Animal Updates - Facts, Comments and Thoughts - Including Jaguar Video

Have had this post sitting in draft for three days.  So, starting with this past Tuesday, since that's where I left off.  I have finally seen Tikal the Jaguar!  He is beautiful.  I got some nice video footage of him, here's the link to the first one.  If you're interested in more, check my channel there are three others, in addition to one of Raj the neighboring Snow Leopard.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G72q0vPuffQ

When I got to the enclosure, Tikal was not out and I thought my fourth try at seeing him was also going to be a bust.  Animal Staff were about to enter the enclosure to put up some full tree branches to limit the visual vantage points between Tikal and Raj.  A friend who was there Saturday, said that she thought Raj was exhibiting upset about his new neighbor.  That turned out to be true and when I got there Monday, Tikal was off exhibit to give them both a break.  

Raj watching what Keepers were doing.

I was told he would be out after noon.  Came back round and got lucky!  He had just come out.  He walked toward the fence early on, and I said Hi to him.  He came closer and gave face-time, a few times, as well as rubbed his jaw on fence and chuffed.

He did seem focused on trying to view Raj. From Raj's side, there were still some vantage points, and it appeared he was able to catch glimpes, which kept him moving about rapidly for the most part.

Tikal tried to bug on the branches a bit to get to the window, but the set-up was pretty sturdy.  This and a bit of pacing at the fence line, but in general he seems very comfortable in his new home.  Curiously there was a purple cabbage on one of the platforms.  I was wondering, does this carnivore like veggies, or is it to play with?  Found out, it was the later.

Anyway, hope Raj starts to feel less stressed, because it doesn't seem like Tikal will be moving to one of the Cat Yards too soon.  Otherwise, maybe Tikal needs to move to FCC and the Twins brought back down.  

There are plans to modify a Yard for Tikal, as Jaguars are jumpers, but even if modifications are done, there is still the fact that a female Lion is on the way, and until introductions to Jasiri are successful, she needs an enclosure.  This of course could all have been avoided if we had more Cat Yards.  I previously wrote about the logic or rather lack of, in turning four Cat Yards into two.  Cats are sleeping or resting twenty hours a day, so only one yard needed to be expanded and used on rotation.  That would have left two single yards.  If we had those right now, there would have been room for both the new Lion and the Jaguar (Tikal).  The Snow Leopard (Raj) would not have had upset, and the Snow Leopard twins would not have had to move off exhibit.  I wish things were more thought out there, but it seems with the current Director, that is just never going to happen.  Literally a handful of fails just went through my mind as I typed that sentence.  Orangutans.  Madagascar.  Patas.  Tamarins.  Snow Leopards.  

Speaking of Orangutans... Last week, into this, there was maintence noise in the middle grotto.  By yesterday I saw a new platform added to the current structure.  That's a letdown as they already have a platform structure.  Why can't anything new and exciting be built for these friends?  When they had to cut down the current structure because of rust rot, I wrote a post questioning why they just didn't level it and build a tree like structure for climbing.  There is no lack of sturdy trunks and talent to build such a structure.  I noted ideas taken from my own imagination, as well as photos taken from searching my ideas and seeing similar in other Zoos.  Additionally as I stood visiting my friend Claudia the Condor yesterday, staring at the fabricated tree, I thought, why not something like this but taller with circular landing pads and natural branches?  

I just don't get it.  Why have the Orangutans seemed to be pin pointed to get the shit end of stuff?  It's really disturbing.  My heart continually breaks for them.

Speaking of Claudia, I had not noted her moving from FCC back to the main Zoo.  Happy to be able to hang-out with her every visit now.  She's been off exhibit over four years and I only saw her once during that time.  We had been besties since her arrival and thankfully that friendship has resumed.  Last week she was up on the tree and flew down to greet me.  Very exciting as I think it was the first time I've seen her fly and it was amazing!

Another feathered friend is also back on exhibit, Quetzal the Spectacled Owl is now in his new home at the Puente.  Zoo team did a great job renovating this area for him.  Happy to get to see him again regularly.  

Now if only they can find a space for Hercules the Great Hornbill. ... Also I'm not happy at all to report that Zabebu the White Cheeked Turaco has left the Zoo to a Private Owner.  He was a special friend,  always came to greet me, often with his beautiful wings out-stretched.   My friend Grace caught this greeting!  I miss visiting with him.  I hope he's happy in his new home.

Planned a Primate Center update two weeks ago but didn't get that far.   Heard these moves were pretty recent, but I didn't see them til a couple weeks ago.  It had been over a month since I last walked through the Primate Center.  I was surprised to see the acrylic boxes across from Sifaka occupied.  They were last home to the last Squirrel Monkey, and two species of Tamarin before that.  Good to see life in them again, even though used by more than one species seems too small to me.  That said, if occupying these spaces is happening outside of the ridiculous Madagascar project, Why were the Tamarins, and the Patas Monkeys for that matter, both transferred out?  That was a huge fail that left the Zoo without three Primate species for over five years now.  Any Zoo with little to no Monkey species is not good management.  

The new inhabitants are, one of the Sloths (the one that was in the Lion House), Red Footed Tortoise (last seen in Tropical Building), and Yellow Crowned Amazon Parrots.  The later were the ones rescued last year as ten-week old chicks, that had been confiscated from smugglers.  They were being hand-raised behind the scenes in the Tropical Building, and this may be their first time on view.  I hope these are temporary because the Sloth's area gets smaller with each move, and doesn't seem like enough area for Tortoise or three Parrots. 

Penguin Juveniles in Otter Pool.  Have heard this is temporary, and these yearlings will move back to the Island after the new hatchlings are moved off exhibit to fish school.

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