The vet staff came down in the afternoon to give them their shots and their Trovan numbers. These are similar to the microchips people use to identify their dogs if they get lost. This time everyone came into the back well because they were hungry. I put my gloves on and one by one caught the pups. They are pretty fast but I quickly grab the tail and they are ready for their shots. They are squirmy little critters and holding them can be difficult. I hold their head with one hand and the back half with the other and press them against my stomach. The vet asked if I ever got bit that way. “Not yet,” I replied.

Each one was checked over by the vet, sexed, given a vaccine and a Trovan shot. We check their number with the Trovan reader and assign them an identification card that has all of their information written on it for the time they live at the San Diego Zoo. When each one is finished, I put them in a large crate filled with hay.

We have three boys and one girl. All of them are doing very well. We could not even figure out which pup had the leg issue in the beginning. One of them seemed to have a small difference upon palpitation, but it was barely noticeable.

Their next set of vaccines will be in about two weeks and we get to do it all over again. They are still coming into the back well, so next time should be as easy as the first.

Next time you stop by the Zoo’s Elephant Mesa, make sure to take a look in the exhibit. You will probably see the pups fighting it out on a regular basis. They are just trying to figure out their dominance. The funny thing is, the adults back down sometimes! All in a meerkat’s day.

Laura Weiner is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.

Ivan arrived at the Wild Animal Park in January 1990. It wasn’t long after his arrival that the “Ivan Stories” started to accumulate. During his years of living in the same multi-species exhibit, Ivan was always actively interacting with his neighbors. As he got acquainted with the various species nearby, he learned early on that some animals just aren’t friendly. A Hartmann’s mountain zebra bit the tip of Ivan’s tail off during his acclimation period!

As Ivan became more comfortable with his surroundings and neighbors, he would focus his attention on specific individuals. He paid plenty of attention to the female reticulated giraffes in his enclosure: Ivan sired 23 offspring during his lifetime. He also preferred to spend many hours following and bothering an adult male Cape buffalo named Bucky. Ivan and Bucky seemed to have an unwritten agreement that each would tolerate harassment from the other. On numerous occasions, Ivan could be observed placing a front hoof on the head of the buffalo!

The biggest reason Ivan was so popular was his personality. He was always curious and easy going. He enjoyed taking food from guests on the Photo Caravan Safari trucks traveling through his home.

No one who interacted with Ivan will ever forget how majestic he was and that pungent odor that alerted us to his proximity. He will be remembered fondly.

Lance Aubery is an animal care supervisor at the Wild Animal Park.

As one of the keepers of Scout and Montana, our two grizzly bear cubs, I’m especially excited to announce that we have a beautiful set of paw prints to be auctioned off during Bear Awareness Days (the auction begins May 5 and runs through May 12 at 4 p.m. PDT). Recently, each cub has made a trip to our hospital facility for an exam. Knowing that Bear Awareness Days are fast approaching, we acted quickly: with the veterinarians’ permission and patience, we painted paws in between routine radiographs and dental cleanings and pressed them on to canvas to produce a truly unique set of prints from each cub. (Scout’s print is to the left, Montana’s print is at top.)

Another item that may be of interest to some of you is a special paw print we have from our beloved Spanky (right), which was created during one of his past routine exams. As many of you know, Spanky was our Alaskan brown bear who passed away last year at the age of 23. The grizzly cubs and Spanky’s prints, along with several other exciting bear items, will be ready for your bidding during Bear Awareness Days.

Remember to check our Web site May 8 through 11 to see our online auction items (here’s the link to the auction page). Better yet, come on down to the Zoo and partake in the many fun activities we have planned. Hope to see you there!

Hali Anderson is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.

Read Hali’s previous blog, Fish Treats for Grizzly Cubs…
Listen to an iZoofari chat with Hali about the grizzly boys…
Listen to iZoofari Chats about bears with keepers and researchers…

Help the Zoo’s bears and bear research in the wild by donating to our Bear Wish List…

After Blackie passed his 30 day quarantine (see a blog from a hospital keeper, Manchurian Brown Bear is Back) and was given a clean bill of health, it was time to relocate him down to his new home. How does one transport a nearly 900-pound (400-kilogram) bear across the Zoo? With a crate and a forklift, of course! While staying at the hospital, Blackie’s keepers trained him to willingly enter the crate that we would be using for his move. He was rewarded with positive reinforcement such as yummy treats and enthusiastic “Good boys!” By the time move day came he was already used to his crate and he entered it with no problem. Then one of our teammates loaded his crate onto a forklift and drove him to the bedroom area of his new exhibit. Another forklift was waiting, and we used both to maneuver the crate into position so he could be unloaded. Blackie sat calmly in the crate through the entire ride and excitedly took peanut butter from a spoon, showing us that he was handling the move just fine.

