Today Daphne had me do yogurt bombs, the toilet paper tubes with yogurt smeared on the inside. I was there from 8 am to 9 am. We are running low on tubes, and I am going to start saving ours at the house. Since there are four of us, we go through toilet paper pretty regularly.
When I came in today, I greeted Mahale and she ran up to the bars and presented her back to me. She wanted to be groomed, so I kinda messed with her hair. I took this as a good sign. I greeted her every time I walked past, and groomed her two more times. Perhaps I was right and last time she was just pissed at me for ignoring her.
Today it was cold (around 30F or 0C) and no one was sent out. They probably went out later as it warmed up. Daphne said the chimps are usually the first ones to want to go out. I know that Fossey is kind of picky about his weather (he does not like anything that even looks rainy) and Chiquita barely wants to go out when its nice out (Rock usually convinces her to go out). Therefore, I didn't put out any enrichment or breakfast. Daphne was still prepping breakfast when I left, she was just going to feed inside.
I thought of something earlier today that I need to tackle on Friday, the next day I go to the zoo. I know everyone's name except for the two adult male chimps. I know Louie and Mikey, Mahale, Judy, and Chance, but I just call the other two the "big males". I am ashamed to admit that it could be due to a bit of a lack of interest, but in my defense I think that may stem from my being intimidated by them. I don't shrink away or act nervous when they are near me, but I am not near them very often. They are just so large and shaggy, which makes them look larger! Of course the gorillas are HUGE, so is Rock, but they seem less threatening somehow. As a matter of fact, I love it when Fossey is up close, and I love it when Brutus tries to intimidate me by banging against the bars when I walk past. Somehow, though, I don't pay much attention to the male chimps. I don't really pay too much attention to Chance, but he is usually palling around with the adult males and Judy. So, I have decided that Friday not only will I learn their names I will also try to watch them a bit, and ask Ann about them. They, along with Judy, are less interactive with me and the keepers, and I wonder if maybe they are more "zoo animals" that haven't been exposed to people as much, as opposed to Mahale, Louie, and Mikey who almost think that they are people...
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Saturday, January 3, 2009
For today!
I was at the zoo from 8-9:15 am today. Today's enrichment material was monkey chow balls. They get this only 2 or 3 times a year, as its pretty calorie dense. It is made with the dust from the monkey chow (which is the calorie richest part) and moistened with fruit juice. You can also throw in a little cereal if you like, I used Rice Krispies. I just basically molded them into 2 tablespoon balls. It was a lot like making rum balls (without the rum of course!) and they smelled like a very wheat-y cereal. They were pretty fun to make, it was almost like cooking.
It was great seeing everyone again today, I really enjoyed it. One thing that sucks was that Mahale spit on me (and then again, immediately). I should have seen it coming because about 15 minutes before that she poked a stick at me from between the bars. It was my fault entirely because I did not greet her at all, and had talked to Mikey and Louie. I am pretty sure she was just jealous and wanted attention. I felt pretty bad, in addition to the fact that it sucks when a chimpanzee spits water at you. Next time I need to make an extra effort to visit with her before I get started.
Putting out the balls was interesting. They are pretty sturdy, but crumble if dropped or squeezed. When I put them out for the orangutans, I noticed when I came back with their breakfast that a rabbit was munching on one! It was pretty irritating, there were 6 or 7 rabbits all around and they didn't seem frightened of me at all. I actually had to kick at the offending rabbit to get it to run off. The ball it munched on, of course, crumbled. Most likely the rabbits got the whole thing because the orangs are pretty slow about checking out thier enclosure, and Rok is the only one that actually goes to the islet where I left that particular ball. It did spark an interesting bit of info from Ann, though. When I told her about the incident and mentioned the overwhelming population of rabbits in all of the enclosures, she told me that zoos with lots of rabbits will have less rats! Apparently, she has been told this by keepers at other zoos and seen it herself. She said that a zoo she worked for had a rat problem (not a surprising thing in a zoo setting) but as soon as rabbits began to be noticed, the rat population dropped. Pretty interesting, and it would definately be an interesting study (dynamics of a rat population when disrupted by a rabbit population in a zoo setting?).
I especially liked her attitude about it all: "Its better for someone to be looking down into the enclosure and see a cute little bunny rabbit than for them to look down and have a big ugly rat looking back up at them."
