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The following article
was written by Mike Skidmore, Animal Keeper at Lincoln Park Zoo (LPZ),
located in Chicago, Illinois. In 1987 Mike started volunteering at
Lincoln Park Zoo as a docent. In 1994 he secured a position as an
animal keeper in LPZís Childrenís Zoo. There he worked
for three years in the nursery where he helped raise two injured orangutans
and a gorilla. Throughout his career at LPZ, Mike has worked with
a variety of species including primates, small mammals, reptiles,
elephants, and RHINOS.
Mike held the position of President of the Lincoln Park Chapter of
the American Association of Zookeepers (AAZK) in 1998 and 1999 and
the position of Treasurer, 1997-2001. In addition to his position
at Lincoln Park Zoo, Mike is working toward an anthropology degree
at Northeastern University.
Lincoln Park Zoo Chapter of AAZK holds 13th Annual Bowling
for Rhinos Fundraiser |
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Mike Skidmore
Animal Keeper
Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL
The Lincoln Park Zoo (LPZ) chapter of the American Association of
Zookeepers (AAZK) recently held their 13th annual Bowling for Rhinos
(BFR) event, raising approximately $3500. Over 40 chapters of AAZK
hold a BFR event each year and to date AAZK has raised over 1.7
million dollars for rhino conservation worldwide, with the LPZ chapter
raising over $110,000 of that total. SOS Rhino has been a big help
the last few years, donating raffle items and bringing bowlers.
The main benefactor of BFR is the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy located
in Isiolo, Kenya. I have been lucky enough to be involved in BFR
from the first year in 1990, first as a docent at the zoo and later
as a keeper and an AAZK officer. The first year in 1990 we had filled
an entire 40 lane bowling alley and even had to turn people away,
but keeping a fund-raiser going for 13 years is tough. LPZ has been
the top fund-raiser in the country many times and 5 times had the
highest individual total raised from a bowler which won them a free
trip to Lewa. BFR became so successful that support was expanded
in 1994 to include the Ujong Kulon National Park in Java to help
protect the few Javan rhinos left in the world. In 1997 we again
expanded the program to include Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park
in Sumatra to protect the Sumatran rhino. The numbers for these
small Asian rhinos is appallingly low, with only at most 100 Javan
and less than 400 Sumatran rhino left in the world .
Lewa was a unique place when it first started operating in that
it combined community and privately owned lands in an attempt to
protect the wildlife and include the local people. Started in 1983
as the Ngare Sergoi Rhino Sanctuary by Anna Merz and the Craig Family,
it was originally around 5000 acres. A recent plan, if it succeeds
will remove fencing between two properties in the area allowing
free movement of wildlife. It would be the largest private and community
owned used for conservation, making up over 300,000 acres. The Conservancy
protects not only white and black rhinos, but also elephants, giraffes,
zebras (including over 25% of the worldĖs population of the endangered
GrevyĖs zebra), wild dogs and numerous other hoofstock species.
Many species have become numerous enough to allow translocation
to other parks. White and black rhino numbers have steadily increased,
at the moment there are around 33 of each. Local people benefit
from the employment opportunities and the Conservancy supports many
local schools. Lewa hopes to develop itĖs tourism to the extent
that it can become self-sufficient. The Kenyan Wildlife Service
has been a big help and has also been very impressed with the success
they have had and used some of their techniques in other areas.
Although I have never raised enough money to win a trip to Lewa,
I will be going there this December to see what the 13 years of
our efforts have helped to create. I will write a follow-up article
on my visit there for SOS Rhino's newsletter. For more information
on Lewa check out their website at www.lewa.org
and for more information on BFR, please email me at zookeeper615@hotmail.com.
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