Barriers

Zoos have barriers to keep you safe and to keep the animals safe.

Barriers come in different forms. Fences, walls, railings, ropes, and landscaping to name a few.

There are even signs posted. "Danger Stay Back" or "Stay On The Walkway"

MANY times EVERY day I have to tell people to get down, stay on the sidewalk, stop dangling your child into the exhibit.

No joke.

Stay on the public side of the barrier.

Puzzles and Scents

Saturday February 18 is Enrichment Day. I need to make enrichment items for all my critters. Cardboard boxes and paper towel rolls are always good standbys, but I need to get more creative. I am going to make a maze for the rhino ratsnake, buy clear plastic hamster tubes for the Arizona kingsnake and the tentacled snakes, and build a jungle gym for the skinks. Others will get puzzle feeders or scent boxes. The puzzle feeders are boxes or tubes with small holes. The animal knocks it around until the food falls out of the holes. Puzzle feeders are great for any animal including domestic pets. The feeders I make will contain crickets for the frogs and monitors. Scent boxes are pure stimulation. A box with some old mouse bedding is great. And easy. The snakes will sense what smells like food and then search for it. The pond turtles will get a floating puzzle feeder made from a plastic bottle. The skinks will get new items to climb. I can make and/or buy bird toy ladders and small cargo nets. I still need something for the pancake tortoises. Oh well, back to work. Got to get started on painting some boxes!

2012

First day of work in 2012! Nothing new (except my new shiny green carabiner), but it just feels good. It could be the new cards. Every animal in the reptile house has a card to record daily events such as feedings, sheds, births, etc. The cards are practically destroyed by the end of the year. The new cards are crisp and clean. It could be knowing my goals for getting this building more organized. Some items need to be rearranged while others need to find a new home. Any where but in here. It could just be a new year means a new future. Right now options are endless and limited only by my imagination. And I love that!

Columbus Day and More

School is closed today, so the kids and I went to the zoo. Visiting your employer on a holiday isn't most people's idea of a good time, but in my case it's an amazing time!

We were there for about 4 hours, taking our time looking at every exhibit. We walked through the Mann Museum, rode the train and horse trail (2x), ate at the Overlook Cafe and fed the giraffes. The only thing we missed were the peddle boats. It was closed due to weather. Luckily, the rain held out until we were in the gift shop. I'm proud of myself for leaving there having only spent $2.40 on a rubber snake and inflatable monkey!

I know I'm biased, but I love my zoo. It's medium sized with a great species selection. The exhibits are neat and tidy (because we bust our butts), the layout is nice, and there is a lot of shade.

My kids always make me proud. They can get wild and crazy, but they follow the zoo rules (like no tapping on the glass) and they love to educate others about the animals.

NEW EXHIBIT COMING SOON

We are in the process of building a parakeet feeding flight cage. I can't wait! The giraffe feeding is a big success and I hope this will be too. The frame work is up, so it shouldn't be much longer.

ZOOBOO

ZooBoo starts this Thursday! Employees are working hard getting all the scenes ready. It will run every Thursday-Sunday night and Halloween night. There will be two hayrides, a non-scary Pumpkin Pull for the little ones and the scary hayride for others. There will also be games, prizes, candy, inflatable jumpers, the Education department will have the Creatures of the Night presentation, and more! We always need volunteers, so call 240-4900 if you want to join the fun!

Do Not Tap On The Glass

Treat the Reptile House with respect.

You will not make anything move by tapping on the glass. The only thing you will accomplish is stressing the animals that I then have to handle. How would you feel if I came to your house, job or school and started banging on your windows and shouting "Move!"? The first time you may just lose bowel and/or bladder control. Hundreds of times every day you may go insane. I would.

Please don't let your children tap on the glass. I have to stop what I'm working on every 15-30 minutes to tell yet another group what should be common sense. Or least common courtesy.

