Gus and Yona found the missing radios that we lost in the trees while cutting them off the fence during last week’s storm! Ranger Ro caught this photo of the bears talking about something… ideas?
Gus looking particularly handsome with his scarf.
Author Archive
Join the conversation:
You Might Also Like These Posts
Most Popular Posts With These Tags
If you have an account on any of the Museum's blogs, you can sign in with the same login to contribute to the discussion.
If you don't have an account, signing up is free and easy.
What’s on Aaron’s leg?
June 14th, 2013It’s been a busy week in the bear yard. Last Friday we were dealing with fence damage from the storm. On Wednesday bear pools were cleaned, the yard was scooped, mowing and weed-eating occurred, and trees were pruned from around fences.
Aaron showed me his leg first thing Thursday morning, and of course I decided to show you. Thougths?
What did Aaron walk into in the bear yard?
Even the Duck wants to know
Join the conversation:
-
Chiggars. Ooo.
-
Razor burn
-
Poison Ivy
You Might Also Like These Posts
Most Popular Posts With These Tags
If you have an account on any of the Museum's blogs, you can sign in with the same login to contribute to the discussion.
If you don't have an account, signing up is free and easy.
Goodbye and Good-riddance to Andrea
June 9th, 2013Friday was a doozie of a day. Tropical Storm Andrea made for quite the adventure. Jessi and Aaron started checking on all the animals and fences at 7:00. I received a call from them at 7:15 saying trees were down on the bear fence on the cliff- so much so that the bears could climb out.
I came in. Jessi and Aaron had confirmed all the bears, and all the animals at the museum were where they were supposed to be and the only damage was to the bear fence. It took us until about 9 AM to get all the bears secure in the house, and then the work began to get the big tree(s) off the fence. The rain held off for the first couple of hours, but the rest of the work took place in anywhere from drizzling to more-often-than-not torrential rain. Daniel and Dale from the Facilities staff worked hard for almost an hour and a half to get the tree cut off the fence.
Dale, one of our Facilities Staff members, works on clearing the trees.
We cleared large sections of the top of the tree by tossing them, pushing them, pulling them with ropes, down into the bear yard. Dickerson fence arrived at 2 PM to repair the fence and Daniel got the electric lines and insulators rehung. Much of the bear yard was covered in water, including electric fence lines, so the bears spent the night in the house. (The Farmyard rabbits spent the night in the main building because there home was flooded out too). At 7 PM it was bright and sunny- it was very weird being in Explore the Wild in the bright sun given how the rest of my time was spent earlier in the day.
By 8:30 AM Saturday morning, the water had subsided enough and the electric fence was confirmed to be operational so the bears were let out.
This is such an abbreviated tale of what occurred Friday. I could share with you about scrapes and bruises and other tweaks and injuries that staff received; radios missing in sections of trees that fortunately, were eventually found and will maybe work again after drying out; puddles that you thought were only a couple of inches deep but all of a sudden your knee was wet; flooding and leaking…flooding and leaking just about everywhere.
Another storm is behind us. Let’s hope the next storm is far off in the future… well after my retirement.
Join the conversation:
-
Great Job Everyone, sounds like quite a day!
-
What a dedicated (and amazing) group of people to keep all the animals safe and dry even at their own personal discomfort!!! Thank you!!!!
-
PS amendment “own personal discomfort and safety”!!!!! Thank you again!!!!
You Might Also Like These Posts
Most Popular Posts With These Tags
If you have an account on any of the Museum's blogs, you can sign in with the same login to contribute to the discussion.
If you don't have an account, signing up is free and easy.
What was happening there?
June 3rd, 2013I recently posted a drawing and asked you to tell me what was happening here.
original drawing
Many of you commented, but no one was exactly right. The above drawing was indeed of a bear- Gus to be specific. The round dot on his back was his puff of matted hair. I did not think the puff was drawn accurately (unlike the rest of the drawing) so I added the “dart”, “spike-like” projection out of the back. There is no way I could have drawn this- my artistic skills are poor at best. I do mostly-fine drawing names, and only moderately okay drawing stick-people. This drawing was done by Aaron.
Here’s how I would have drawn the above:
Sherry’s version
The drawing was made so we could visually review who would be standing where during the bears’ physicals. (It was also made for the enjoyment factor because everyone knows I like a good drawing). Positioning is critical during any procedures with dangerous animals, even when they are behind bars. Jessi is the primary trainer for the bears, so she will be there. Dr. Vanderford will be there, with Katy of course doing the physical.
We’ll let you know how the physicals turn out- maybe Aaron will draw another picture!
Join the conversation:
You Might Also Like These Posts
Most Popular Posts With These Tags
If you have an account on any of the Museum's blogs, you can sign in with the same login to contribute to the discussion.
If you don't have an account, signing up is free and easy.
