Zoo InternQuest is a career exploration program for high school students. For more photos see the Zoo InternQuest Photo Journal. To meet the Interns, read the Intern Profiles.

On Thursday October 25, because of Gaylene Thomas, an animal care supervisor at the San Diego Zoo, the interns had some unique experiences that most visitors will not have. We actually went behind the scenes with lions, hippos, bears, and tigers, and we were amazed with what we saw. We all thought it was amazing to be right next to some very large, beautiful, and majestic creatures. Despite witnessing some friendly keeper-animal interactions, Ms. Thomas explained that the animals would react differently if a person entered the exhibit with the animal!

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Most of my time watching pandas is in the afternoons. As I came into work this afternoon, I was thinking how fortunate I am to work at such a beautiful place. The San Diego Zoo is so wonderful, and working here is the greatest experience one could have. I head to the station through Fern Canyon, such a quiet spot in the Zoo and so beautiful. Walking down the pathway I sense a peace come over me; I was going to work yet it did not feel that way. How good it is to come to this great space.

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It could be argued that the Arecaceae, or Palm Family, is the most important genus of trees in the world. From lining grand avenues to producing products used by millions of people daily, palm trees reach into every corner of inhabited land. Prized palms are very coveted and admired in many places where they will grow; in even more places, palms are a major source of food, shelter, and other numerous day-to-day uses.

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Once again, I thought I would take some time to answer a few of the questions that many of you have posed on the panda blog.

A few of you have asked about the fates of ” senior pandas,” ones that are no longer contributing to the reproductive efforts of the captive panda population. Since space is limited at the Wolong center, older animals often do not live at the breeding facility. Instead, they are transferred to other zoos throughout China where they live out the rest of their lives as representatives of their species, visited by Chinese tourists who may not have the opportunity to visit Wolong. It seems, as in the case of Shi Shi, that the bears become honored members of that particular zoo’s population. To the best of our knowledge Shi Shi is living a pretty good life in Guangzhou.

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Our 16 month-old Malayan tiger brothers, Mata and Rimba (pictured), are tentatively scheduled to fly to their new home on Wednesday November 8. They will be moving to the Palm Beach Zoo in West Palm Beach, Florida, and all of the keepers in Tiger River (along with the building and grounds attendants, construction and maintenance workers, and gardeners!) will be sad to see them go. We have all become extremely attached to these playful, personable, somewhat destructive, yet lovable young tiger boys. (Read Bridget’s previous blog, Tiger Cubs on the Move.)

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Starting November 1, the Petting Paddock in the Children’s Zoo at the San Diego Zoo is going to be closed for a few weeks for a much needed face lift. The new digs will include a stainless steel perimeter fence that will be expanding the area by about 200 square feet (19 square meters). A new concrete pad and drainage system will be put in to allow for easier cleaning and drainage during the rainy days. There will be an area for the pot-bellied pigs and rabbits to be pet through a child-friendly barrier. The miniature horses will be getting a new roof and new wire framework. (Read about the mini horses in the blog, Katie the Mini Horse.)

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Things are always changing at Lion Camp at the Wild Animal Park! Here’s the latest news on our lion pride:

Abena and Bakari, Oshana’s cubs, continue to grow and thrive. They each weigh around 50 pounds (23 kilograms), and eat approximately 3.5 pounds (1.6 kilograms) of meat per day. They also receive bones and thawed rabbits along with the adult lions; these are red letter days for everyone! Rabbits and bones are real treats. They have begun learning some simple behaviors and are doing very well. They spend all day on exhibit with Oshana and Izu. The whole family comes inside the house at night and Izu is separated from Oshana and the cubs so he can have his meal in peace. (See Marcia’s blog, Lion Cubs Meet Dad.)

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Zoo InternQuest is a career exploration program for high school students. To read journals by the interns, see the Zoo InternQuest Journals. For more photos see the Zoo InternQuest Photo Journal. To meet the Interns, read the Intern Profiles.

These playful primates were fun to watch as they jumped around their enclosure and pressed their faces up against the fence to watch us.

Zoo InternQuest is a career exploration program for high school students. To read journals by the interns, see the Zoo InternQuest Journals. For more photos see the Zoo InternQuest Photo Journal. To meet the Interns, read the Intern Profiles.

Jen Tobey showed us her auditory recording equipment, which she uses to record the vocalizations of her specialization species, the koala.

Zoo InternQuest is a career exploration program for high school students. To read journals by the interns, see the Zoo InternQuest Journals. For more photos see the Zoo InternQuest Photo Journal. To meet the Interns, read the Intern Profiles.

Seeing the cheetahs so close at an off-exhibit area of the Wild Animal Park was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.