After Blackie was released into the bedroom, we gave him some time to check out the new surroundings. We wanted to make sure he wasn’t stressed from the transport before giving him access to the exhibit. Well, this ol’ bear just ambled out of the crate, did some sniffing, and calmly waited for the next step. This told us that the new experience wasn’t a problem, so we opened up his exhibit door and out he came!

As Blackie entered his new exhibit, you could see his keen sense of smell taking in all of the new scents. Probably the strongest scents of interest were his neighbors, Scout and Montana, two yearling grizzly cubs. He spent a few minutes sniffing at the divider door, which caused the cubs to be on high alert, before moving on. He walks slowly these days, as he is 24 years old and a bit arthritic, but that didn’t stop him from heading straight for the big pool! In he went, as though he remembered it from his past, and contentedly soaked for a long while. After that, he did some playful splashing, seemingly having a wonderful time. One of his keepers from the past was there to watch him and thought that he appeared to remember the exhibit. I wouldn’t doubt it, since bears have amazing memories!

It’s been just over a week now since Blackie arrived, and I can tell you that he is a wonderful bear. He always comes into his bedroom when I call him and leaves when I open the door for him. Of course, the rewarding treats, such as fish, probably have something to do with it! He is very calm and we can hand-feed him (safely through the bars, of course) and he takes the food ever so gently. He is a bit overweight, so we are working on slowly reducing his diet. Losing some pounds will be better for his arthritic joints, and his new medication should also help. I’m looking forward to taking care of this incredible animal in his older years and have plans to spoil him with all the comforts and enrichment he deserves!

If you get a chance to come to the Zoo, be sure to check out Blackie in his new exhibit. You’ll surely be impressed with his huge size and dark chestnut color. What a bear!

Hali Anderson is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.

Listen to an iZoofari Chat with Hali as she talks about Blackie’s first day in Bear Canyon…

Listen to iZoofari Chats about bears, featuring our keepers (including Hali) and researchers…

All of the cubs are now little carnivores; some will even challenge their moms to get an extra bite! They are receiving 3.5 pounds (1.6 kilograms) of Natural Balance Carnivore diet daily, as well as a half rabbit once a week and a half femur bone twice a week. Bones have fast become a favorite item, with all of the cubs growling viciously at any sibling who may be a little too close! Even though the cubs are now eating meat, they have not yet been completely weaned from their mother’s milk. Oshana is much less tolerant of nursing than Mina, who will allow any of the kids to nurse, whether they are her babies or not. We can expect this to continue for the next few months but hope to have them on an all-meat diet as soon as possible.

Along with the addition of meat to their diet comes the beginning of training. Right now the focus is to have the cubs learn what the whistle blow means. In training we use a whistle as a “bridge.” The whistle is blown at the exact moment that the cub is doing what we want and is used to “bridge” the gap in time it takes for us to see the behavior and reward the cub with food. At this point we want all of the cubs to know that a whistle blow means food is on the way! We are working on two simple things right now: getting the cubs to learn their names, and keeping their paws on the ground while they are eating. I think we may have some fast learners, if I do say so myself! The cubs all have a tendency to put their paws up on the fence while they are being fed (their parents did the same thing when they were young), but after only about one week of consistently reinforcing them to keep their paws on the ground, most have caught on! As the cubs grow we will work on training the same behaviors that their parents know (such as sit, down, rise up, and target); all of these behaviors help us with the daily care and management of these cats. Rest assured that you will never see the lions at Lion Camp performing any tricks.

INDIVIDUAL CUB UPDATES
Zawadi (Oshana’s male) is the largest of the bunch; his last weight taken on April 2 was 64 pounds (29 kilograms). He is probably one of the calmest cubs when it comes to feeding. While most of his siblings can become impatient if they do not feel that we are feeding them fast enough, Zawadi can usually be counted on to sit calmly and wait for the next bite!

Ekundu (Oshana’s male) is considerably smaller than his full brother and sisters. He weighed 49 pounds (22 kilograms) on April 3 and is very inquisitive. He likes to investigate things and will approach the keepers to a much closer distance than his siblings. His inquisitive nature has its drawbacks though; he is usually so busy on exhibit that he is the last one into the house at the end of the day!