In case you didn't notice, the two sets of glass doors have pull handles and push bars. Cleaning hundreds of people's funky grease and germs is not how I want to spend my mornings. And there is also a No Food/Drink sign on the door. It's there for a reason. That includes the precious toddlers in strollers dropping their juice boxes or Cheerios, and then the stroller crushing them into the carpet. It also includes spitting out sunflower seeds all over the floor. Eww. The reptile house is not a trash can, so please use the cans provided outside to dispose of your garbage.

The two pictures show the nasty fingerprints on one of the doors this morning and a sign on the same door.

Airport Security Drama

Really people? Every time?

Zoos send and receive animals all the time. Animals die, new exhibits are built, some are exchanged for breeding purposes, etc. Zoos buy, sell, trade, and loan animals to each other. Animals travel by truck or plane. This is not a new concept. Magical fairies don't show up in the middle of the night bringing monkeys and macaws.

I understand that since 9/11 airport security has tightened. But why does there have to be drama every time?!

I don't care if it's a duck, an otter or a tiger, I am NOT getting it out of the crate for them to scan. It's not a pet. It's not a Persian or a Chihuahua. It's a wild animal with an extreme fight or flight response. In some cases the animals have the potential to be deadly. Every time a superior has to be called over and they always say the same thing "Look in as best you can with a flashlight and swab the crate" (for certain chemicals).

The two agents that were there when we shipped out the tiger cubs kept trying to explain to the horde of others what needed to be done, but they wouldn't listen. They insisted on calling the head supervisor, who was not pleased to be disturbed over a problem that should have never been.

After all that, I walked out to the truck and there is a $25 parking ticket tucked under a wiper blade. Really?! I quickly found a security guard "Um, seriously?! I'm not paying this. I'm in a loading/unloading only zone UNLOADING an animal. This is the same spot we always park in." He muttered something about letting him know next time and took the ticket.

My first experience taking an animal to the airport was adult cheetahs. After being told that the animals would have to be removed from their crates, the keeper I was with said "Feel free. But only after we are in the truck and drive off."

I'm waiting on the time I get to ship out snakes. I'll be more than happy to let them slither across the counter and scare everyone. ;)

Theres An App For This

Just downloaded the FREE Blogger app for my iPhone. This is a test, trying it out.

So far I like it. Simple, but that's what I want in a mobile app. :)

Quick snapshot of a sign on the Reptile House.

She found me!

We have been so busy since the kids have started back to school. I can't believe I forgot to post this sooner!


The first weekend in August, we went on our first real family vacation. 3 days and 2 nights in Panama City Beach, FL. We had so much fun! The weather was great and the water was very calm. Fresh seafood, putt-putt, hunting crabs, finding seashells, building sandcastles, and lots of swimming. We had planned on visiting Gulf World Aquarium, but after comparing prices we opted to go to ZooWorld.

After weaving around through the petting zoo, birds, and primates; we came to the end where the big cats are located. I immediately spotted two young tigers. One orange, one white. Of course I fell in love with the white one. She was just sitting there ignoring the people passing by. I walked over to her and I chuffed. She jumped up and chuffed back! This went on for several minutes. Every time I tried to walk away, she would follow me, whining very loudly. Finally, after what seemed like hours, my family convinced me it was time to move on and see the other animals.

We were about to leave when I saw a keeper. I stopped her and told her how much I loved the white tiger. I asked her name. "Tallulee." (Byron and I exchange curious glances) Um, are you sure its not Tallulah? "Pretty sure." How old is she? "Just over a year." (My heart races.) Did she come from Arizona, originally from Alabama? "Um, yeah." At this point the keeper has a raised eyebrow and I am crying.

It's my baby girl TALLULAH!

The keeper called over the head keeper, I tell them our story and show them pictures on my phone. They bring me a bottle so I can feed her one more time. I thought my heart was going to burst with joy. Tallulah is not in the biggest display, but it was a waterfall and pool, she is with another female her age, and the keepers love and spoil her. Perfect!

I can't wait to go see her again. My girl is only 3 hours away!

