Well, it may have come on quietly, but it is definitely summer! It's 80 degrees, the sun is shining, the ice cream stands are out, and the Sparky Show has started! This years show is "Sparky's Coastal Journey" and it's all about her imaginary trip to California and the Arctic in search of polar bears. The kick-off was Saturday and it was a hit as crowds learned and laughed while Sparky and her trainer gallivanted all over the United States. Chino even came down for a surprise visit and waved to the surprised crowd!
And of course we were all happy to see the seals and sea lions out on the newly resurfaced Island soaking up the rays. Training demonstrations with the animals occur at 3:00pm daily (except for Mondays) and will begin on Saturday May 31st.
It's been a beautiful Memorial Day weekend, and just think, we have an entire summer of fantastic warm weather ahead of us!
After a long winter and an even longer spring, the weather and construction around the zoo has finally cooperated enough for the Zebra and Giraffe to go out. After the yards had been cleaned and given the once over, we opened the doors for Jahari and Daisy Giraffe, and Ulysses the Grant's Zebra to enjoy the sunshine. All were a bit hesitant as is usual for hoofstock when there is a change in routine, but after only a few minutes, Ulysses was running and kicking up his heels as the giraffe calmly walked their exhibit, nibbling the new grass and looking at their adoring fans. We hope to get the rest of the giraffe herd out in the next week. Jenga, the almost two year old, seemed eager, but has not ventured out yet. 8 month old Autumn and mother Clover will get to go outside when it warms up a bit more. For now, they can be seen on the inside exhibit.
Let the Sun Shine and Happy Memorial Day weekend!
One of the best parts of my job is getting to go to the different areas of the zoo to assist with the zoo's operant conditioning program. Operant conditioning, is a great way to mentally stimulate the animals as well as get them to participate in their own daily health care. Today, the cat keeper and I decided to try a session with Pahstrel, an Amur Tiger, outside on exhibit. Pahstrel was lounging in the sun in the tall grass at the center of her exhibit when we went out into the keeper area, but her ears perked up when she recognized our voices and heard us call for her, and after only a few seconds came over to the fence to begin her session. We do protected contact training with our big cats, meaning there is always a barrier between the trainer and the cats. As an added safety measure, we also use tongs to feed the training treats to the big cats. Even though they look cuddly and cute, these animals are wild, and would not hesitate to grab a finger or arm if the opportunity arose. Pahstrel was very eager and participated well for the session, putting her paws on the mesh when asked, as well as sitting and standing on her back legs on command. We kept it simple as she had not previously trained outside and was a bit distracted by the noises of the zoo getting ready to open for the day. At the end of the session, she returned to her spot in the middle of the exhibit to soak up the sunshine while it lasted.
One of the coolest adaptations of the kinkajou, Potos flavus, is their long tongue. Kinkajous belong to the same family as racoons, but look more like a cross between a monkey and a cat. I wanted Como to get a kinkajou since I started working here in 2001. Two years ago, Fred the kinkajou came to us from the Central Florida Zoological Park in Lake Monroe, FL. She is in my opinion, one of the coolest education animals we have. Recently, Fred, her keepers, and the education staff that work with her began an operant conditioning program. The goal is to keep her handleable for education programs as well as teach her to display some of her natural behaviors on cue. Training a kinkajou is similar to how you would teach your dog to do a trick, you just have to find the right motivator. For Fred, it's dried cranberries or blueberries. Her ears perk up and her nose wiggles when she smells those tasty treats. She seems to be a very smart creature and picked up quite quickly that when we came into her holding with treats, we expected her to do something. As we ask her to present her tongue, she puts a paw on your pointer finger and sticks out her 5 inch long tongue. Next on the list is training Fred to open her mouth wide to show off her impressive canines. Como does not have Fred the Kinkajou on display as she is an education animal, but if you ever come to a class or an evening event at the Como Zoo, you may be lucky enough to get to see her.