Tamu (Oshana’s female) weighed 53 pounds (24 kilograms) while her sister, Laini (Oshana’s female), weighed a bit more at 56 pounds (25 kilograms) as of April 4. These two are definitely partners in crime. They can usually be found lingering outside the lion house once their parents have come in for the night, enjoying a good old game of chase and wrestle!

Sarabi (Mina’s female) is the largest female cub, weighing in at 78 pounds (35 kilograms) on April 19. She was the first cub to develop a taste for meat and started eating reliably weeks ahead of her siblings. I guess that she read the memo about what a lion is supposed to do!

Kaya (Mina’s female) is the smallest female cub, weighing 47 pounds (21 kilograms) on April 3. She is a mother’s dream, always listening to what Mina tells her. She is consistently one of the first inside at night, along with her brother, Ingozi.

Ingozi (Mina’s male) is the smallest of all the cubs, weighing just 42 pounds (19 kilograms) on April 2. He has the most laid-back personality. Ingozi is often on the sidelines when his siblings are playing but is a great companion and playmate to Nyack, our hand-raised cub. He weigh 57 pounds (26 kilograms). (See blog, New Cub Joins Lion Camp Pride.)

This pride of 10 can be seen on exhibit at Lion Camp from about 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. I hope you have the opportunity to watch these babies grow into the majestic lions they are fast becoming!

Kym Nelson is a keeper at the Wild Animal Park.

We had been hoping Sweet Otter would become pregnant, because we had seen her breeding with her mate, Herman, back in November and then again in January. Doing the math for a 60- to 80-day gestation period, we were eagerly on watch starting in March for signs that she could be pregnant. Regular weights on Sweet Otter were not very telling, as it seemed that she was gaining and losing just a little bit at each weight session, thus keeping her about the same. However, we keepers concurred that her belly was looking a little bit rounder as time went on. We were also seeing some mammary development in which her teats were noticeably more prominent.

Her behavior was starting to change, and she was becoming more and more intolerant of Herman’s presence. She would still eat next to him, but did not want him touching her and would at times be aggressive toward him. Sweet Otter was also doing a lot more nest-building activities around the exhibit. She’s always made little snuggly nests, but we thought that her nests were becoming more purposeful in nature instead of just moving bedding around like she usually does.

With all of these signs, we made the decision to move Herman out of the enclosure to give Sweet Otter the privacy she needed in case she was pregnant. Once Herman was relocated to a suite at our hospital facility, Sweet Otter started to build a larger nest inside one of the den boxes. We had been offering her different kinds of nesting material, such as Bermuda hay, ginger cuttings, pine branches, and pine shavings. She was using all of these items to make her bed inside one of the den boxes, but what really tipped us off was when she used an entire cardboard box full of shredded paper. This was really intended as an enrichment item, but overnight she had ripped up the whole box and added it to the den box, along with every bit of the shredded paper. This was something she had never done before, so we were getting very excited! As a precaution, we began draining the pool every evening just in case a birth should occur. Since Sweet Otter would be a first-time mom, we didn’t know if she would have the pups in the den, and we didn’t want to take the chance of a possible drowning.

Just a few days after this big nest-making event (March 8 to be exact), one of the keepers was doing his morning check of the animals and was greeted by some loud squeaking noises coming from the otter den. He listened carefully and concluded that they were indeed noises coming from at least one otter pup! The noises gradually settled down, so he felt reassured that the baby or babies were not being harmed. Then he came out to tell everyone of his findings. As you can imagine, we were all thrilled!

Now came the time to sit back and hope that Sweet Otter’s motherly instincts would kick in. Since we couldn’t see into the den box, we had to rely on noise to determine that the pups were doing okay. Each day we would listen carefully and were comforted by squeaking sounds followed by the contented slurping noises of nursing. We were all dying to know how many pups there were and what they looked like. On March 17, my manager presented me with a lighted scope to use in an attempt to see into the nest box. What I discovered was one adorable, chubby, wrinkly little otter pup! I didn’t look very long so as not to cause Sweet Otter distress, but I was able to see that the pup was alive and well and snuggled on a thick nest. Sweet Otter was indeed being a very good mom and I was just thrilled!

