An even chillier morning than yesterday, everyone was nonetheless excited to be at the Zoo for January's last Stroll. The guests took advantage of the warmth of the Otto Center briefly before heading down to the center of the Zoo and up into Cat Canyon.
The New Guinea singing dogs, Samber and Marlin, were outside, and they seemed just as interested in the guests as the guests were in them. The Keepers were on the outside of the enclosure this time; both dogs were keeping a close watch on them just in case random treats should happen to appear. Both got some Keeper attention, though Samber managed to get more than Marlin. Though smaller, she's very much the dominant of the two. Many times, Keepers have to give Marlin attention separately so that Samber doesn't get aggressive with him. It's not wise to take attention from the princess! The two of them get many different toys, which are switched out often. They love to play with their toys, but their interest fades fast, and switching the toys out keeps them "new" and interesting. Samber gave everyone a nice singing demonstration, and after falling in love with both dogs, we all moved down to the next exhibit.
Our gorgeous striped hyena girl, Malia, was waiting for us outside. Earlier, catching up with the group after waiting for the last guests, I passes Malia and Jipenzi who watched me walk by them. I was so entranced by their deep, soft, moving eyes, that I nearly walked full speed through a huge trash can! Now the whole group was in front of their enclosure, and Jipenzi came back out to join Malia and impress the guests. Striped hyenas are smaller than their spotted relatives, and they don't make the "laughing" sound that the other hyenas are known for. They are more beautiful than photos can really depict. Striped hyenas look as though they're pastel chalk drawings that came to life! One of the Keepers had a new toy for the pair, and Malia came over as she was about to toss it into the enclosure. She raised up the long fur down her back, showing how excited she was. The Keeper threw in the toy, and Malia sniffed and poked at it for a moment before Jipenzi came and snatched it, running off in triumph.
As we pulled away, the Educator led our final January group to the bottom of the canyon and into the panda's classroom exhibit. An early observer, who records the panda's activities, had come in that morning, so both mom and baby were already out when we arrived. Zhen Zhen, self-proclaimed master tree climber now, had gone straight up the big tree and was snuggly curled into a panda ball near the end of a high branch. Mom Bai Yun was munching away at her bamboo pile. We were able to get a terrific view of her, as she walked around to give everyone ample photo opportunities. Bai has been described by many as the "perfect panda". Her markings are so perfect, crisp, and beautiful that she looks like she was manufactured. Stuffed animal makers aspire to make their creations look like Bai Yun! We were all pretty cold by this point, but the pandas were paying no attention to the temperature; they're built for the cold and have even been known to play in the snow in the wild, repeatedly sliding down snowy hills. We finally moved on to "Muffin Land" and wrapped up our morning. It was an awesome Stroll month as usual. I can't wait to see what we'll be doing next month!
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