It’s been manically busy this week, so much to do and nowhere near enough time. My week hasn’t been helped by a massive migraine necessitating a day off on Thursday. I had been free of migraines for over six months, which is pretty amazing but I guess having another one was inevitable.
Steve has been completing areas of the lynx enclosure this week. The main house is finished and fully furnished for the lynx, the electric fence work is finished apart from one little section where we are still waiting for a few components and the secondary enclosure is ready now. There are still a few bits that Steve wants to do, to make the enclosure look really good, but it’s more or less done now.
As the only part of the lynx enclosure awaiting completion is the main area, it meant that our beautiful Carpathian Lynx Ricki could be moved to her new home. She’ll remain in the house and secondary enclosure until she has become accustomed to her new surroundings, which should coincide nicely with the completion of the main enclosure. We scheduled her move to be done at the same time as her veterinary health check. We needed to ensure that she was in good health for the move and that she will be ready for the male lynx to arrive early next year. The vets gave her an anaesthetic for the health check and then brought her to the new home. Her keepers settled her in with a nice big fluffy bed of straw to keep her warm as she recovered from the anaesthesia.
I’ve had a bit of a strange week with the elephant, he’s been fine, but it’s just been a bit odd.
Steve has been completing areas of the lynx enclosure this week. The main house is finished and fully furnished for the lynx, the electric fence work is finished apart from one little section where we are still waiting for a few components and the secondary enclosure is ready now. There are still a few bits that Steve wants to do, to make the enclosure look really good, but it’s more or less done now.
As the only part of the lynx enclosure awaiting completion is the main area, it meant that our beautiful Carpathian Lynx Ricki could be moved to her new home. She’ll remain in the house and secondary enclosure until she has become accustomed to her new surroundings, which should coincide nicely with the completion of the main enclosure. We scheduled her move to be done at the same time as her veterinary health check. We needed to ensure that she was in good health for the move and that she will be ready for the male lynx to arrive early next year. The vets gave her an anaesthetic for the health check and then brought her to the new home. Her keepers settled her in with a nice big fluffy bed of straw to keep her warm as she recovered from the anaesthesia.
I’ve had a bit of a strange week with the elephant, he’s been fine, but it’s just been a bit odd.
The week started with one of our elephant keepers coming into the training session and saying “pussy cat” to me over and over again. He doesn’t speak English, and my Russian still isn’t too good. I explained to him that I have a cat and I quite like cats, but that wasn’t it. He wanted me to go with him to the elephant office where he showed me a small pretty cat, which he then tried to give me. He was quite insistent about it, but I politely declined. I think two young cats in our apartment would just be too much!
It was decided this week that Boy would have access into his house at night, not just the shelter as he previously used at night. This meant a rush to get it ready for him and a lot of noise and people in the elephant house, which disturbed and confused him during his training sessions. On a couple of days he was completely disinterested in training, and on another day he trained but collected all his rewards together and didn’t eat them until the end of the session. I think he also missed me on Thursday when I was having a migraine. Steve went to do the training and Boy worked well with him, but he works hardest with me.
A lot of animals have moved house this week as well as the lynx and elephant. The keepers have been really busy getting the winter accommodation ready for the animals as apparently the temperatures will be falling very quickly and very soon. The mongooses, coatis and a lot of birds were moved this week and the primates will be moving as soon as they have new ropes and wood-chip substrates ready for them.
The heating did eventually come on this week, which is really nice, and the cat is appreciating it greatly. I’m not sure it’s really cold enough to necessitate it during the day, but at night it’s lovely.
Kyiv Zoo celebrated its 100th anniversary this week, and we have had all sorts of events to commemorate this centenary. Over the past month we have been inviting children to submit art and photographs of the zoo animals for a competition. I was asked to be on the judging panel for this contest. There were so many pictures and some were absolutely amazing. I decided that my judging wouldn’t be for the best picture but one that showed the child had worked really hard and thought about what they were doing. One of the pictures I voted for really wasn’t good, but the child who drew it had been to the zoo and had copied our distinctive signposts and benches in their picture, and I really liked that. It took ages to get through all the pictures and categories, but was very good fun.
On Saturday we had the official celebrations, overseen by the Mayor of Kyiv and other dignitaries. I have never seen the zoo so full of visitors – everyone wanted to join in our celebrations. There were speeches, loads of activities for the children, gifts for all the major animal sponsors, a charity auction and a great big birthday cake, shared by all our visitors!
All the zoo staff were given a salary bonus, a commemorative book about the zoo and a very limited edition coin as a thank you from the city authorities.
It was an amazing day and at the end of it, Steve and I were told that we have been chosen for awards from the Mayor for our services to conservation and animal welfare in Ukraine. Pretty incredible!
It was decided this week that Boy would have access into his house at night, not just the shelter as he previously used at night. This meant a rush to get it ready for him and a lot of noise and people in the elephant house, which disturbed and confused him during his training sessions. On a couple of days he was completely disinterested in training, and on another day he trained but collected all his rewards together and didn’t eat them until the end of the session. I think he also missed me on Thursday when I was having a migraine. Steve went to do the training and Boy worked well with him, but he works hardest with me.
A lot of animals have moved house this week as well as the lynx and elephant. The keepers have been really busy getting the winter accommodation ready for the animals as apparently the temperatures will be falling very quickly and very soon. The mongooses, coatis and a lot of birds were moved this week and the primates will be moving as soon as they have new ropes and wood-chip substrates ready for them.
The heating did eventually come on this week, which is really nice, and the cat is appreciating it greatly. I’m not sure it’s really cold enough to necessitate it during the day, but at night it’s lovely.
Kyiv Zoo celebrated its 100th anniversary this week, and we have had all sorts of events to commemorate this centenary. Over the past month we have been inviting children to submit art and photographs of the zoo animals for a competition. I was asked to be on the judging panel for this contest. There were so many pictures and some were absolutely amazing. I decided that my judging wouldn’t be for the best picture but one that showed the child had worked really hard and thought about what they were doing. One of the pictures I voted for really wasn’t good, but the child who drew it had been to the zoo and had copied our distinctive signposts and benches in their picture, and I really liked that. It took ages to get through all the pictures and categories, but was very good fun.
On Saturday we had the official celebrations, overseen by the Mayor of Kyiv and other dignitaries. I have never seen the zoo so full of visitors – everyone wanted to join in our celebrations. There were speeches, loads of activities for the children, gifts for all the major animal sponsors, a charity auction and a great big birthday cake, shared by all our visitors!
All the zoo staff were given a salary bonus, a commemorative book about the zoo and a very limited edition coin as a thank you from the city authorities.
It was an amazing day and at the end of it, Steve and I were told that we have been chosen for awards from the Mayor for our services to conservation and animal welfare in Ukraine. Pretty incredible!
One of the vets with the anesthetised lynx 
In the new lynx house
Awake after the anesthetic
Me and an inflatable elephant at the Zoo Birthday
Zoo Birthday Sign
Children's art competition entries
Masha's son and Steve playing with bubbles
Lots of important people
Zoo Birthday Cake
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