential Action 2015-2016 Complete and distribute updated husbandry information by Sept 2016 Goal #3 /Essential Action 2015-2016 Make breeding/transfer recommendations in October 2016 (Next plan with PMC will be in fall 2017) Perdido Key Beach Mouse (Peromyscus polionotus trissyllepsis) Red Program

(s) 2015-2016 Conservation Continue and expand relationship with University of Florida genetics professor James Austin in order to maintain gene diversity and to increase the chances of survival for those animals that are released. Written plan produced by December 2016. Progress toward Goal #1 Completed. Written plan out on July 13, 2016 (s)2015-2016 Progress toward Goal #2 Bring on an Education Advisor to work with USFWS and FWC to produce educational materials to go to the agencies and facilities involved by December 2016. Production of education materials has started; video and graphic. Advisor has not yet been named. (s)2015-2016 Send Animal Care Manual revisions to AZA by July 31, 2016. Revisions have been made to Animal Care Manual, but a sections on hospice and hurricane protocols needs to be added. New date for completion set for August 31, 2016. (s) 2016-2017 Compile necropsy reports to analysis deaths to see if there is a relationship to age and the development of cancerous tumors. This will be done by asking the three institutions so send all necropsy reports to the coordinator. Materials will be reviewed and an analysis performed by June 30, 2017. (s)2016-2017 Published Animal Care Manual by March 30, 2017. (s)2016-2017 Publish first stud book by December 31, 2016. Goal #2/Essential Action 2015-2016 Goal #3 /Essential Action 2015-2016 Cape Porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis & Hystrix cristata) Exhibit/Edcuation All holding institutions send photographs of the rump spines of their crested porcupines to help confirm species identification. PHASE OUT H. cristata, Concentrate on H. africaeaustralis. Investigate the possibility of DNA species identification. No progress Promote insitutional sex determination in order to improve reproduction success No Progress Promote mixed species possibilities and program use. No Progess All holding institutions send photographs of the rump spines of their crested porcupines to help confirm species identification. PHASE OUT H. cristata, Concentrate on H. africaeaustralis. Investigate the possibility of DNA species identification. Promote insitutional sex determination in order to improve reproduction success Promote mixed species possibilities and program use.

Goal #2/Essential Action 2015-2016 Goal #3 /Essential Action 2015-2016 Prehensile-tailed Porcupine / Coendou prehensilis Exhibit/Education Research the importation process to better understand the logistics and feasibility of importing new founders for the population by December 2016. If determined to be feasible, identify 3 institutions that will import a total of 6 individuals to establish 3 founder breeding pairs by December 2017. No progress to date. Survey all holding institutions to determine exactly how many individuals in the population are being used for education by December 2016. This information can then be used during the next population planning meeting in Spring 2017 to determine which education animals are genetically valuable and should be recommended to breed. Have begun to survey institutions through direct personal communication during studbook update in spring/summer 2016. Contact institutions that have acquired animals from private sources to inquire about their overall experience with the private institution. Compile the information to determine reputable private sources for new animals, and possible founders, for the population by June 2016. No progress to date. Research the importation process to better understand the logistics and feasibility of importing new founders for the population by December 2016. If determined to be feasible, identify 3 institutions that will import a total of 6 individuals to establish 3 founder breeding pairs by December 2017. Survey all holding institutions to determine exactly how many individuals in the population are being used for education by December 2016. This information can then be used during the next population planning meeting in Spring 2017 to determine which education animals are genetically valuable and should be recommended to breed. Contact institutions that have acquired animals from private sources to inquire about their overall experience with the private institution. Compile the information to determine reputable private sources for new animals, and possible founders, for the population by June 2016. Prevost s Squirrel/Callosciurus prevostii) Multispecies opportunity; active animal/high visiblility Deforestation and Rainforest conservation Increase number of institutions holding 1 4 squirrels from 31 to 35 by Jan 1, 2017. Promote this species as an ideal mixed species exhibit animal. Send an e-blast to member institutions by September 2015 Added San Francisco Zoo in 2016 to bring institution number to 32. Communicating with Hogle Zoo about acquiring anmals. Identify 3 host institutions that will agree to work together to finance the importation of 6 founder animals and agree to house the founders and their offspring for at least 2 years. Identify these institutions by October 2015. Work with these institutions to find founder sources by December 1, 2015. Have housing and permits in place by March 1, 2016. Import founders by September, 2016 Los Angeles Zoo and Chicago Lincoln Park cooperated in a 2015 import of 2.2 animals from Singapore Zoo Create a husbandry manual for the Prevost s squirrel by March 1, 2016

