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Chat - Tuesday, February 4th 2014; Have a great day peeps!
Topic Started: Feb 4 2014, 07:11 AM (119 Views)
Naturegal
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Eagle Guardian
Posted Image CRUZER FRIENDS :}^ HAVE A LOVELY DAY!
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Artsy Mom
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Posted Image Cruzers rofl

It's -22C/-8F this morning and feels like -28 with the windchill :o

Hope everyone out East stays safe in the storms that are headed your way. We have overcast skies and no :flk: :flk: predicted until Thursday :X:

We have to move furniture, unpack new TV and get ready for the install later today. What a big deal to just plug in a new HD Smart TV  :wacko:
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Artsy Mom
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Animal haircuts that turn your pet into a predator :hair:

Posted Image Click for more weirdness :blink:

Some people are just totally  :wacko: to do this to their pets :angry:
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Artsy Mom
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Some bears know how to have fun  :lol:

Posted Image
click for more pics

He's using rocks for his Olympic 'shot put' exercises rofl

Photographer Devin Manky was on hand to capture the antics as this grizzly played in the Grouse Mountain Refuge for Endangered Wildlife, in North Vancouver, Canada.
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Artsy Mom
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<::: ZA Panda Updates

Posted Image

Tuesday, February 4

Cubs playing and climbing never gets old. Many times the cubs are asleep at the top of their climbing structure on exhibit, but if you are lucky, you can be here when they are climbing and playing. Yesterday, when we shifted them out, a fellow keeper had leaned bamboo against the log they use to get on top of their climbing structure. Mei Lun usually races to get on top of the structure as soon as we let her out. It was fun watching her with this new challenge of having bamboo in her way. She weaved her body through it, sometimes sliding down the log with the bamboo, but not giving up. Eventually she made it through the bamboo maze, and the rest was easy as she found her favorite spot and went to sleep.

Mei Huan will sometimes investigate the habitat before deciding to follow her sister up the climbing structure. Yesterday was one of those days. We turned one of their big plastic toys upside down so it would rock back and forth. She spent a good 10 minutes playing on it, trying to climb on top as it weebled back and forth. She would make it most of the way on, and it would start to flip toward her till she was standing back on the ground. She would then try climbing the other side. Occasionally she would stop and start chewing on it. Eventually she made it all the way on top without it tipping. She probably held on for only a few seconds that way before she moved and the whole thing tipped over again, sliding her body off. After she made it all the way on, I think her accomplishment was over for the day because she left to go join her sister on the climbing structure. Of course there was still bamboo in the way, but Mei Lun knocked it down enough that climbing through it looked easier for Mei Huan than it had been for Mei Lun. Once at the top, she joined her sister for a nap.

Mollye N.
Mammal Keeper III

Monday, February 3

I'm often asked what's the hardest part of my job as a panda keeper. Right away I always answer: "Knowing what type and how much bamboo to offer the pandas." Cleaning is pretty easy, albeit tedious. Offering the correct species of bamboo and the correct amount is the challenging part. When we’re cleaning up after the pandas, you may notice that we inspect the bamboo. We're looking to see not only what species they preferred (we almost always offer at least two different species), but also which specific bamboo pieces of that species they ate. It's up to us, as their caretakers, to figure it out. There's mature bamboo vs. young bamboo (young bamboo usually has a white circle around the node of the stalk, aka culm); thin vs. thick culms; light-colored culm vs. the darker pieces; smaller leaves vs. larger leaves; lighter leaves vs. darker leaves; etc. Our pandas always love the "tops,” which are the pieces of bamboo that come from the very top of a bamboo tree. If they reject that piece, we know we're in for a tough day in terms of pleasing the bears.

The other hard part is figuring out how much bamboo to offer. We want to give the bears enough bamboo to keep them happy until they get their next feeding. We don't want to give them too much, because they may fall asleep with a full belly and completely ignore us as we try to bring them inside for dinner so we can go home! As a keeper, you quickly figure out how much you should offer because when you don't offer enough, the pandas are quick to let you know their bellies aren't full yet!

These past few days, Xi Lan and Po have been very difficult to please. Being sub-adults, they sometimes aren't happy with their bamboo simply because they want attention. Often, if we have a good training session or spend a good five to 10 minutes interacting with these two, they'll happily spend the rest of the day eating. Unlike their parents, the sub-adults seem to desire daily attention from their keepers. This isn't surprising as they still have a little "cub mentality" left in them (although some might argue that Yang Yang never grew out of that mentality!). Unfortunately, there are days when even attention from us isn't good enough. It's on those days when we utilize the "bamboo" command. With this behavior, we ask the pandas to take a bite of bamboo, in return for a leafeater biscuit. This ensures that they eat bamboo, it gives them quality time with their keepers, and it reduces everybody's stress levels! We've been taking advantage of this trained behavior these past couple of days with Xi and Po because even if they're grumpy, they still need to eat!