It was great seeing everyone again today, I really enjoyed it. One thing that sucks was that Mahale spit on me (and then again, immediately). I should have seen it coming because about 15 minutes before that she poked a stick at me from between the bars. It was my fault entirely because I did not greet her at all, and had talked to Mikey and Louie. I am pretty sure she was just jealous and wanted attention. I felt pretty bad, in addition to the fact that it sucks when a chimpanzee spits water at you. Next time I need to make an extra effort to visit with her before I get started.
Putting out the balls was interesting. They are pretty sturdy, but crumble if dropped or squeezed. When I put them out for the orangutans, I noticed when I came back with their breakfast that a rabbit was munching on one! It was pretty irritating, there were 6 or 7 rabbits all around and they didn't seem frightened of me at all. I actually had to kick at the offending rabbit to get it to run off. The ball it munched on, of course, crumbled. Most likely the rabbits got the whole thing because the orangs are pretty slow about checking out thier enclosure, and Rok is the only one that actually goes to the islet where I left that particular ball. It did spark an interesting bit of info from Ann, though. When I told her about the incident and mentioned the overwhelming population of rabbits in all of the enclosures, she told me that zoos with lots of rabbits will have less rats! Apparently, she has been told this by keepers at other zoos and seen it herself. She said that a zoo she worked for had a rat problem (not a surprising thing in a zoo setting) but as soon as rabbits began to be noticed, the rat population dropped. Pretty interesting, and it would definately be an interesting study (dynamics of a rat population when disrupted by a rabbit population in a zoo setting?).
I especially liked her attitude about it all: "Its better for someone to be looking down into the enclosure and see a cute little bunny rabbit than for them to look down and have a big ugly rat looking back up at them."
For January 2nd!
Finally got to come back today. I emailed Ann last weekend and she said I could come end of this week or early next week, but I emailed again Wednesday and she said I could come in Friday. I worked from 8-9:30 a.m.
I missed everyone, no one seemed nervous that I was there so they all seem to remember me. I was glad to visit with Mikey and Louie again.
Today's enrichment was pretty funny, it was spaghetti with pasta sauce. I heated up about a small box of whole wheat pasta in a bowl of water in the microwave, then mixed the cooked spaghetti with some pasta sauce. I used whatever bowls I could find and dished out a couple of tablespoons worth on each one. It was pretty funny to make them spaghetti, but I was told they really like it. Since it was chilly today, no one was out yet when I left, so I didn't see anyone eat theirs.
I missed everyone, no one seemed nervous that I was there so they all seem to remember me. I was glad to visit with Mikey and Louie again.
Today's enrichment was pretty funny, it was spaghetti with pasta sauce. I heated up about a small box of whole wheat pasta in a bowl of water in the microwave, then mixed the cooked spaghetti with some pasta sauce. I used whatever bowls I could find and dished out a couple of tablespoons worth on each one. It was pretty funny to make them spaghetti, but I was told they really like it. Since it was chilly today, no one was out yet when I left, so I didn't see anyone eat theirs.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Last Week's activities
Last week I worked on Friday the 15th from 8 am til 10 am.
I am just now getting around to posting because my computer is broken, and I have been swamped. Dr. Yanoviak cancelled class again so I got to spend extra time at the zoo, which was nice. I made the fire hoses stuffed with alfalfa again, but instead of cereal the apes got dried cranberries and raisins. I'm sure they enjoyed that a lot!
Mikey and Louie are adjusting great. Ann said that they are wanting to install a rubber "doggy door" type window so that if they and the other chimps decide to they can lift it and interact through the bars. This will be good, as they are going to need to be integrated soon. Sadly we will need to cut down on our interaction with Mikey and Louie as they prefer to interact with us and will ignore the other chimps if given a choice. Obviously, this will not help their social standing.
I wanted to watch the Orangutans this time, but they grabbed their hose and wandered around the corner out of sight. I did watch the aftermath of the chimps, and saw Chance trying to find the last morsels of fruit in a hose that someone else had already processed. I also saw Mosi with a hose, and he has improved his dexterity a lot. Before he would just play with the hose, but now he is starting to shake it and pull the alfalfa out. Of course, he still put it on his head at one point. So silly!
I am going to try and go tomorrow morning before Archaeology. I have to work tonight so I'll see how I feel when I get up. If I can 't go tomorrow I will have to put it off until this weekend or next week, which is Thanksgiving. This semester is flying by.