One month old

One year old

New attractions

Since I am in Alabama and summer started in May, I haven't taken any zoo pictures. It's just too hot. But it's not he heat, it's the humidity!

The zoo now has a Horse Trail. My kids love it!

Lets see - Train ride, Giraffe feeding, Pedal boats, Horse trail...
Sky Lift and Stingray touch pool COMING SOON!

Enrichment

Saturday February 19 was the first Animal Enrichment Day of 2011.  It was a huge success for the animals and the public.
 

Can you imagine never having anything different in your life? Always eating the same thing for dinner, wearing the same clothes, watching the same tv show. Life would be beyond boring. How would this effect you physically? Mentally? Spiritually?

We constantly enrich our animals. It may be new food, toys, perfume sprayed on the display, perches rearranged, puzzle feeders, anything we can think of to stimulate their senses. If properly enriched, captive animals will keep and use their wild behaviors. Instead of putting food in bowls, we will scatter the food around the display so the animals will have to forage. We can't give the lions a gazelle, but we can give them boxes that they have to rip open to get the treat inside. We want our animals to behave the way they were designed to behave. And we never want them to become listless or apathetic.

Animal Enrichment Day is a time to educate and entertain the public. We work together making items for the day's theme and we have a set schedule with times posted so the public doesn't miss anything. Saturday's "theme" was cardboard boxes and tubes. The day started at 10:00 with the Sloth Bears, who were given large cardboard tubes. The tubes were filled with treats hidden in hay and peanut butter slathered on the outside. We used boxes to make hanging puzzle feeders for the primates and had large boxes sprayed with scents set out for predators to pounce on and shred apart. We also had extra browse for hoofstock, and a few other goodies like hammocks for the Siamangs and big barrels for the Spider Monkeys and catnip for the Maned Wolves. (Yes, the wolves love catnip!)

 

Sloth Bear "Chan" eating his favorite peanut butter.

Squirrel Monkey figuring out the puzzle feeder.

Jaguar "Ciapora" loves the deer scent.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Jaguar

We now have 2 male Sumatran tigers and a new female Jaguar! Tigers and jags are my #1 and #2 favorites of the big cats. In my opinion they are by far the most beautiful. I have not had the pleasure of working with the new boys "Kami" and "Burung" yet, but I do get to work with the Jags. Our female Jag "Caipora" now has a companion "Nakita". Animal introductions are always tense. You never know how they are going to react to each other. The girls were perfect, like best friends reunited!

Now for some fun facts:

Sumatran Tigers (Panthera tigris sumatrae) are only found on the island of Sumatra. They are the smallest of the six tiger species. Bengals are 450-500lb, but Sumatrans are only 300lb. They are short and stocky, and have a much heavier mane/beard than the other species.

Jaguar (Panthera onca) is the third largest of the big cats and are found throughout Central and South America. To tell the difference between a jag and a leopard, look at the spots. If the "rosettes" have small spots in the centers, then it is a jag. Jags are also bigger and stockier, but usually the two are not side-by-side for a comparison.

Burung

Kami

Kami

I can't believe I don't have pictures of Nakita! I will have to work on that this week.


The Montgomery Advertiser came out recently and took pictures. LINK

Gecko Love

I work with lots of really interesting animals, but the Giant Leaf-tailed Gecko (Uroplatus fimbriatus) is a favorite. They are large, with huge eyes and can be seen plastered to the wall or glass. I love their eyes. We have a female that is off display and I love pampering her, if you can pamper a gecko...

Quick Facts :
They are arboreal, nocturnal insectivores from Madagascar.
The scientific name - "ourá" meaning "tail" and "platys" meaning "flat". Fimbriatus is the Latin word for "fringed" based on their unique appearance of fringed skin.
Females can have three clutches a year, two eggs per clutch that will hatch in ~90 days.
They do not blink. Instead they will lick their eyes clean.

I did not forget you Blog! I promise to post more in 2011.