As time has gone on, we’ve gotten more and more glimpses of the pup by opening up the top of the box and peering inside. Sweet Otter has been fine with this, often just lying there looking up at us while curled around her baby, nursing it. Recently,I was able to weigh the pup when Sweet Otter left the den box. It weighed a whopping 3 pounds (1.4 kilograms) and is getting a little bit darker than the soft light gray color we saw in the beginning. Today, when I peeked into the den box for my morning check, Sweet Otter’s curious face and that of her little pup’s greeted me, its eyes finally open!

You can imagine that it will only be a matter of time before the pup starts exiting the den to take its first steps. We will be offering small amounts of water in the pool soon so that Sweet Otter can introduce her pup to water. At first, this may only happen at night when no one is around, so please be patient as Sweet Otter gains trust in her environment.

Stay tuned for updates on this little pup and his or her progress. And if you have a chance to visit Bear Canyon at the San Diego Zoo, take a closer peek at the otter enclosure to see if the baby is out yet. Who knows, you may get a pleasant surprise one of these days!

Hali Anderson is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.

Here’s more information about otters…

We watched as the little cub nursed for the first time and were happy to see Etosha taking good care of her young son. We wanted to give Etosha every opportunity to raise her cub, but after a few weeks it became apparent that something was not right. He was showing signs of weakness and was losing weight. The decision was made to take him to the hospital. When he got there, it was uncertain if he would survive; he was very weak and needed hospital care. After a week in the hospital, it was determined that he would be unable to return to Etosha and would need to be hand raised. He was transferred to the Wild Animal Park’s Animal Care Center and given his own staff to watch over him and take care of his daily needs. He was so gentle and sweet, he touched the heart of everyone who came in contact with him. It was touch and go for a while, but he pushed to survive. We agreed that he would be named Nyack, an African name meaning “strong hearted, one who will never give up,” and he proved he could live up to his name.

After getting him through the rough times, and watching him grow bigger and stronger, it was time to move him on to his next adventure. At six weeks of age, we started taking little Nyack on day trips to the Park’s Lion Camp. The goal was to give him an opportunity to develop lion social skills as well as some playtime with at least one of the other cubs. With seven cousins, we thought we could find one cub that would show him the ropes.

Being one month younger than the cubs at Lion Camp, we were concerned that the other cubs might be too rough on him. The Lion Camp cubs are tough and they play hard with each other; Nyack had only had his stuffed toys to attack and they rarely fought back! It was decided to introduce him to Mina’s boy Ingozi first. Ingozi is often off by himself sleeping or hanging out with his cousin, Ekundu; he seemed the most laid-back of the seven cubs and the easiest to separate from the pride.

The day came and Ingozi was introduced to his little cousin, Nyack. The mesh “howdy” door was used between rooms, and a keeper was in each room with a cub. All went well! Nyack boldly marched up to the mesh door. He talked to Ingozi, yowling with drawn-out choruses. Ingozi sauntered up and sniffed at the little cub and gave a slow greeting in return. Both boys seemed to enjoy the contact. It had been a successful first meeting.

The next day, Ingozi separated himself away from the pride, and this time he came right over to the howdy door. We opened the door and let Ingozi into the room with Nyack. Keepers stayed in the room with the two cubs and watched as Ingozi strolled up to Nyack. The little guy bounced around as if to say, “Play with me!” Ingozi bounced toward Nyack and swung out his paw, smacking Nyack across his right hip. Nyack seemed surprised and scared at this first contact; he took off like a shot, protesting loudly while hiding behind a log.

Ingozi, who showed what appeared to be an understanding of the younger cub’s fear, flopped on the ground with his back toward Nyack and started to rhythmically flick his tail towards the little cub. Each time that tail got a little closer to Nyack, flicking and wiggling, taunting him to attack it. Nyack could resist no longer; in a slow and careful manner, he reached a paw over the log and touched Ingozi’s tail. Ingozi went limp. This seemed to give Nyack a bit of confidence, and soon he had crawled across the log and sniffed at Ingozi lying still on the floor. Ingozi slowly sat up and the two cubs sniffed noses.

Soon a game of “I’m touching you!” started up. First Nyack touched Ingozi and then looked away; then Ingozi softly touched Nyack and looked away. This went on for a minute or two until both boys were up and bouncing around the room. First, Nyack chased Ingozi, and then Ingozi chased Nyack. When Nyack appeared scared or hurt, Ingozi would back off and assume a more passive profile until his little cousin felt more comfortable. They continued to play until both cubs were so tired they could hardly keep their eyes open. It had indeed been a successful first play date!