Goal #2/Essential Action 2015-2016 No progress to date. Increase number of institutions holding 1 4 squirrels from 31 to 35 by Jan 1, 2017. Promote this species as an ideal mixed species exhibit animal. Send an e-blast to member institutions by December 2016 Identify 1 host institution that will agree to work to finance the importation of 2 founder animals and agree to house the founders and their offspring for at least 2 years. Identify these institutions by January 2017. Work with these institutions to find founder sources by January 2018. Have housing and permits in place by March 1, 2018. Import founders by September, 2018 Goal #3 /Essential Action 2015-2016 Create a husbandry manual for the Prevost s squirrel by March 1, 2017 Brazilian Agouti / Dasyprocta leporina Representative species, mixed species potential Complete studbook and get it published in 2016. (not listed on annual report for 2015) Completed Nov-12-15 Promote this species as an ideal mixed species exhibit animal. Send out a survey to all present and past holders of Northen Tree Shrew to see what other species have been housed sucessfully and what has not been sucessfully housed. N/A Goal #4/Essential Actions Progress toward Goal #4 Increase the founder population by finding insitutions to import new genetic founders into the North American population in insure we have a stanable population for years to come. N/A Work with other insitutions that hold other speceis Tree Shrews and phase them out in order to house Northern Tree Shrew. N/A Set-up planning meeting by end of 2016 for breeding and transfer plan to be completed in 2017. Goal #2/Essential Action 2015-2016 To help increase space for agouti, compile list of mixed species and advertise to current IR's by end of 2016. Goal #3 /Essential Action 2015-2016 Identify 2 organizations willing to import new founder agouti by 2018. 2015-2016 Northern Tree Shrew (Tupaia belangeri) Red SSP Exhibit species, mixed species potential Promote this species as an ideal mixed species exhibit animal. Send out a survey to all present and past holders of Northern Tree Shrew to see what other species have been housed successfully and what has not been successfully housed. None Increase the founder population by finding institutions to import new genetic

2015-2016 2015-2016 Goal#1/Essential Action 2016-2017 Goal #2/Essential Action 2016-2017 Goal #3 /Essential Action 2017 founders into the North American population in insure we have a stainable population for years to come. None Work with other institutions that hold other species Tree Shrews and phase them out in order to house Northern Tree Shrew. None Promote this species as an ideal mixed species exhibit animal. Send out a survey to all present and past holders of Northern Tree Shrew to see what other species have been housed successfully and what has not been successfully housed, by 1 January 2017 and results sent out by June 2017. Increase the number of holding institutions for the Northern Tree Shrew in North America. By the increase of new spaces, the program will be able to grow by allowing more breeding and the possibility of importing new species. By increasing the number of holdings and allowing more breeding, this will help keep the population more viable among the species. 2-3 new holding institutions well need to be in place by December 2017. Work with other institutions that hold other species Tree Shrews and phase them out in order to house Northern Tree Shrew. Non Northern Tree Shrew holding institutions will be contacted, evaluated and determine if anyone will switch species by Fall 2017. 2015-2016 2015-2016 2015-2016 Lesser Madagascar hedgehog tenrec / Echinops telfairi Conservation action No goals submitted for 2015 Annual Report No goals submitted for 2015 Annual Report No goals submitted for 2015 Annual Report Increase number of breeding pairs. Identify two more institutions willing to breed tenrecs or two institutions willing to house an additional breeding pair by September 2016. Increasing breeding pairs will ensure all institutions' program animal wants can be met. Goal #2/Essential Action 2015-2016 Goal #3 /Essential Action 2015-2016 Meet with the PMC in August 2016 and submit a draft Breeding and Transfer Plan draft by October 2016. A BTP will help to identify animals for new breeding pairs. Standardize husbandry practices. Submit an Animal Husbandry Manual draft by January 2017. 5. Please list all field conservation and/or research projects that have been supported by the TAG in the past year and provide a brief summary (one paragraph) and status for each.