I am just now getting around to posting because my computer is broken, and I have been swamped. Dr. Yanoviak cancelled class again so I got to spend extra time at the zoo, which was nice. I made the fire hoses stuffed with alfalfa again, but instead of cereal the apes got dried cranberries and raisins. I'm sure they enjoyed that a lot!
Mikey and Louie are adjusting great. Ann said that they are wanting to install a rubber "doggy door" type window so that if they and the other chimps decide to they can lift it and interact through the bars. This will be good, as they are going to need to be integrated soon. Sadly we will need to cut down on our interaction with Mikey and Louie as they prefer to interact with us and will ignore the other chimps if given a choice. Obviously, this will not help their social standing.
I wanted to watch the Orangutans this time, but they grabbed their hose and wandered around the corner out of sight. I did watch the aftermath of the chimps, and saw Chance trying to find the last morsels of fruit in a hose that someone else had already processed. I also saw Mosi with a hose, and he has improved his dexterity a lot. Before he would just play with the hose, but now he is starting to shake it and pull the alfalfa out. Of course, he still put it on his head at one point. So silly!
I am going to try and go tomorrow morning before Archaeology. I have to work tonight so I'll see how I feel when I get up. If I can 't go tomorrow I will have to put it off until this weekend or next week, which is Thanksgiving. This semester is flying by.
Monday, November 10, 2008
And Finally, I Can Return...
I worked at the zoo from 10:15 to 11:15 (a.m. of course) on Friday (11/07/08)
I made treat bags for use the next day. I just mixed some of the forage (consisting of popcorn, sunflower seeds, monkey chow, cereal pieces) with some raisins and crushed up vanilla wafers. Then I put about a handful in a paper lunch sack, rolled up the sack, and wrapped masking tape around it. They were put out the next day, so I didn't get to see the apes process them.
So I got to meet the new male chimpanzees, Mikey and Louie. Mikey is a "teenager" (between 8 and 12 I think) and Louie is about 5 years old. Mikey was someone's pet, and Louie was acquired by his owner to keep him company. As they were both hand raised (and treated extremely well, like her own children) they are much different from the other chimps. Mahale was hand raised, but she was never someone's pet, living in a house. For one thing, I can actually touch Mikey and Louie (but ONLY in the presence of a keeper). You have to be careful of Mikey since he is at an age where he is testing his limits and may try to grab, but overall he is very sweet. Louie, who seems kind of small to me (Chance is only a year older and seems nearly twice as big) likes me. He was very interactive, and Ann said he had been kind of subdued. He kept reaching out to me (in imitation of Mikey, but Ann said he wasn't doing that before) and was handing a piece of chalk back and forth to me. He is so sweet. They are both really pale, since they have lived inside. They have been outside for a few hours at a time, but mostly they are inside and thier skin hasn't had a chance to darken. Louie is so young his wouldn't be very dark anyway. They both like to play chase, where basically you run back in forth in front of thier cage. Mikey likes to stick his hands underneath the cage and have you step on his fingers! He thinks its pretty funny. He is also getting to where he displays. He kept dragging a white plastic barrel around, and throwing it. He also likes to shake hands or to see other people hold hands. He kept telling me and Ann to hold hands, it was funny.
As they were house raised, they haven't been put out in the yard or with the other chimps at all. Ann said they seem kind of scared of the other chimps. Hopefully they will all get used to each other. Another interesting thing is that Mikey has a symbol for "bottle". He hits his knuckles together. Ann said they are too old for bottles but thier owner probably felt so guilty about having to restrain them more that she would give them treats.
They are definately different from the other chimps. Its pretty sad that they went from being in a home with a "mom" they had known for a long time to a zoo. They are well cared for in a zoo, but what a rough upheaval it must have been. This is yet another instance of why no one should ever get a chimp for a pet (or any other ape for that matter). NEVER GET A CHIMP FOR A PET. They grow up, and become dangerous to you and themselves, and become completely unmanagable. I am very happy to get to see and interact with these two guys, but it is sad what they (and thier owner) had to go through just because she wanted a chimp for a pet.
