This morning, on our way to wake up the lions, we stopped off at the cheetah area to experience a lure chase! The cheetah main gates are closed and they are let out of their pens and led over to the lure. I saw one cheetah jog across the hill to the lure, but once he got there he just watched it dismissively. So we didn't get to see an actual run. poo. Just as well because my camera wouldn't work all day!! :(
After a stop at maintenance, we headed over to the lion hut to wake them up. I helped clean out a drain full of hair while the others checked the fence lines and spread enrichment (elephant poo!). Then Matt & I were left to clean the hut where I did the scrubbing. :)
Next was the Brown Bear enrichments! We stopped at QB to grab it (melons for the girls, and random frozen items for the boys including an egg mcmuffin! haha!) After we threw the enrichment out to them I had to go to Bear Tower to relieve the volunteer so she could eat lunch. I do enjoy staying in the towers. :) Peaceful and quiet, occasionally waving at the passersby.
Finally, it was time for LUNCH! I was so hungry! My leftover macaroni & green beans was deLISH!
We had a Lion 101 encounter after lunch, and my job was to pick up the people and drive them out to the exhibit! I've never done this before, but luckily I got to drive the automatic white van which was a very smooth ride. :) The group I took was very nice- three families who all interacted with one another as well. Very nice people. We met up with Angela & Erin at the exhibit. I just watched this time so I can listen to the presentation and start doing them myself soon! eek! I also took pictures for people as they stood facing away from the lions and then the lions were told to stand up, so they are in the pic behind the people.
We went to QB to make meals for the lions and to create some fruitsicles! We only had many, many peaches, so we pitted those and squished them up into bowls which are then filled with water and frozen. The Bears LOVE these! ^_^ Today we were making very large ones in buckets so the bears will get a LOVELY treat tomorrow! Since so many peaches had to be pitted and squished for this, we had to pause in our efforts to go do a couple more encounters...
We met a group up at the Brown Bear exhibit to do "Big Bear". Matt did most of the presentation while Erin did the training and I just watched again. The boys are so cute doing this. The people really enjoy throwing pears to the bears too. :) Then we were off to pick up a group for another Lion 101 encounter. It was only three people, and I rode in the back of the "giraffe truck" with them. Erin did the presentation this time, while Matt distracted the other lion. I just watched and said hello to the lions when they came next to me.
After that nice experience we had to go back and work on the fruitsicles again. Erin & I did this, until Sarah (main lady) and Angela (keeper in training) came and picked me up to watch them do a Lion Feed! This is where the guests are taken to the lion hut and are able to walk inside it, help toss the meat chunks into the rooms, and watch us bring them in. Usually after Keeno is done eating he will start a caroling (roaring) episode, and so we waited! They actually did two of them! ^_^ The people loved it! It's amazing to be in the middle of the lions when they do this, and it echoes off of the walls too! haha.
Our day would have ended here, but the cheetah department needed help! Angela & I went to put Sanurra in. We go into her day pen (in the front walk-thru section of the park), get her to go into a large crate, lift the crate onto a truck, drive her back to the cheetahs' area, and let her into her pen- which is next to Ellie's pen (the dog who lives with her). At this point I could have gone home, but I wanted to help with tigers again so that I could gain more experience with them too! I picked up the meal for each one and set it on their individual beds, then Erin operated the guillotine doors to let one tiger in at a time. They are so beautiful! Siberian Tigers. Ours are smaller than usual. Not sure why. And that was it!
Huh.. I just realized I didn't do any Brown Bear hut activities today! But Sarah wanted me to practice more with things I hadn't experienced much- which includes the lion protocols! :)
Okay, bye for now... (TTFN, Alex!)
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