I thought of you often dear blog, but time was not my friend. My last post was in August and so much has happened.

A quick recap - I had the cubs from June until the end of October, then my husbands birthday, Halloween, the kids birthdays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. My kids started Kindergarten in August, Auburn has dominated college football, and I was without a car for two months. "Busy" does not begin to describe the second half of 2010. I did make some awesome new friends along the way! The family is great. Husband really likes his job and the kids love school. They have both lost teeth and grew molars. And speaking of growing, they are so big! I want my babies back! Auburn football has ruled our lives this fall. We went to most of the home games, the SEC Championship in Atlanta, GA, and I am going to Glendale, AZ for the National Championship! War Eagle!

Ahh...2011. How I have needed you. A new year with new plans. My first plan is attempt a Photo A Day project. The name says it all - take a picture every day. Stay organized is my second plan. We can keep our house clean, but it only takes a couple of days before it looks like a tornado ripped through my house. I blame the kids, but I know I am also to blame. In order to organize, we have to purge. We so much useless junk that we have not nor will we ever use it. Bye-bye. The other plans are the same as every other year. Get in shape, save money, fix/remodel the house, etc.

My babies, Murphy and Tallulah. The pinnacle of my career. I was praised by the managers and the director, which literally warmed my soul to the point I was glowing. The cubs were an amazing 21 week journey. We all learned so much, not just about tigers, but about ourselves. True friendships were made and true enemies were discovered. "Enemy" is a strong word, but we found out who can and cannot trust. They left us Oct 25. We all cried. A lot. Another goal for this year is type up everything we did for future reference, and also type up my story (a personal journal/novel of sorts).

There are some big changes going on at the Zoo. We no longer have white tigers, now we have Sumatrans. They are amazing cats. The display is almost ready for them to make their debut. We have peddle boats and a giraffe feeding station, and are close to starting construction on the sky lift, parrot feeding station, and pony rides. We have a new gift shop manager. My first impression was a good one, she has some great ideas. We have a manager that is leaving, which may open an opportunity for me! Not as a manager, but maybe a Keeper II. We will see.

So 2011 - Bring it ON!

Murphy and Tallulah

On June 6, 2010 we had two tiger cubs born! The managers had to make the decision for them to be hand raised, and I became one of their caretakers. Life has not been the same since. Sleepless nights, formula stained shirts, a constant sea of laundry, it's just like having twins. And I should know!

I have been comparing the tiger cubs to my twins, and there are so many similarities. The little things like bottle feeding two at once. Every twin parent knows how to handle this, but I had to show the other keepers. It's weird for me to have just one bottle, it's unnatural like something is missing.  Fighting for attention, fighting over toys, brings back memories. :)

I have been with them since day 3, and I have loved every minute of it. Even the 4am feedings. It has been the most amazing experience of my career. (Off topic - my 11 year anniversary was July 30) I have raised a lot of animals (like deer, gazelles, monkeys, wolves, kangaroos, squirrels, you name it), but Murphy and Tallulah have been my highlight. I miss them during my weekend and can't wait to get back to work to see them.

They weighed just over 1.5 kg at birth. Now at 10 weeks old, they weigh between 10-11 kg. Their paws are already the size of my palm. They are growing so fast and it is beyond awesome to be a part of their lives.

More updates to come later!

Murphy 3 days old

Tallulah 3 days old

Murphy 4.5 weeks old

Tallulah 4.5 weeks old

Murphy 10 weeks old

Tallulah 10 weeks old

Patience

Really, really, really, really hoping I can post some BIG news today.

I have waited patiently for over 6 weeks!

Venomous vs Poisonous Animals

One of my biggest pet peeves is when people ask if a snake is poisonous. The answer will always be "No" because snakes are venomous not poisonous.

Toxin is any substance that can cause harm. Venom is a toxin that causes its effect through administration via a specialized delivery system. Poison is a toxin that causes its effect through ingestion or absorption.

