Animal Walk 12/19

Bandar, the binturong, is a long-time Children's Zoo resident and very popular. Every morning, Bandar accompanies a keeper or educator on a walk through his favorite spot- the Otto Center! Today I was able to accompany Bandar and his Educator on a (somewhat drizzly) morning stroll.

Bandar knows to go up on one of his tree stumps to have his harness put on. He gets treats for being good, and then the walk begins. Our first stop, per Bandar, was the curators' offices. He proceeded directly into the head curator's room, where Bandar knows "his" toys are waiting. There used to be a wooden chair in the office; Bandar would climb into it to sit and just stare at the head curator for awhile. He has a small plastic box that when moved shouts, "Excuse me, excuse me, can you let me out of here!" over and over. Bandar batted it around awhile then positioned it until he could sit squarely on it. Normally, others in the office get tired of the shrill repeated phrase long before Bandar does! Someone brought out a Christmas pig that walks and oinks "Jingle Bells", and he really wasn't sure what to make of that.

We continued on to our next stop. There are a few things to watch for during Bandar's walks. First, he's extremely sensitive about having his tail touched!You have to be careful not to bump into it if he stops suddenly in front of you. Also, he likes to munch shoes for fun. Plus, Bandar is a huge fan of the dates that fall from the trees around the Zoo. Dates are very sugary, and too many of them aren't healthy. Everything in moderation! We went behind the Otto Center to sniff around a bit, then into the Zoo Corps/video conferencing trailer. We got to have quite a field day in there. There were boxes to try and pull off shelves and chairs to attempt to chew on. He kept the Educator very busy!

After wandering through the remaining office halls and making a short visit to Human Resources, we wrapped up in the Education trailer. Bandar sniffed around a bit before he discovered a red wagon in the corner.The plastic crate inside of it was immediately pulled out, and he climbed right up into the wagon. Facing the wall wasn't much fun, so he turned around and discovered the wagon's handle. He pulled it forward with one paw so that he could rub his head and neck on it, getting his itchy spots. Finally, Bandar got over the wagon, and we headed back to the Children's Zoo for special treats. See you next time, Bandar!