Jen W.
Keeper I, Carnivores

Lun Lun's Crossbar Shakeup (9:31)  :lol:
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Artsy Mom
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FEBRUARY 4, 2014 - Staying Positive

Southwest Florida  :<<o>>: Cam - Nest Notes for Feb 3


Posted Image
Screencap image of E4 grabbing and mantling Dad’s delivery by urdognu


Ozzie, Harriet and sweet E4 appeared to tread very carefully and mindfully of E3’s still little body as it lay in the center of the nest. In Ozzie and Harriet’s world reality seems simple. They may mourn their loss in whatever way Eagles do but their instinct proves they must carry out their obligation to care for E4 and each other. Mom and Dad brought fish and prey to hungry E4 who greeted their arrivals eagerly with very vocal chattering. E4 has learned lessons very well, stepping up aggressively for the feedings and managing to mantle Dad’s food delivery.

Ozzie tried to move E3’s body to the side of the nest and E4 still nestled next to E3. Mom placed grasses on E3’s body and later tried to move E3 again. These behaviors are difficult to observe. We see though human eyes with human emotions. Eagles may view life differently through their instinct which is doing what they must do to survive. Their acceptance of the passing on of E3 is sad but interesting and admirable. Sending positive energy to Ozzie, Harriet and precious E4 as they strive to live and flourish.

~Summary by dadsjazz

If you would like to view more pics and videos, please go here.
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jillers
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Red Bull Stratos - The Full Story-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYw4meRWGd4

This is Doc George Lombardi, an ID doc, who treated the late Mother Teresa in the
80's at Calcutta-
http://youtu.be/vD9RI2Bm69U

How Our World Would Look If You Were A Bird-
http://pixtale.net/2013/12/how-our-world-would-look-if-you-were-a-bird/
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KLJinOz
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G'day Peeps, my overcast Wednesday. It rained pretty steadily all day yesterday at drizzle level. So I still had to water the pots under the trees. I have a beetle infestation too. what to do! I hate using chemicals. Will have to do some research. We've noticed a distinct cooling in the evenings too, here comes Fall.

Thanks for the interesting update on E3/4 and parents. Their behavior is different to what I've read before where the chick is tossed out of the nest.....

Loving the Nestorations on the Channel Island web cams!

We met with a wedding photographer yesterday afternoon. He is a French man, I really like his work. http://www.fvidalphoto.com.au/home


New WedgeTail Eagle for our Taronga Zoo!
http://taronga.org.au/emvideo/modal/9795/600/495/field_emvideo/youtube/ty04kmoUzCo
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Deleted User
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GOOD EVENING- HOPE ALL YOUR DAY WAS PLEASANT
Carole - Penny - Jillers - KLJinOZ - Kris - Deb - Topa - Imorton - Cheryl -

Carole- Deer in the Meadow - Spring rofl / Enjoy your new TV / Don't
like animals be made weird /

Penny - Bear antics rofl / So extremely sad about E3 and that it can't
be removed

KLJinOZ - Good luck with your plant problem / creative photos / never
heard of a wedge tail eagle before /

Today they really plowed good here at Windtryst / Suppose to get a snow/ice storm after midnight and through the morning, could
be 3 hours of sleet/freezing rain at end / Sleet is bad but
freezing rain is very bad (rain that comes down and freezes on contact.
Looks like no line dancing tomorrow /
Had breakfast at the Washington Diner with two dear friends this
morning for my birthday / received a pot of lavender mums and
a pot of yellow primroses /
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jillers
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Hubble Ultra Deep Field 3D-
http://www.flixxy.com/hubble-ultra-deep-field-3d.htm
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jillers
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Chick-fil-A gives free food to motorists stranded in Southern snowstorm-
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/01/29/chick-fil-gives-free-food-to-motorists-stranded-in-southern-snowstorm/
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Artsy Mom
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Lily the Black Bear - UPDATE February 4, 2014

Busy Day in Juliet's Den


Today was a busy day in Juliet's den—lots of cub sightings!

Posted Image :clk: 's Posted Image

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Posted Image :clk: 's Posted Image

Thank you for all you do.

—Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center

All photos taken today unless otherwise noted.
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