The morning began with a slight drizzle, and I saw the first Zoo bunny I'd seen in over a month. The early mornings in December had been pretty chilly, and I imagine those bunnies had been sleeping in, all snuggled up. The drizzle was kind enough to leave before the guests arrived, and we began our stroll!
Heading down into Cat Canyon, our first stop was the New Guinea singing dogs. Male and female Marlin and Samber were waiting in their enclosure to see if all of the sudden attention might result in some snacks. Females are dominant in singing dog society, and Princess Samber is no exception. Just over two years old and a mere eighteen pounds, Samber does not hesitate to let the older and larger Marlin know who's boss! Singing dogs are pack animals, but unlike domestic dogs, they are not motivated to "please" the pack leader. Also, they do not exhibit the same tame qualities, so they are not recommended as pets. However, it is extremely difficult to find pure blood singing dogs in the wild today, as they have been interbred with domestic dogs. Neither Samber nor Marlin were in a singing mood this morning, so after a talk with the Keeper, we continued down the canyon.
Next door to the singing dogs are two gorgeous striped hyenas, male Jipenzi, which means "beloved" in Swahili, and female Malia, which means "striped". Around seventy pounds at full size, striped hyenas are significantly smaller than the more commonly known spotted hyenas, and they do not "laugh" like the spotteds. They love patrolling their territory, playing in the water, and their toy ball. One of my favorite animals, striped hyenas look like living pastel chalk drawings; they are truly beautiful. They have a mane of long hair down their back that they can erect when they are excited or agitated, making them look twice their size. They are extremely strong and can eat every part of an animal. However, they regurgitate the horns, hair, and hooves, as they have no nutritional value.
Tearing away from the hyenas, we continued to the canyon bottom into the panda classroom exhibit. Mother Bai Yun and new baby Zhen Zhen, now five months old, had gone onto exhibit just one week ago for two hours a day. As guests anxiously lined the walkways, keepers let little Z out, and everyone's hearts melted. Zhen Zhen is currently like a little round panda poof, and she was just beginning to learn to climb. Like any toddler with a new found skill, she went right to the exhibit's trees and slowly, teeteringly made her way up to the first good sitting spot. The "run" of a baby panda is really cute and funny- she looks a bit like a Weeble with legs. =) Bai Yun came out afterwards and lounged against a rock, breaking right into a large pile of bamboo. Z is Bai's fourth cub, and she is much more at ease with her. The group ooh-ed and aah-ed for a bit longer, then we headed over for muffins and hot drinks. Thank you as always to our Keepers and Educator for a great Stroll!
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