When I walked into the enclosure, I looked around for JJ, because he will usually grunt or move around or something when I come in. I didn't see him, so thought that maybe he had decided to go out with the family that day. Later that morning when Ann said she was going to let Brutus out, I asked where JJ was. She turned around and said "JJ died". I was so sad, I felt like my heart was breaking. I said with tears in my eyes "What?" She said he had died Sunday morning, and it had been in the paper and on the news, and Dr. Hartmann had even known. She was sorry she didn't email me, but she thought I would know from one of these sources.
I don't read the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and rarely watch the news, and I was in Houston all weekend. At first I was angry that Dr. Hartmann hadn't mentioned it, but then remembered that I had missed class on Tuesday and he had canceled class on Thursday, so I hadn't seen him all week. When I think about it though, it was probably better that I cried in the privacy of the Great Ape enclosure in front of Ann rather than during Theory of Anthropology in front of all my classmates.
As I think I have mentioned before, JJ (which stands for Jungle Jack) had a heart condition in which he only had 10% use of his heart. Ann said that Daphne had fed him breakfast on Sunday morning, and he had even gotten a treat (pie filling) in which his heart medicine was hidden. She went to clean an enclosure and when she came back she found him lying on the floor. It appeared he had a heart attack or heart failure and just fell sideways while sitting down. He had even finished his breakfast, so at least he got that one last bit of enjoyment. It appears it was very sudden, as there is no sign of struggle, so it was definately best that way. Ann said they were all shocked, because they had expected some sign, even a hint of decline before this happened. They knew that although he was 21, he was on borrowed time and was not likely to live a very long life. I was quite sad, he was a beautiful guy. I never got any picture of his beautiful face, and never really got to know him. He was the first guy I would see in the morning, and the last one I saw when I left. I will really miss him.
I made treat bags for use the next day. I just mixed some of the forage (consisting of popcorn, sunflower seeds, monkey chow, cereal pieces) with some raisins and crushed up vanilla wafers. Then I put about a handful in a paper lunch sack, rolled up the sack, and wrapped masking tape around it. They were put out the next day, so I didn't get to see the apes process them.
So I got to meet the new male chimpanzees, Mikey and Louie. Mikey is a "teenager" (between 8 and 12 I think) and Louie is about 5 years old. Mikey was someone's pet, and Louie was acquired by his owner to keep him company. As they were both hand raised (and treated extremely well, like her own children) they are much different from the other chimps. Mahale was hand raised, but she was never someone's pet, living in a house. For one thing, I can actually touch Mikey and Louie (but ONLY in the presence of a keeper). You have to be careful of Mikey since he is at an age where he is testing his limits and may try to grab, but overall he is very sweet. Louie, who seems kind of small to me (Chance is only a year older and seems nearly twice as big) likes me. He was very interactive, and Ann said he had been kind of subdued. He kept reaching out to me (in imitation of Mikey, but Ann said he wasn't doing that before) and was handing a piece of chalk back and forth to me. He is so sweet. They are both really pale, since they have lived inside. They have been outside for a few hours at a time, but mostly they are inside and thier skin hasn't had a chance to darken. Louie is so young his wouldn't be very dark anyway. They both like to play chase, where basically you run back in forth in front of thier cage. Mikey likes to stick his hands underneath the cage and have you step on his fingers! He thinks its pretty funny. He is also getting to where he displays. He kept dragging a white plastic barrel around, and throwing it. He also likes to shake hands or to see other people hold hands. He kept telling me and Ann to hold hands, it was funny.
As they were house raised, they haven't been put out in the yard or with the other chimps at all. Ann said they seem kind of scared of the other chimps. Hopefully they will all get used to each other. Another interesting thing is that Mikey has a symbol for "bottle". He hits his knuckles together. Ann said they are too old for bottles but thier owner probably felt so guilty about having to restrain them more that she would give them treats.
They are definately different from the other chimps. Its pretty sad that they went from being in a home with a "mom" they had known for a long time to a zoo. They are well cared for in a zoo, but what a rough upheaval it must have been. This is yet another instance of why no one should ever get a chimp for a pet (or any other ape for that matter). NEVER GET A CHIMP FOR A PET. They grow up, and become dangerous to you and themselves, and become completely unmanagable. I am very happy to get to see and interact with these two guys, but it is sad what they (and thier owner) had to go through just because she wanted a chimp for a pet.