What’s Happening Here
May 30th, 2013It’s another post with a drawing:
So,
#1- Who drew the picture
#2- What animal is drawn (and how do you know… or why did you guess…)
#3- What’s happening
Join the conversation:
-
It’s got to be a bear, even though the head looks more like an alpaca – I can tell by the big paws and tiny tail. And it looks like a tranquilizer dart on its back. Not sure about the small black elliptical mark right next to the dart…hope it’s not a tick…
-
First guess was alpaca and you were going to look at Equinox’s grey spot on her back. But you have Jessi here who isn’t a farmyard keeper and Dr.V who I think does the bear care. So maybe bears and you are gang hem acupuncture
-
* giving them.
-
Thought it was a horse at first, but with Jessi’s name there it’s got to be a bear. Sherry drew it, I think it’s of Gus and that slash mark is his dread?
I already know what’s happening from ETW meetings, so I won’t guess that part
You Might Also Like These Posts
Most Popular Posts With These Tags
If you have an account on any of the Museum's blogs, you can sign in with the same login to contribute to the discussion.
If you don't have an account, signing up is free and easy.
Spotlight: CFO Debbie May
May 28th, 2013This is Debbie, the Museum’s Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. She would say I must be desperate to write a post and have nothing to say because she is so uninteresting. (Untrue, however I am desperate to get a good photo of her).
Debbie with wolf 1369 during his transfer physical
Anyone who spends time with Debbie would say she is thoughtful, caring, smart, detail-oriented, well-rounded, and incredibly helpful just to name a few of her traits. Please note, as a disclaimer to my words above, I am not sucking-up: Debbie is not my supervisor.
As a Vice President and CFO of the Museum, she’s responsible for so much- money, the facilities, all the staff, guest relations, reporting to the board of directors… However, she still makes the time to help out with the little, everyday things that make the Museum function. She picks up trash from the ground. She spreads mulch when we’re scrambling to open a new exhibit. She’s epoxied cracks in floors so wheelchairs and strollers roll smoothly. She’s even, as seen below, prepared a wolf crate so we could safely transport wolves across the country.
Debbie getting the wolf carrier ready for transport
She gives of her valuable time- understanding that your time, anyone’s time, is valuable and necessary. It’s critical to our work that we have executives who understand and honor all that it takes to care for the animals (and all the other stuff that makes the Museum run). Debbie is truly one of the good people.
Debbie, and others, attending a lunch discussion about “animal stuff”
Join the conversation:
-
Yay Debbie! She’s the best!
You Might Also Like These Posts
Most Popular Posts With These Tags
If you have an account on any of the Museum's blogs, you can sign in with the same login to contribute to the discussion.
If you don't have an account, signing up is free and easy.
Intern Bethany
May 22nd, 2013Our summer intern started this week. Meet Bethany. She goes to school with Jamie and Jessica.
Awesome boots for working outside!
Join the conversation:
You Might Also Like These Posts
Most Popular Posts With These Tags
If you have an account on any of the Museum's blogs, you can sign in with the same login to contribute to the discussion.
If you don't have an account, signing up is free and easy.
QuikPic: Gecko’s old skin
May 12th, 2013
Join the conversation:
-
She ate the skin too which a lot of geckos do.
I made sure to look for it the next morning and it was all gone -
Wow!! How often and why does Gordon shed her skin? And how long does it take for the entire shedding process?
-
That’s impressive!
-
Depending if its still growing it will shed more but usually every few months
However, we dont really know because like I said a lot of the geckos eat their skin
I noticed the day before though she was a different color then usual so that was one hint
You Might Also Like These Posts
Most Popular Posts With These Tags
If you have an account on any of the Museum's blogs, you can sign in with the same login to contribute to the discussion.
If you don't have an account, signing up is free and easy.
QuikPost: red wolf quarterly report
May 8th, 2013I get sent the red wolf quarterly report from USFWS. Here’s the link to the most recent report:
Join the conversation:
You Might Also Like These Posts
Most Popular Posts With These Tags
If you have an account on any of the Museum's blogs, you can sign in with the same login to contribute to the discussion.
If you don't have an account, signing up is free and easy.
QuikPic: goat and cats
May 4th, 2013The most interesting thing, to me, about this photo is not that there is a goat in my living room, but rather that my big cat on the floor (Scout) is resting on a cat toy. He does not play with cat toys.
Actually, Scout hasn’t rested on this carpet in I-don’t-know-how-long, and Kobi hasn’t slept on my chair until recently when the goat moved to my living room.
Join the conversation:
-
Looks like the cats are staking out their territory in the presence of the goat.
-
Animal Department
-
Animal Department
You Might Also Like These Posts
Most Popular Posts With These Tags
If you have an account on any of the Museum's blogs, you can sign in with the same login to contribute to the discussion.
If you don't have an account, signing up is free and easy.
Gus: Rawr
Yona: Nom nom nom