During the cat show in the summer, I feed the lions and tigers up by the fence where hundreds of people come to watch them eat. At our zoo we feed small pieces of red meat as a snack during the show. The lions are fed separately, either our male is out by himself or the two females are together. I get a lot of questions about why the lions are fed separately – it's a long story so I'll take some time to explain n detail.

Boomer, our male lion, was kept as a pet until he escaped from the house and was confiscated. You can read one of the new articles here. He's a hand raised cat and he's spent a lot of time around people. Mali and Kali, our two female lions, were born at our zoo. They were raised by their lion parents and have no interest in people unless you are giving them food... or becoming their food. Boomer came to out zoo in May 2011 after our 19 year old male lion (Mali and Kali's father) passed away in January 2011 from cancer. Every animals that comes to a zoo has to go through a one month period where they are quarantined. After Boomer finished his quarantine with a clean bill of health, we let him out into a holding yard which allowed Boomer to interact with the girls through a fence. There was a lot of aggression at first. The girls would roar at Boomer and try to scratch him through the mesh. As time went on the girls grew more accustomed to Boomer and the aggression seem to decrease. Once we had gone almost a month without witnessing any aggression between Boomer and Mali, we decided to introduce them face to face.

We started our lion introductions on October 7^th 2011. It was a very nerve racking day for me since it was the first time I had ever done something like this before. We choose to start with Mail, the more dominant of the two sisters, because she was the one that had shown least aggression through the shared fence for the longest amount of time. We gather a small team of myself, another keeper, two managers and our vet tech. We armed ourselves with a hose, a shovel to make noise, and a CO2 extinguisher. If big cats want to kill each other they'll do it in the first couple of minuets, so this really was a make or break moment.

We moved Boomer and Mali into their stalls. At first we pulled the guillotine door open slightly so that they could smell each other without too much contact and then we opened the door all the way. When the door was opened fully, Mali and Boomer instantly started fighting. Boomer released his scent glands and the whole cat house stunk - even more than usual. One of the keepers sprayed them with the hose and they separated shortly after. Boomer spent the rest of the time as far away from Mali as possible. We separated them after half an hour and called it a successful first day. The next few days were fairly uneventful. Boomer and Mali continued to stay in their respective stalls and nothing happened. We started to move away from them during their time together, hoping that our absence would force them to focus on each other. One day when I checked on them, Boomer and Mali had switch stalls silently and without any problems. We carried on this way for a week until we felt that there was no more progress to be made indoors.

The next step was to let them out into the holding pen. We would still be able to spray them with the hose, but it definitely left us with less control than indoors. Holding our breaths, we opened to doors and Mali took off with Boomer running after her. They fought for about seven minuets that first day. The days following, they continued to fight but their battles become shorter. Most of the battles later in the week were due to Boomer's stupidity. He would playfully stalk Mali until he got too close and she would choose to defend herself. Once Boomer and Mali seemed more comfortable with one another, we started to let Kali out into the large pen as well so that the sisters could see each other. They seemed much happier to be able to smell one another through the fence. I had to roll my eyes, since the introductions were no longer that 45 minuets a day at this point but when Kali and Mali were put back together they behaved as if they had been separated for months.

A few weeks later we switched the females. We brought Kali and Boomer into their stalls and repeated the procedure for the indoor introductions. The results were very anticlimactic. When we pulled the door open, there were no fights and Boomer just stood there looking at Kali. Kali didn't take any silliness from Boomer. She roared at him the second he got too close to her and Boomer was practically trying to climb the walls of his stall to get away from her. It only took a couple of days before we decided that it was time to let the two of them out into the holding pen. Once again, the result wasn't as dramatic. There were a few small fights in the holding pen but nothing like the ones between Boomer and Mali.

