More zoo pictures

Oregon Zoo Polar Bear

Bringing some handy backcountry woodswoman skills to the Zoo

This afternoon I had a chance to help some zoo visitors by putting my backpacking skills to use. One boy in this zoo-going family had broken a flip-flop and was stumping around with a dirty foot. His mom and 2 brothers had all been enthralled with my schpeel about the Amur Tiger, ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the clawed up, mangled toy ball the cat had destroyed. At the end, they were the last folks at the exhibit and I asked if they needed some help figuring out the map. The mom said they had wanted to go see giraffes and zebras, but she felt bad the boy had only the one shoe and unfortunately the zoo gift shop doesn't sell flip-flops (I was thinking to myself that's probably because little people tend to lose them (a.k.a. "drop" them) in exhibits like the giraffes and zebras...). I had some time on my hands as today was not very busy, so I offered to try to fix the shoe. As I whipped out my handy-dandy knife and a key-ring I explained I just moved to Oregon from Montana, where I did a fair amount of backpacking: if you're out in the backcountry and a shoe dies, you have to figure out how to fix it to get home! Working to prove I am at least as smart as a chimp or raven, I threaded the key-ring through the broken shoe part so it held the toe-strap fast against the sole and VOILA it seemed to work!

They thanked me profusely and set off to Africa.

Ah, a satisfying finish to a busy day at the ZOO for this little naturalist.

Animals!

I was working in the "Great Northwest" exhibit this morning at the zoo when I came across this goat doing its goat thing and being all cute. Check it out:

Speaking of cute...Last week Andrea took a shakey-cam video of the Chi out on our balcony. We planted grass for her in a little pot (she needs to graze daily). Awwww...

Charismatic MEGA-fauna

What's more MEGA than an Asian Elephant? What could be more charismatic than a pygmy version of the aforementioned Asian Elephant who gently lifts a banana from your hand and gracefully lies down for her bath to let you scrub her back? And by "you" I mean me. That's right, Naturalists went behind the scenes at the zoo today at the elephant exhibit and got to feed, caress, and bathe Chendra, a female Asian Elephant from Borneo!

Chendra let all the Naturalists scrub her down, then we fed her bananas!

Monday Bike Ride

Up and over the West Hills: Not a bad commute, if you're a blood doper! (Or have been training at 5000 ft in Montana)

What better way to spend a sunny Monday than test-riding the zoo commute? Andrea and I took off from the apartment at about 9:30 this a.m. and rode along the Baseline rd. bike route into Cedar Hills and along the Sunset bike corridor up and over the west hills (Andrea wanted me to emphasize the UP part there) to the Oregon Zoo. The ride was about 1 hr and 1/2 (including getting lost, having snacks, posing for photos, and etc.)

It was fun exploring some of the bikeways I've never ridden, and we also went through the Hoyt Arboretum and the Rose Garden before stopping for lunch at a McMennamin's on NW 21st in Portland for burgers. Then, we tootled around the waterfront and finally went for a "Miser Monday" pint at the Lucky Labrador pub in SE before hitting Hawthorne bridge to the MAX. It sure was nice knowing we didn't have to ride up and over the hills again to get home.

Ranger Kadie, Zoo Naturalist

Just in time for Andrea's birthday yesterday, I got a JOB!!! Yay. Happy birthday!

From henceforth, I shall be known as a "Naturalist", in the great tradition of my heros Sir David Attenborough, Farley Mowatt, Gerald Durrell, and of course, Jane Goodall (LOVE that hair-do!) So, from time to time I may be entertaining you all with Zoo Tales (he he he)

The best thing about this job, I believe, is it's a Temp/Part-time gig which will give me plenty of time to play, learn all about the area's animal life (and animal life from around the world!), and bicycle like a crazy woman all summer.

AND, the job doesn't start until the first part of June, which is perfect because it will give Andrea and I a chance to get settled and relax a bit together before the deluge of homework begins.

Now to work on outfitting my Naturalist's tool-belt...