When I walked into the enclosure, I looked around for JJ, because he will usually grunt or move around or something when I come in. I didn't see him, so thought that maybe he had decided to go out with the family that day. Later that morning when Ann said she was going to let Brutus out, I asked where JJ was. She turned around and said "JJ died". I was so sad, I felt like my heart was breaking. I said with tears in my eyes "What?" She said he had died Sunday morning, and it had been in the paper and on the news, and Dr. Hartmann had even known. She was sorry she didn't email me, but she thought I would know from one of these sources.
I don't read the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and rarely watch the news, and I was in Houston all weekend. At first I was angry that Dr. Hartmann hadn't mentioned it, but then remembered that I had missed class on Tuesday and he had canceled class on Thursday, so I hadn't seen him all week. When I think about it though, it was probably better that I cried in the privacy of the Great Ape enclosure in front of Ann rather than during Theory of Anthropology in front of all my classmates.
As I think I have mentioned before, JJ (which stands for Jungle Jack) had a heart condition in which he only had 10% use of his heart. Ann said that Daphne had fed him breakfast on Sunday morning, and he had even gotten a treat (pie filling) in which his heart medicine was hidden. She went to clean an enclosure and when she came back she found him lying on the floor. It appeared he had a heart attack or heart failure and just fell sideways while sitting down. He had even finished his breakfast, so at least he got that one last bit of enjoyment. It appears it was very sudden, as there is no sign of struggle, so it was definately best that way. Ann said they were all shocked, because they had expected some sign, even a hint of decline before this happened. They knew that although he was 21, he was on borrowed time and was not likely to live a very long life. I was quite sad, he was a beautiful guy. I never got any picture of his beautiful face, and never really got to know him. He was the first guy I would see in the morning, and the last one I saw when I left. I will really miss him.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Friday, October 17
Finally, I post for Friday. I had a great time, I feel like I have hit some sort of stride. I didn't get any pictures, but thats okay.
Today I did Juice Bottles. Basically, I would use the fruit juice from the cans of fruit they put in the apes' breakfast. I put about 2 tablespoons in a water (or large juice) bottle. Then, I would put about twice as much water in the bottle to dilute the juice. We don't bother putting the bottle lids on, as it doesn't much change the time it takes for the apes to process the enrichment.
So anyway, I just put the bottles out, about 2 per individual. It was so cute to watch them drinking their juice. Mosi didn't do as well, he got a bottle and just slung the juice everywhere. I didn't see the orangutans use theirs, I need to remember to try and watch them next time.
I am pretty sad though, there are some changes coming in the great ape program, there will be a couple of new guys coming. I am not supposed to broadcast the changes just yet so they can have time to adjust to their new lives, but I will write more about that later. So anyway, they are suspending the program for a couple of weeks, probably around a month. As soon as it resumes, I will be glad to meet the new guys when I can come back.
Ironically, I got my pass card/id card today! And now I can't use it for another month. Pretty funny.
I really like talking to Ann. I feel that she really really cares about the apes and is very thoughtful about their situation. Not that the other keepers don't, but I find it very easy and interesting to talk to her about the apes. She was telling me that she was glad I liked the program so much, so I came out and told her how I was feeling after the second and third time I came. I wasn't dealing well with the apes captivity, and how to deal with them as more than just organisms, but individuals. Almost people. I told her that I had moved past it, but it was so hard that I wanted to quit. She told me that it was something she went through every couple of years. I was so glad she told me that, I felt that she really understood where I was coming from. A piece of wisdom that she told me was that even if you aren't there, they still are. Essentially, if you are bothered by the fact that the apes are in captivity, just because you avoid the fact doesn't they are closer to being free. I agree. I hope that I, and anyone else who works with the apes, can just make life better for them. The enrichment activities gives them something to look forward to, something to break up the monotony of life in captivity. And the truth is, none of these guys would last long on their own in the wild. Beautiful neurotic JJ would have to suffer for his heart condition, and probably wouldn't last long with the stress of life in the wild. Laid back, sweetheart Fossey probably wouldn't be able to have his harem and his little son Mosi. Mahale would still be Miss Priss, but she wouldn't get her way near as much in the wild. Chiquita, who doesn't like to go outside, would be out all the time! Of course, all of these guys would probably have different personalities if they were born and raised in the wild. But with the zoo, I hope that some little boy or girl will come to the zoo and watch Mosi, and really care for the gorillas. Or someone who looks at Chiquita or Rok and wants to know more about how the wild orangs live may someday lead the movement to save the orangutans left in the wild. Or someone may see the little comedian Chance, and want to know how he can be so similar to any 6 year old human. Its important for people to empathize with these guys, and therefore it is important to have zoos. And as I was telling Ann, although I am loathe to say it, there may not be any great apes left in the wild in my lifetime. That would truly be a tragedy, but we are moving towards that. Ann made a good point when she said to me that even the great apes in the wild are essentially living in a cage. Their habitat is forever being encroaching upon, and their homes shrinking is similar to a shrinking cage. Populations are being isolated, less resources are available to the groups existing now.