Our decisions to move forward were always based on the lions' behavior. With Mali, it had taken much longer for the fights to subside and for them to reach a standstill, but with Kali everything was much faster. The fights between Boomer and Mali resulted in sore hips for Mali. We tried to switch the girls every other day but it became apparent that Mali needed more rest that Kali so we gave Mali a few days off. Animal health is our number one concern and if there were any major health issues then all introductions would stop until we'd resolved the problem. Mali's hips healed and she started to look much stronger. Once we were sure that Mali was well enough, we decided to put all three of them together in the holding pen. We gathered a team of keepers and managers in preparation for what we knew would be a big fight, but when we opened the gate and all three of them were together nothing happened. The girls stayed inside and Boomer sat by the edge of the door and looked in at them. A couple of days later, the girls were out in the holding pen when we let Boomer join them. He went straight for Mali, would was standing a little ways away from her sister. Kali ran to her sister's rescue and a big fight ensued. Once they broke apart, the girls ran to one end of the pen and Boomer gravitated towards myself and our vet tech. I picked a claw casing out of Boomer's mane and comforted him through the fence. Being a hand raised cat means Boomer often behaves like a spoiled child rather than a lion. We felt there was no harm in providing him with some support while the girls were teaming up on him, but we've started to withdraw from Boomer since then and he's starting to become “his own lion” as a result.

As the days passed, we came to a standstill once again. The lions would fight occasionally and Boomer usually got the worst of it. We made the decision to let all three of them out into the big pen. This gave us much less control over their fights but it was time. When we let them out into the big pen things went well. Once, Kali even set down right next to Boomer but she nipped him in the bum shortly after and it started a big fight. Every time the lions are together, someone was always watching them. Once the keepers and our vet tech decided that it would be safe to leave the lions unsupervised we started to increase the time Boomer spent with the girls. 

It's been a year since all of this begun and we've definitely made some progress but things are far from over. Boomer spend 24/7 with Mali and they get along fairly well. When the three of them are together, Kali will behave for a while, but then she'll attack Boomer. She's taken a few chunks out of his tail, but nothing more than a lion can handle. While Boomer heals, we put Kali on time out. We keep Kali separate from Boomer so that she doesn't make his injuries worse and he spends all him time with Mali instead. The lions still aren't ready to eat together at the cat show. Captive cats still maintain their instincts and if the girls feel like they need to compete with Boomer for food then I know they'll fight constantly. Introducing lions is no easy task and we're hoping that the three of them can live together soon, but that all depends on their behavior – especially Kali.

As a keeper, I do my best to let animals be animals. However, I can't stress enough the importance of the bonds keepers have with their animals. When animals trust you it makes vet procedures and daily chores so much easier and less stressful for you and the animal. Building a bond takes time!

My Eurasian lynx, Ocean, is a kind and fun loving soul. I think if she were a person she would be like Felicia Day, expect blind (because as I mentioned in a previous blog entry Ocean is blind). Both Ocean's and Felicia's looks are beautiful in a non-overpowering way. Their beauty is easy on the eyes and easy to appreciate. I think if Ocean were a person she would be quirky like Felicia too since Ocean is definitely a bit of dork :P

I love this! The black Jaguar, Jumanji, was such a typical jag about it. “Let’s scent mark it and destroy it! Now it’s perfect! Sit” Reminds me so much of my old boy, OJ.  Also the Caracal, Rusty, was hilarious. Caracal’s come off as a bit snobby and I thought it was perfect how Rusty just sat in the box, totally unfazed – “I’m too sexy for your box.”

            In the early spring and fall, my cat shows are far less busy than in the summer. This gives me an opportunity to talk to the public for longer. One of my favorite things about being a zoo keeper is educating, especially if I feel like people walk away with a new level understanding. One day after my cat show, I was standing around answering questions and a young man came up to me. He told me he really wants to help animals but he doesn't just want to donate money and call it a day. He asked me what else he can do to help. This question caught me a little off guard because it was so open ended, but I told him my opinion.