Venomous animals store toxins internally and release them through biting or stinging in order to disable their victims. Venomous animals use toxins to help them capture prey. Poisonous animals will secrete toxins through their skin so that whatever creature bites or touches them is poisoned. Poisonous animals use toxins to defend themselves.

Understand? Or confused?

Venom is injected, Poison is ingested. If a snake bites you and you get sick, it is venomous. If you bite a frog and you get sick, it is poisonous.

So please, please, please stop calling snakes poisonous.

Terrible Dart Frog - most toxic vertebrate in the world

Poison dart frogs are not poisonous in captivity. They do not produce their own poisons, but get the chemicals from what they eat in the wild. Because of this, captive animals do not contain significant levels of toxins.

Zoo Weekend 2010

It's over. Months of work and preparation came down to these two days.

Saturday
With the incoming threat of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes, the Zoo closed at 1:00 pm. A few hundred visitors came in that morning but didn't stay long. Oh well. You can't control the weather so there is no need to get upset. We are just lucky the storms didn't do any damage. The keepers left around 3:30 after all our work was finished and animals were brought back inside their barns.

Sunday
Gorgeous! High in the low 80's with a light breeze. It was a perfect day. My kids, husband and I had a blast at the Zoo. The Zoo had thousands of visitors. We climbed the rock wall first, then made our way to the grill. "The grill" is for employees and friends only. Beside the hamburgers and hotdogs were bbq, ribs, chicken, fish, sausage, and wild game. Along the way we ran into Cinderella, Ariel, Red Power Ranger and Darth Vader. My son said, "Mr Vader, I have all your movies." After eating we walked around looking at the animals and playing games. We stopped by the playground, rode ponies and camels, and finished with a train ride. It was a very long, very fun, very exhausting day.

Well worth all the hard work!

The Grill

African Elephant

Common Sense Zoo Rules

After almost 11 years as a zookeeper I have learned that I prefer animals over people. I knew that before I started, but everyday at least a dozen or so visitors validate my thoughts on this matter. The general public has no common sense. I do not expect the average Joe to know the average life span of a Squirrel Monkey (20 years), the dietary needs of Toucans (low iron), or the incubation period for Pancake Tortoises (4-6 months). But I do expect the average Joe to be capable of following simple rules. So to help educate the general public (and try and keep what is left of my sanity) I am going to list some general zoo rules. These rules are not just for my zoo, but all zoos, aquariums, etc.

1. Respect All Forms of Wildlife

Do not yell, call, shout, or scream at the animals. It is very, very annoying. Not just to the keepers, but the animals as well. Rule of thumb, the louder you get, the more they will ignore you anyways.

Do not tap, hit, bang, or knock on the glass windows. The glass at some viewing stations is really thick and the only thing you will accomplish is hurting your knuckles. In other areas the glass is thin, like in the reptile house, and the sound is magnified on the inside. Congratulations, you made the snake move and he is scared and panicked. Now I have to work with this animal and try and not get hurt. Thank you.

Do not throw or drop objects at the animals. Items can cause harm or even death to an animal if consumed. It does not get their attention anyways. Except the chimps, and they will throw, um... special stuff back. If you insist on throwing money, make it worth my while and throw quarters. Gold doubloons would be awesome.

Do not pick the flowers or in any other way destroy the foliage. Please stay on the pathways. We spend a lot of time and effort keeping the zoo lush. There is nothing more sorrowful than beheaded daisies.

2. Do Not Feed the Animals
Every animal has a specially prepared diet. We monitor everything they consume. If you feed them junk food, it can make them very sick. Believe it or not, primates really don't need potato chips or candy. And are you 100% sure the plant you are giving the deer is not toxic? We know the answer is "no" so leave the feedings to the professionals.

3. Do Not Touch the Animals
Unless you are in a petting zoo, do not attempt to touch any of the animals. They are wild animals not pets. Even if they were born in a zoo, even if they were hand-raised, they are not domesticated pets. If the animal has teeth, it will bite. If the animal has claws, it will swipe. Do not even think about putting your hand into a cage. Do not let your children sit on the railings or worse, hold them over the railings.