It wasn’t long before Nyack was introduced to some of his other cousins. Ekundu, the smaller of Oshana’s two boys, was the next to meet Nyack. Zawadi, bigger and lighter in color, proved just as patient with his younger cousin as the others had been. Next came Tamu, one of Ekundu and Zawadi’s sisters. She quickly took the upper hand, swatting and snarling at Nyack in a very dominant lioness role. Nyack responded as any good lion would: he rolled over on his back in a submissive position and carefully tried to initiate play. Satisfied with her domination over her young cousin, she paid him no attention. Soon Nyack, Ingozi, Ekundu, and Zawadi were out for early morning play dates on exhibit. As the time progressed, Oshana’s daughter Laini was introduced. Laini was indifferent to Nyack, not aggressive or passive, just another playmate, and she seemed to enjoy her time out with “the boys.”

Now Nyack and some of his cousins can be seen most mornings out on exhibit playing or just doing what lions do best, lying in the sun on the rocks in the company of each other.

Amy Whidden-Winter is a keeper at the Wild Animal Park.

Here’s video of Nyack and some of his cousins, narrated by Amy!…

Read a previous blog about the lion cubs, The Pride is Complete…

The move went very smoothly with all three tigers being loaded into different crates. The crates were secured in the tiger house and attached to the doorways between the bedrooms. Crate training began about two weeks ago when the tigers were first allowed access to walk freely through them. The next step was to close one end and have the cats come inside; this was usually accomplished with a keeper at the closed end of the crate ready to reward the brave tiger with blood and pieces of beef heart for entering the crate. These cubs quickly caught on that it was a great idea to walk into the crate! This acclimatization allowed the morning of the move to be as stress free as possible for the cats. They all walked into the crates as normal, except today the door was closed behind them.

Many guests have had the opportunity over the past months to observe the cubs as they grew into the enormous tigers they are today. They have grown to have such distinct personalities and quirks but have definitely proven that they are tigers with roars and chuffs to express their moods. The move to Topeka is bittersweet, since we will all miss the kids, but we take great satisfaction in knowing that they are beginning a new life that will hopefully result in each being paired with others to start families of their own. Since tigers typically do not mate until they are two to three years old, the sibling group will remain intact for some time longer.

All of the Sumatran tigers here at the Wild Animal Park are registered in the Species Survival Plan (SSP), so the movement of these cats has a great conservational impact on the tiger population North America. Being the first litter of cubs born to Delta and Utan, they are very important genetically to the breeding population. The key to conserving this species of endangered cat is through maintaining a high level of genetic diversity in the population. Currently there are fewer than 300 Sumatran tigers thought to be living in the wild. Moving these three to another facility has also opened up several rooms in our tiger house, so perhaps Utan and Delta will be provided with another opportunity to mate!

Kym Nelson is a keeper at the Wild Animal Park.

It was definitely touch-and-go there for a while, (see Laura’s blog, Keeping Meerkat Pups in the Den), but the pups are proving to be healthy and happy. One of our little ones has a left front paw deformity. We are not sure what the problem is, but this little one is getting around just fine.

Once the sun rises in the morning, all 12 of the group are out sunning their bellies. The adults are standing up on their tippy toes and the pups are sitting with legs tucked under, staying warm. As the day progresses the play begins. The pups all can run now, which is quite funny! Whenever I enter the exhibit, everyone comes running with the hope of a bag of mealworms or a box of crickets. About 10 seconds after the adults are circling my feet, the pups come charging across the exhibit. Actually, is it more like running/tripping. They run with their tails straight up just like the adults. Their vocalizations are also quite loud: constant barking that gets louder when they are with the adults.

They love to rest in the sun and snuggle with their babysitters. The young females from the last litter spend a lot of time with the pups. They seem to have so much energy, and then they will just stop and pass out in the dirt—too tired to run around anymore. I have been trying to acclimate them to me and my presence in the exhibit. The adult meerkats sit on my knees, dig on my shoes, and fall asleep in my lap sometimes when it is cold. The pups have been investigating my shoes and pants; it is a good start.

If you have been by the exhibit, you may have noticed some hair missing from the pups. I have a small hair trimmer that I use to shave certain spots so we can tell them apart. The pups are not happy when I shave them and Ngami, their mother, is always concerned. But they are returned to the group with no harm done, just a few shorter hairs.

The group is getting along quite well, which is nice to see. Ngami and Kasane still have their small fights, but everyone is taking turns with the pups and sharing. Stop by Elephant Mesa any time the sun is out to get a glimpse of these cuties. Soon they’ll be as big as their older brothers and sisters!

Laura Weiner is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.