            I think if you want to help animals and the environment you have to start with yourself first. I think a lot of us are guilted into being environmentally friendly because we're told that the negative impact humans have had on this planet is the whole reason we're in this mess. As I pointed out in my last blog entry, humans do need to act less self-centered that they do now. However, seeing all the headlines about global warming, endangered species and the like can get pretty depressing. The thing I hate about this is that it makes people feel hopeless – or at least I feel hopeless. Feeling hopeless doesn't inspire me to make changes; instead, it makes me feel like nothing I do will have any significant impact. That is, however, not true and I think the little changes are what will make the greatest overall difference.

            I told this young man the best thing he can do is change his lifestyle. Humans will always have a negative impact on the world. So will every other animal that has to eat to survive, but we can still make changes so that keeping us alive and happy doesn't wreck it for every other living thing. I decided that I needed to stop thinking of myself as a species that destroys the planet and start accepting that I need resources to live. Now it's a matter of where I choose to get my resources from.

            Here's some of the things I do to try and help the planet:

1.)                I don't eat sea food. (as a marine biology student it's hard to ignore the horrible fishing practices that go on in our oceans).

2.)                I don't use liners in 3 out of the 4 garbage cans in our house.

3.)                I bring reusable bags to the grocery store, including reusable bags for produce.

4.)                I recycle any plastic bags I accumulate.

5.)                I compost

6.)                I buy biodegradable garbage liners for the kitchen garbage.

7.)                I don't idle the car at train crossing or at stop lights that I know are going to take a long time.

8.)                I buy local when I can afford it and I pick berries in the summer to freeze for winter from local farms.

9.)                I buy eggs that are chicken friendly.

10.)            I volunteer at a local horse rescue shelter once a week

11.)            I buy environmentally friendly detergent for the dishwasher and the washing machine.

12.)            I buy or make environmentally friendly cleaning products and scrub extra hard.

13.)            I tell anyone that is considering getting a wild animal as a pet not to do it and explain why.

14.)            I try very hard to remember to turn off the lights when I leave a room.

15.)            I don't leave the light outside my front door running all day just to provide light for me for 20 seconds when I come home in the evening went it's dark. I have a small flash light on my key chain instead.

16.)            I don't buy things that are individually wrapped.

17.)            I buy bamboo products whenever I can because it's a much more environment friendly material than other kinds of wood.

18.)      I don't litter.

            As you can see I’m not a super hero. There's still things I need to improve on. I’m really lazy about composting and I need to improve. I don't do nearly as much as I might have the potential to but I choose not be feel bad about it because I want to stay motivated to find more ways to make positive changes in my life rather than feel defeated and discouraged. I think I motivated the young man at the cat show to live his life this way and I hope I can convince you guys to make changes where you can and feel good about them!

Don't litter! Baby Muskox will thank you :D

           I’ve been struggling with something lately. When I’ve spoken to people about the plight that animals face in our world it seems to be generally accepted that humans should always come first. This mentality bothers me because I feel that we live so selfishly already that it doesn’t help to think we are somehow more entitled to decided what happens to this world than any of the creatures we share it with. As a zookepper, I’m taking care of the mess other people have made – eagles that have been hit by cars, bears that are pushed out of their habitat and into garbage dumps and so on. That’s not to say I’m a nature purist, since I – by being alive – consume resources as well, however I recognize that animals have a place in this world and that they welfare needs to be a bigger priority than it is.

Let me set one thing straight before I begin. I don’t think I’m a crazy animal person. Animals are my passion for sure, but I think I’ve a placed a realistic value on them in my life. I often see images of zoo keepers or conservation workers cuddling with lions or tigers and all I can see in those images is a death wish. I also see a lack of respect for the animal. I think zoos should be as natural as possible, not an excuse for a petting zoo. With that being said, I think there needs to a much higher value placed on animals and the environment than there is now.

When we’re spending more money on animal welfare than education then I’ll agree that we’re taking this a little far, but I think our current situation is a far cry from this scenario. We live in a world of oceans on the brink of catastrophic collapse, global warming, vanishing glaciers and many other depressing environmental tragedies. In this situation I don’t think people should come first – clearly we’ve been putting ourselves first for long enough.