Sorry to leave on such a serious note. Soon I hope to have news of the new arrivals, as well as updates on enrichment. The whole idea, in my head, is to preserve our closest cousins in the animal kingdom. They are so important to us, for so many reasons.
Today I did Juice Bottles. Basically, I would use the fruit juice from the cans of fruit they put in the apes' breakfast. I put about 2 tablespoons in a water (or large juice) bottle. Then, I would put about twice as much water in the bottle to dilute the juice. We don't bother putting the bottle lids on, as it doesn't much change the time it takes for the apes to process the enrichment.
So anyway, I just put the bottles out, about 2 per individual. It was so cute to watch them drinking their juice. Mosi didn't do as well, he got a bottle and just slung the juice everywhere. I didn't see the orangutans use theirs, I need to remember to try and watch them next time.
I am pretty sad though, there are some changes coming in the great ape program, there will be a couple of new guys coming. I am not supposed to broadcast the changes just yet so they can have time to adjust to their new lives, but I will write more about that later. So anyway, they are suspending the program for a couple of weeks, probably around a month. As soon as it resumes, I will be glad to meet the new guys when I can come back.
Ironically, I got my pass card/id card today! And now I can't use it for another month. Pretty funny.
I really like talking to Ann. I feel that she really really cares about the apes and is very thoughtful about their situation. Not that the other keepers don't, but I find it very easy and interesting to talk to her about the apes. She was telling me that she was glad I liked the program so much, so I came out and told her how I was feeling after the second and third time I came. I wasn't dealing well with the apes captivity, and how to deal with them as more than just organisms, but individuals. Almost people. I told her that I had moved past it, but it was so hard that I wanted to quit. She told me that it was something she went through every couple of years. I was so glad she told me that, I felt that she really understood where I was coming from. A piece of wisdom that she told me was that even if you aren't there, they still are. Essentially, if you are bothered by the fact that the apes are in captivity, just because you avoid the fact doesn't they are closer to being free. I agree. I hope that I, and anyone else who works with the apes, can just make life better for them. The enrichment activities gives them something to look forward to, something to break up the monotony of life in captivity. And the truth is, none of these guys would last long on their own in the wild. Beautiful neurotic JJ would have to suffer for his heart condition, and probably wouldn't last long with the stress of life in the wild. Laid back, sweetheart Fossey probably wouldn't be able to have his harem and his little son Mosi. Mahale would still be Miss Priss, but she wouldn't get her way near as much in the wild. Chiquita, who doesn't like to go outside, would be out all the time! Of course, all of these guys would probably have different personalities if they were born and raised in the wild. But with the zoo, I hope that some little boy or girl will come to the zoo and watch Mosi, and really care for the gorillas. Or someone who looks at Chiquita or Rok and wants to know more about how the wild orangs live may someday lead the movement to save the orangutans left in the wild. Or someone may see the little comedian Chance, and want to know how he can be so similar to any 6 year old human. Its important for people to empathize with these guys, and therefore it is important to have zoos. And as I was telling Ann, although I am loathe to say it, there may not be any great apes left in the wild in my lifetime. That would truly be a tragedy, but we are moving towards that. Ann made a good point when she said to me that even the great apes in the wild are essentially living in a cage. Their habitat is forever being encroaching upon, and their homes shrinking is similar to a shrinking cage. Populations are being isolated, less resources are available to the groups existing now.
Sorry to leave on such a serious note. Soon I hope to have news of the new arrivals, as well as updates on enrichment. The whole idea, in my head, is to preserve our closest cousins in the animal kingdom. They are so important to us, for so many reasons.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Went last Friday, and Today
But I will just write about last Friday for today. Today will be posted tomorrow. You get it.
