Training Again

Another training day! I'm getting a lot of those lately. I can't lie: I love it. I get to help and intern/volunteer with their first time in a pen. I remember how excited I was and how I wished I could have been taught, so I'm glad I get to train the new people.

I was assigned to train Jessica in how to do the enclosures of the fox squirrels and gray squirrels and then I had Russell on my own.

So we started in Nigel (Sherman's Fox Squirrel) cage. Poor baby still has his small cage but he didn't seem to care that day because it was chilly and he stayed bundled up in his nest of blankets the whole time. He didn't even come out for a grape! A GRAPE! Maybe I should have tried a walnut. The Squirrel enrichment for the day was a ropes course, so Jessica and I had fun stringing up Nigel's cage with rope.

Roc (Sherman's Fox Squirrel) didn't seem too excited to see us until we brought the food in. Then he went crazy for the grapes and apples. I looked for walnuts or peanuts but I couldn't find any. I offered him a pine nut but he turned up his nose at it and pouted in his nest. He's used to me bringing him walnuts. I'm so sorry I disappointed him! Hopefully I made up for it with his rope course. Jessica and I used an extra-long piece of rope and made his enclosure look like a spider web, hahaha! I feel sorry for whomever had to untangle that the next day.

"No walnuts?"

Awesome ropes course

Munching Roc

When we got to Little Man and Daisy's (Eastern Grey Squirrels) we were surprised as to how fat they were! We think the chubbiest one was Little Man, and Jessica began to joke around that he should be called Big Man. Hahaha!!! They seemed pretty excited to be getting their food. Though Daisy wasn't happy about us shooing her out of her nest so that we could change their dirty bedding. Still, I think the food offering was enough for them to forgive us.

Big Man

I was done with the training. Or so I thought. Jessica was assigned Wheems (Eastern Screech Owl) and it turns out she was never trained in the little owl's enclosure. So I helped her with that too. Wheems was not happy to see 2 people her in cage. Normally 2 people to the animals means they're going to be captured and taken to the vet or an event. So naturally little Wheems was chattering away at us. She was especially peeved when we had to shoo her out of her house to change her bedding. She had stowed away pieces of chicken in the t-shirt bedding. Ewwww.

She looks so peeved!

And then, since we were helping each other anyway and since she had never done Russell (Great Horned Owl), I had Jessica help me was I did his enclosure. He was especially nervous, with 2 people and all like I mentioned before. So Jessica stepped out while I finished raking. He's nervous around rakes, so I used a small one we normally use with a pooper-scooper. It took longer but it got the job done. Poor nervous guy.

Well... we were done for the day. Way ahead of schedule. So Jessica and I took a moment to go visit Spike (Iguana). He had chomped down on his food so fast that we thought he hadn't been fed that morning. And he was sunning himself like old times! I'm so glad he's feeling well again. He turned bright orange to show off to his lady friends when we came in and when a man walked by he started shaking his head around. Mr. Jealous! I'm flattered.

Jessica has the magic petting touch

I popped by Jagger's (Bobcat) cage to get keys from someone when I saw him in a good mood! He came right up to me along the cage and he stuck his butt out for me to scratch! I WAS SO HAPPY!!! Normally he's very temperamental. I'd say bipolar. But he looked very happy. I really can't tell you how happy I was that he let me interact with him. Normally he just growls and paces when someone gets near his enclosure. :D

Feeling good!

The Wild Dimes has Fainted!

P.S. The "Cupid Goes Wild" event was so much fun! Thank you to everyone that came out to support BTN! :)

Izzy looked adorable!