I’ve heard two arguments as to why humans should reign supreme.

            The first is a religious argument. The bible says “have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” To have dominion over something is to have control, it does not mean take advantage of and pillage – which is what we’re doing now. We are taking too many resources (greed), we consume more that we need to (gluttony), we lust after rare pieces of natures (fur, claws, horns etc…), we have the technology to be more environmentally friendly but we don’t implement these techniques because of sloth and greed – these methods take effort and money. We want to be more important than the world we depend on and this stems from pride. I’ve listed five of the seven deadly sins and if you are wanting to live a biblical life then it doesn’t seem like the human race is doing a very good job of it. I think the biblical argument could be valid if this was actually the way we were living. If we have true dominion of the earth, we should be taking much better care of it.

            The second argument is that we have evolved into a superior race. We have found ways to advance in agriculture, transportation and electronics, but we are at heart a species that - like any other - consumes for our own gain. We have found ways to harvest everything nature has to offer very quickly – too quickly. Our fish and forest industry can hardly replenish itself before we are taking more. It’s in our genetics to survive and thrive. The problem I have with the evolutionary perspective is twofold. Firstly, as a species we haven’t existed for very long. We are but a blip on the evolutionary time scale but in that time we have managed to do damage like none before us. We’ve taken habitats away from animals that existed long before we did. Our sense of entitlement knows no end. Secondly, I think it’s stupid, frankly, to brag about the superiority of human intelligence when we are – plain and simple - destroying the very environment we depend on. We won’t be lookin’ so smart once we’ve destroyed the very thing giving us life. If we’re going to use our intelligence then let’s use it to preserve our planet rather than use it to find faster ways to destroy the world we depend on.

            I think if mother nature were a person and humans were her children, she’d be rolling her eyes at the tantrum we’re throwing right now. There’s too much “I want” floating around and I’m sick of it at the moment.

I think I’ll end my semi-rant for now. Next post I will follow up on this, but in a more positive way :P

 Whooooooa a kitty!

 

            As winter slowly turns to spring, it's becoming more bearable to be outside! When you live in a rainy city like I do a little bit of sun can do wonders for your mood. At my zoo, your work load changes with the seasons. My workload is really heavy in the summer, while the winter leaves me with much more "project time." The opposite is true for my friend that handles the North American animals. He's most busy in the winter and summer lets him relax a little. Warmer weather usually means the animals start perking up as well. The lions love sun bathing. Even if it's still chilly outside the lions will lay  right in the middle of the only patch of sun in their enclosure.

            People often ask me how the animals deal with cold weather. Where our zoo is located the winter temperatures average about -1 Celsius but can drop down to -20 Celsius. Animals that are either native or live in cold climates do just fine. This includes our black bears, grizzly, arctic wolves, fox and Siberian tigers. These animals have thick winter coats that insulate them against the cold and all our animals have shelters to seek cover under when it rains.

            For the animals that are accustomed to a warmer climate, we provide them with heated barns. We always leave a door open for them to venture outdoors if they choose, but when they come inside their barns are heated and they are given a nice straw bed to curl up on. If temperatures drop below -15 Celsius we will lock the animals inside for the day. They won't want to venture outside anyways and closing all the gates to the outdoor part of the enclosure reduces cold air in the barn. During one of our “lock down” days I tried to pad all the cracks between the gate and the floor with straw so that the cold air would hardly get through, but my baboons and big cats just played with the straw, pulling it out from under the door and rendering it useless as insulation - at least they had fun with it.

            Visitors often ask me if the tropical or desert animals seem bothered by the cold. I personally don't think they are. A lot of the animals spend time outside even when it's cold. The lions seem a bit perturbed though.

Duma seems to love the snow

Sweetie's not going to let a little snow disrupt her lunch

The baboons are hilarious in the snow. They don't like it when their hands get wet.

This is a rare sight. The ever elusive snow lion!

Alaska blends right in.

OJ looks so beautiful. The snow really brings out his colour.

Ocean and Papa are right at home.