Here is Mosi and his mom eating some of the forage, which includes popcorn. This is the only picture I have of Mosi, I need to take another picture of him on the inside of the building, so you can see his sweet little face. Today was the day before his 2nd birthday! The next day the zoo had a "birthday party" in which people could come and eat a cake donated by a bakery. Even the gorillas got a treat, Ann told me they were given some gorilla-friendly muffins. You could even bring Mosi a birthday present, such as juice. It was so sweet. 
So the enrichment for today was fire hoses, stuffed with alfafa and cereal. Actually, the Enrichment for today was "nothing", but since the next day would be super busy with Mosi's birthday, I did the next day's enrichment instead. Its good for them to have "nothing" days as well as enrichment days, because the point is to break up the monotony.
Therefore, no enrichment every couple of weeks is a change! Ann also gathered some forage for them, so you can see the gorillas with the forage. Its basically cut bamboo from near the chimp yard, behind the lemur enclosure. The picture to the left is Catherine and Sekani (Mosi's mom) getting forage and the cereal from the fire hose. 
October 10, 2008
8 am to 9:30 am
Today Jeff Wright came and took pictures. So finally, pictures! Please do not use the pictures without permission, email me if you need it. They are his pictures and I am using them with his permission. Here are some pictures of me doing the enrichment. On one I am walking back to 
the staging area where the enrichment stuff is kept. In the other I am showing Jeff the schedule on which every day's activities are recorded. This ensures that the primates aren't given the same enrichment day after day. Unfortunately, Jeff didn't seem to take any pictures of the silverbacks. I will have to take pictures of JJ, Fossey, and Brutus. They are magnificent, I don't know how he neglected to get pictures of them, they must have been out of sight. I know that he started to take a picture of JJ, but the poor guy was nervous and grinding his teeth so Jeff just left him alone.
the staging area where the enrichment stuff is kept. In the other I am showing Jeff the schedule on which every day's activities are recorded. This ensures that the primates aren't given the same enrichment day after day. Unfortunately, Jeff didn't seem to take any pictures of the silverbacks. I will have to take pictures of JJ, Fossey, and Brutus. They are magnificent, I don't know how he neglected to get pictures of them, they must have been out of sight. I know that he started to take a picture of JJ, but the poor guy was nervous and grinding his teeth so Jeff just left him alone. Here is Mosi and his mom eating some of the forage, which includes popcorn. This is the only picture I have of Mosi, I need to take another picture of him on the inside of the building, so you can see his sweet little face. Today was the day before his 2nd birthday! The next day the zoo had a "birthday party" in which people could come and eat a cake donated by a bakery. Even the gorillas got a treat, Ann told me they were given some gorilla-friendly muffins. You could even bring Mosi a birthday present, such as juice. It was so sweet. 
So the enrichment for today was fire hoses, stuffed with alfafa and cereal. Actually, the Enrichment for today was "nothing", but since the next day would be super busy with Mosi's birthday, I did the next day's enrichment instead. Its good for them to have "nothing" days as well as enrichment days, because the point is to break up the monotony.
Therefore, no enrichment every couple of weeks is a change! Ann also gathered some forage for them, so you can see the gorillas with the forage. Its basically cut bamboo from near the chimp yard, behind the lemur enclosure. The picture to the left is Catherine and Sekani (Mosi's mom) getting forage and the cereal from the fire hose. 
Here is Catherine when she first came out, inspecting the fire hose. I liked this enrichment activity in particular. Basically, strips of old fire hose have been donated by the fire department. They are cut into strips between 1 and 2 feet long. When they are constructed, you have to make sure they are shaken out because they are kept in piles, and we don't want the apes being bit by spiders. Some alfalfa is stuffed in, then a little cereal is thrown in, then more alfalfa. It was great to see the apes processing them. The gorillas mostly pulled the alfalfa out themselves. The chimps, however, just picked up one end and shook them. Some of the chimps were as meticulous of the gorillas. 
I didn't really get to see the orangutans process the enrichment, but I have pictures of Chiquita with cereal in her mouth! The chimps and orangutans got a cereal that looks a lot like Cheerios. The gorillas, with their special diets, got a different cereal. It was something with whole grain flakes and dehydrated strawberries. 