4. Watch Your Children
We want our zoo to be entertaining and fun, but do not let your children run wild. Not only can they hurt themselves, but they can also hurt others. Do not let them cross under or over barriers and fences. Children are messy by nature. Clean up after them.

5. Read the Signs
Most people know what a tiger looks like, but did you know there are 6 different subspecies? Our zoo has Bengals, but a nearby zoo has Sumatrans. Very similar, but different. Zoos are covered with signs full of information. Names, pictures, facts. Zoos are here to be educational, so educate yourself! You are your own tour guide. If your child ask "what's that?" find the sign and read it to them. Do not just guess, you will be wrong. We will then tell our coworkers at lunch that you called a cavy a jackalope and laugh at you. By the way, jackalopes are not real.

6. Check the Weather
Before going on any outing check the weather before you leave the house and dress appropriately. Wear comfortable shoes. Zoos can be any where from 5 to 500 acres and you will be walking. Bring a jacket, sunscreen or umbrellas. We recently had a school group of 100 first graders and not 1 child had a raincoat/poncho/umbrella and it rained. It was not a surprise shower. The news warned of the storm days in advance. Weather.com is a good thing.

Some awesome signs from the Wellington Zoo in New Zealand -

So many events

Wednesday 21st and Thursday 22nd is Earth Day Safari.

Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th is Zoo Weekend.

I can't wait for Monday! I need to get a my massage scheduled.

I cleaned out my last big display this past Friday. I hauled out 6 1/2 barrels of old pinebark and soil. Each barrel is 55 gallons. You do the math. Added new substrate and rearranged the branches. The Yellow Monitors and the Blood Python are happy. I guess. I mean they don't really smile or talk or anything.

All the moats and pools have been cleaned, all the displays have new substrate, everything has been repainted/repaired, and now all we have to do this week is keep everything fresh looking. Grass cut, leaves raked, etc.

Earth Day Safari is hosted by our Education department. It is a two day event designed with school groups in mind, but it's great for families as well. It is a fun and educational field trip. There is an Endangered Species Scavenger Hunt, Earth Day Trivia Game, and live animal presentations.

This weekend is the 34th Annual Zoo Weekend. This is our BIG fundraising event. Past Zoo Weekends have paid for new or renovated animal exhibits. There will be live music, tons of games, local food vendors, petting zoo, pony rides, rock wall, and a lot more.

As much as preparing for Zoo Weekend drives me (and my chiropractor) crazy, it is well worth it! It's great for the Zoo, great for the community, and I know at least my family loves it.

White Bengal Tiger

American Alligator

Bald Eagle

Spring is offically here!

The geckos and anoles have come out of hiding.

Bees and wasps are out in full force.

And everything is covered with yellow-green pollen.

Yep. Spring is offically here.

The Zoo is extremely busy with ZooWeekend coming up April 24-25. All the pools have to be dropped and hosed, fresh pinebark, sand and/or dirt added to displays, fresh coats of paint, new perches in exhibits, basically everything has to be spit-shined. It's exhausting work, but everything looks so good when it is all done. The profits from ZooWeekend go to help remodel or build new exhibits, so the hard work is well worth it. But I'm tired. I did get to meet our new keeper who will start in May. First impression was a good one. Construction for the paddle boats is coming along. The idea still creeps me out. Our lake has massive fish and snapping turtles in it.

The two penguin chicks and the two baby cavies are growing strong, and we have a new bison calf. One day, I'll remember my camera and take some pictures of the little cuties.


On another note - Easter weekend was wonderful! Perfect weather for the egg hunt on Saturday and Easter festivities on Sunday.

My husband broke his leg playing in the backyard with the kids.

The Sunday before, we took the kids to their first air show at Maxwell AFB. It was awesome!

I promise to do a better job keeping this updated and sharing more pictures!