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January 08, 2016
Science Blog
December 07, 2018
Giant otters are large, active, aquatic carnivores that spend hours foraging and socializing every day. Their diet is almost exclusively based on fish.
When we started the Peru Giant Otter Conservation...
December 07, 2018
Meet Derek and Robert. Derek is about 10 years old and Robert is about eight years old. They live in the Molecular Diagnostics Lab at the Beckman Center in Escondido. The Beckman Center is the home base of the...
December 07, 2018
Mycobacteria are probably best known for causing tuberculosis and leprosy. These two impactful diseases described throughout history still exist today. They are caused by different species of mycobacteria,...
December 07, 2018
It is that season again. Twice a year the Molecular Diagnostics Lab gears up to test hundreds of desert tortoises. In the spring and fall these iconic species are tested for a couple of Mycoplasma species namely...
December 07, 2018
A frequent question I get asked is, “Do you work with the animals?” Yes and no.
I am not in direct contact with the animals in our care. I don’t even see them on most days. Sometimes I hear the...
December 07, 2018
The Mojave Desert is being transformed. Solar energy is being sourced in this seemingly vast landscape. Housing is being built. Infrastructure is being expanded. All for the needs of our growing population....
November 30, 2018
It’s one thing to make a seed collection, dry it, and freeze it, but quite another to thaw it, germinate it, and propagate it.
The value of our seed collections lies in our ability to use them. When I look at...
November 30, 2018
I was a zoo keeper for the better part of 8 years. As a keeper, I took care of many of the animals you love to see when you come to the zoo. The animal care team is an integral part of each animal’s life,...
November 27, 2018
This fall we welcomed a new group of juvenile ‘alalā into the dense forests of the Big Island of Hawai’i. Much about this release felt very similar to last year’s.
After leaving the aviary, the...
November 13, 2018
Day 4, 9 am, Cocha Cashu, Manu National Park, Peru. The water boils and churns as nine endangered giant otters vigorously pursue a school of fish. One otter swims under and up, and sends a spray of panicked ...