It looked pretty good! Here is old Trudy, eating her forage. I don't see her and Brutus much, they are in the more overgrown area and I almost never see them as a visitor. Brutus is a very young male, and I think Trudy is the 3rd oldest gorilla in the United States. She is always very sweet to me, and the first time I ever talked to her she was laying on her back holding her feet, just looking at me.
Here are the chimpanzees with their enrichment. They were funny to watch. Chance, ever the antagonist, was chasing Judy around with a hose, and actually threw it at her at one point. He is a mischievious guy. This is Chance with his hose, before he started tearing around after Judy. I wish we had gotten pictures of that!
Sometimes Mahale is a spoiled brat, and doesn't want to go out with the others. Today she ran out as fast as she could, grabbed her enrichment materials and some forage, and ran back in. So while she was in there, I talked with her and Jeff took pictures.
Isn't she beautiful? She has so much intelligence in her eyes. I tried to get her to play tug of war with a blanket with me, but she just looked at me like I was an idiot. However, she seemed to really like Jeff. Ann said that she likes guys. You could tell! She was so relaxed she was letting her lip hang. She is so cute.
Isn't she beautiful? She has so much intelligence in her eyes. I tried to get her to play tug of war with a blanket with me, but she just looked at me like I was an idiot. However, she seemed to really like Jeff. Ann said that she likes guys. You could tell! She was so relaxed she was letting her lip hang. She is so cute.
Ann was talking to her at one point, rubbing her lip. Mahale opened her mouth and showed her teeth and Ann explained to us that she was trained so they could check her teeth and ears, as well as administer shots. Ann asked for her to show her teeth and she did, and asked to see her ear, which you can see she did in the photo. She asked for Mahale's arm, and Mahale turned and pressed her arm to the bars. Such a smart girl! 
Its probably a very good thing that it is so easy to do checkups on her, its much easier on everyone than having to sedate. Sedation, while not really too dangerous, is just stressful for everyone involved and saved for necessity. Of course, there is the added bonus that she got a piece of monkey chow from Ann for showing us that she knew what "arm" "ear" and "teeth" means!
Its probably a very good thing that it is so easy to do checkups on her, its much easier on everyone than having to sedate. Sedation, while not really too dangerous, is just stressful for everyone involved and saved for necessity. Of course, there is the added bonus that she got a piece of monkey chow from Ann for showing us that she knew what "arm" "ear" and "teeth" means!Last but not least is the orangutans. Jeff got a couple of pictures of them, this is one of my favorite overall. You can see Chiquita's success with the enrichment activity, apparently she had no problems. Look at the cereal in her mouth! 
Jeff got a picture of both of them. I am pretty excited about it, since it shows their sexual dimorphism. Rok is obviously the huge guy! Rok is sitting over one of the fire hoses. A little in front of them you can see one of their sheets. There is one beside Chiquita as well, in the picture to the left. Apparently, Orangutans love fabric. The gorillas and chimps like fabric too, but if you put it out daily they quickly tire of it and start to ignore it. The Orangs, however, will use it every day. They mostly either drag it around or wrap up in it. I see Chiquita put it over her head sometimes. Ann postulated that it may have something to do with the fact that in the wild Orangs will use large leaves to shade themselves, and have been seen holding large leaves and dragging them around. Who knows. 
Jeff got a picture of both of them. I am pretty excited about it, since it shows their sexual dimorphism. Rok is obviously the huge guy! Rok is sitting over one of the fire hoses. A little in front of them you can see one of their sheets. There is one beside Chiquita as well, in the picture to the left. Apparently, Orangutans love fabric. The gorillas and chimps like fabric too, but if you put it out daily they quickly tire of it and start to ignore it. The Orangs, however, will use it every day. They mostly either drag it around or wrap up in it. I see Chiquita put it over her head sometimes. Ann postulated that it may have something to do with the fact that in the wild Orangs will use large leaves to shade themselves, and have been seen holding large leaves and dragging them around. Who knows. 
And now, I will leave with a video of Fossey and Sekani playing, when Mosi was about 4 months old. You can see how massive Fossey is, yet he can play with Sekani without harming Mosi. Its so amazing how something so incredibly strong can be so very gentle. Here is another of Fossey and Mosi playing around that same time. Now they play a lot, and a lot rougher, but its mostly Mosi trying to beat up on Fossey while Fossey just rolls him around like he weighs nothing. Pretty much like any human father and his little son!
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