Week 45: Fun Times in LA

We had our first run of our gameshow themed scripted show this week and it went very well! Other than that, the first part of the week was nothing special. On Thursday, we went to the LA zoo to get a look at their primates. It was pretty interesting, but nothing I can't easily see on a zoo day. On Friday though, we went to Universal Studios! For free! We went in to check out the animal show they run there, which employs mostly our graduates. I got to hold their 5 year old orangutan! The rest of the day we just goofed around the park (there's not much there, I don't recommend paying for that...). On Saturday, I had my first LA zoo day working the bongo string. It was not very exciting. Just lots of raking. Since hoofstock animals are generally afraid of the world, I didn't get to do really anything with them. No petting, just poop cleaning. Hopefully my next days will be more exciting. This month is going to be crazy. I have somthing to do every Saturday, and they are all day-long events. Hopefully some of my Sundays will be open.

Week 44: Momma Mia!

I had my training mid-terms this week, and I did great! Kissu got me a 95, and Benji got me a 100! This means, of course, that Gary will likely expect that since I'm making such great progress, the behaviors should be finished by the finals...poop. Nah, I'll be pretty good. The final in training lecture is next week!!!
We really had a pretty chill week. No shows. There was Jr. Safari camp that started, so there are small-ish children running about the zoo all day now, but that's ok, we don't have to babysit them!
We also had a meeting with staff and our fellow leads for the different areas (remember way back when I had second years, and they were teaching us how to do the different areas? That's what a lead is). I will be a lead in the carnivore training compound! Yea! That means that once we have first years, the only area I will do (when I have area) is carns!
However, the bestest best part of this week was that on thursday, my mom came to see me! It's been over a year! I showed her all around the zoo and all my amazing animals and she had a blast! It was short, but excellent! (sorry guys, no pics this week...)

Week 43: Oh Dunny boy...

This was a pretty cool week. The script for our show is all done and turned in; should be pretty good. Training is going well too. I've changed my strategy with Benji, so I'm starting over essentially and my mid-term is next week... It's all good.
This week was also full of some pretty cool field trips. On Thursday, I went to the Playboy mansion. That's right, one of Hugh Hefner's properties. Bunnies and playmates live there (well, actually just his girl friends...). We got a tour of all their very cool bird species (lots of horn bills). And they have some primates as well (spider monkey, 50 squirrel monkeys). We saw all of the grounds around the house, and saw the cool little game room and the grotto! I thought it was pretty cool over all and those are my pictures down below.
On Friday, we went to the International Gibbon Conservation Center. It's not as fancy as it sounds. It's one guy that has collected some of the rarest species of gibbons on the Earth and is working to breed them and works to conserve them in the wild with foreign dignitaries. He's also pretty crazy... I got pics, but can't post them, so remind me to show you when you come visit. I can let you hear some of the cool songs the gibbons sing.
On a very sad note, Dunny was put down this week, as I said would happen in my last post. Walter seems to be holding up alright. Dunny will be missed...
(Pics: Me, holding Hef's $10k Hyacinth macaw; Hef's personalized Hollywood square; and a couple of cool horn bills)

Week 42: BLEH!

Classes are good. Training is going well. We have a mid-term next week and it should be fine. A sad decision was made this week to put Dunny, our Scottish highland cow down next week. It has been found that he has some genetic issues with his legs/joints and is in massive pain, and there's nothing we can do about it. Much sadness there.
On an up note, we took a field trip in primates to "Animal Guys" and it was fun. We got to pet a porcupine and hang out with a siberian lynx. One of the guys even gave me a hook up with a potential project, maybe even job, for a vegas magic show. Sorry this post is short, and without pics for now, but I hope to correct that soon. We are experiencing issues with our internet connections and are going to end them soon anyways, so things might be a little more touch and go here as I'll be relying on the school's internet access.

EDIT: Here's some pics from Animal Guys: (Gray fox, me and a north american porcupine, me and a 3-toed sloth, siberian lynx)