1. New England Cottontail Rabbit Repopulation Project Biologists from the New England Cottontail Captive Breeding Working Group (NECCBWG) (see right) have teamed up to restore populations by breeding these rabbits in captivity and releasing them in natural habitat. Results to Date In November 2011, the offspring, or kits, of the first founders were released at age three to four months at Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge in southern Rhode Island. They were placed in a one-acre habitat surrounded by predator-proof fencing to allow them to become acclimated to a natural environment without predation pressure. The offspring spent their first winter adjusting from living at the Zoo to living in the wild, learning to forage and fend for themselves in a predator-free environment. In March of 2012, some of the rabbits were fitted with radio collars and released into the wild on Patience Island, in Rhode Island s Narragansett Bay. Their activity and health were monitored to see if they survived and reproduced. Other captive-born rabbits were brought back to the Zoo and added to the breeding group. Additional groups of kits were released in July and September onto Patience Island. A small group also was sent to Great Bay, New Hampshire to build new populations and augment declining populations in that state. As of November 2012, more than half of the radio fitted rabbits were still alive, which meant they were successfully foraging and avoiding predators. The partners celebrated this as a successful result for a prey species. During 2013 and 2014, the breeding and release program grew significantly, nearly doubling numbers achieved in each of the previous years, with young rabbits released both in Rhode Island and New Hampshire to augment those populations. What is the future of this project? This collaborative project aims to help restore sustainable cottontail populations. The wide-range effort to save this native animal depends on the expertise and collaboration of partners like those involved in this project, says Anthony Tur, Endangered Species Specialist with the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Thanks to the dedication of the zoo staff and others, we are now prepared to expand the program to achieve meaningful conservation goals for the cottontail. The Working Group partners aim, first, to expand and manage the early successional habitat needed for this species, working in some cases with private landowners. Second, the captive breeding program will continue, with the Zoo aiming to significantly increase the number of captive born produced each year. In 2011, 11 rabbit kits were captive born. That number rose to 28 in 2012 and 41 in 2013 and 38 in 2014 and 22 in 2015. To date, 94 young rabbits have been introduced to the wild in Rhode Island and 46 have been released in New Hampshire. With the help of the Rhode Island Foundation, who provided $15,000, in addition to federal funding through the Pittman-Robertson Federal Aid Wildlife Restoration Program, the breeding facilities were expanded in 2014. In addition the team has partnered with the Queens Zoo in 2015 as a second breeding facility, producing 11 rabbits for the 2015 season. Perrotti hopes this larger capacity will result in a significantly higher birth rate each year going forward. This species was a candidate for federal listing in 2015, due to all the on the ground work with the species the USFWS decided not to list the species at this time. 2. Medical findings for Shrew, Northern Tree (Tupaia belangeri) Woodland Park Zoo has had good success with an apparent novel treatment for this species using AMLOPIDINE PO once daily for 30 days as an arterial vasodilator to control suspected high blood pressure. Treatment started on 14/Apr/2016 and is ongoing. Our current working diagnosis is that the hyphema (blood in the eye) is secondary to systemic hypertension and vascular changes due to renal hypertension and arteriosclerosis and renal pathology. Animal Care staff are cautiously optimistic that this treatment will continue to maintain this animal s quality of life. Medical Summary: This 8Y 2M, male Northern tree shrew with bilateral cataracts and red blood within the anterior chambers received an ophthalmology consult. Quality of Life monitoring is ongoing for this individual given its agerelated concerns. 29/Mar/2016, bilateral blood in anterior chamber. The QOL concerns are for an older animal that is blind or mostly blind that lost his conspecific. One captive specimen lived for 11.1 years; unconfirmed reports of animals living up to 14 years. Adult body weights ~200gm. Exam, BCS4/9, 0.178kg, scale 152: (~190 gram, 16/Mar/2016): Bilateral hyphema resolving since 7-days ago. Ophthalmology consult, comments, Dr. Tom Sullivan: Eyes were ultrasounded and negative for retinal detachment, retinas ultrasound normal. No visible retrobulbar mass. Bleeding appears uveal in origin, not likely retinal. Uveal lesions consistent with hypertension which should respond to AMLOPIDINE as an arterial vasodilator to control suspected high blood pressure. Look for dose response to not cause low-pressures (ie. disoriented, weak) and if dose responsive, no more blood in the eyes. Good/favorable outcomes if shrew responds typical to how cats/dogs respond to this treatment; cats/dogs typically get blood pressure measurements to monitor, which is not possible with this small sized patient. No sample collection. Treatment, fluid support LACTATED

RINGER'S SOLUTION with 5% DEXTROSE SC for one dose. New treatment, AMLOPIDINE PO once daily for 30 days as an arterial vasodilator to control suspected high blood pressure. Start treatment on 14/Apr/2016. Ends 14/May/2016. Current working diagnosis is that the hyphema (blood in the eye) is secondary to systemic hypertension and vascular changes due to renal hypertension and arteriosclerosis and renal pathology. Schedule visual exam at Unit in oneweek, Thu 4/21/2016. Darin Collins, DVM Director, Animal Health Programs WOODLAND PARK ZOO 5500 Phinney Ave North, Seattle WA 98103 206.548.2611 office 206.369.6299 cell darin.collins@zoo.org www.zoo.org 3. Staten Island zoo update The Staten Island Zoo now houses nine rodent species with our groundhog being the main zoo mascot and NYC s groundhog for Feb 2 nd. Species include: American beaver, Patagonian mara, capybara, Afr crested porcupine, NA porcupine, prevost squirrel, groundhog, guinea pig and chinchilla Below is anything notable within our collection: 1. American Beaver: Hand-reared, exhibits well with a collection of geese and swans shared pond. Used for ambassadorial programs. 2. Patagonian Mara: MGA contraception implanted at 0.9 g lasted about 6 months before female was receptive again on her own. We had healthy offspring born following the contraception failure after 6 months. Replaced MGA contraceptive at 1.35 g. We will see how long it lasts. Our female is being contracepted purely to keep our options open for possible breeding in the future. Used for education programs. Lives with a kangaroo. 3. Capybara: two females housed with a llama and rhea, and soon to be giant anteaters. The capybara frequently sleep next to or on top of the llama. 4. African crested porcupine: Exhibits well with a pair of klipspringers and multiple ground dwelling/ flighted birds. One specimen hand-reared and used for education programs and ambassadorial use. 5. NA Porcupine: Just acquired a young pair for hand-rearing and eventual breeding per SSP suggestion 6. Prevost squirrel: In 2012, incidence of one female attacking and killing 3 crested wood partridges in one day, and followed by a laughing thrush a week or two later. Two male specimens live with a pair of binturong. 7. Groundhog: all are trained to work with keepers for groundhog day events. Males are more aggressive in February despite training. The groundhogs are now lifted in a hydraulic chamber for the big reveal on Groundhog Day. Works very well, safe for the animal and avoids putting any animal or human in danger. Marc T. Valitutto, VMD General Curator, Veterinarian Staten Island Zoological Society http://www.statenislandzoo.org/ 4. Brazillian Agouti Update Nathan Strong 1. Found a good contraceptive to use, MGA implant which works for two years then can be replaced or removed for future breeding. The contraception center at St. Louis gave this recommendation. 2. Will try to track polycystic kidney disease in our population as it is thought to be hereditary.