Well time is getting on and most of those jobs that we were sure we'd have done by now are still unfinished and some not even started yet! So much for a carefully thought out winter maintenance plan.
One job that is largely completed is our woodland tidying; much of the woodland hasn't been touched for years so there's lots to do but most of this winters' work has been done thanks to a group of friends who came down for four days from the 15th February and sawed, clipped, pruned, felled, trimmed up, brushed down and polished (did they really polish??) an area of woods until it looked to be in fine fettle.
A special mention should be made to the boys (Rhys, Ed, Jamie, Jamesy and Andrew) who were very helpful between bouts of camp building, warring, camp destroying, rolling down hills on your side and frog catching - mind you there wasn't much time to work after doing all that!.
The girls (Frances and Lara) confined themselves to doing boyish things better than the boys, they were certainly dirtier and Frances' clothes are still being soaked 5 days later.
Very big thanks to the Reaveleys, Tresizes' and Browns.
Lots of other smaller jobs are nearing completion and if the weather stays goood we should get all of the important things done by the time we open on Good Friday. The last ten days or so of clear, dry weather has been good for all of the animals and it seems to have put some of them (especially the ducks) in the mood for love.
We've seen great interest in and around nest boxes as they are inspected by potential occupiers; the deer and wallabies seem to have an extra spring in their step too.
The otters are all fine; we still don't see very much of Hilda but from signs in the pen we know she is there. If she doesn't have any cubs she'll be going back in with William soon. The rest of the otters have all got smiles on their faces, they don't seem to mind the winter very much but I think they are detecting the slight rise in temperature and are enjoying it.
The Asian Otter cubs are 13 weeks old today (Sunday). The females (as yet unnamed but we are open to suggestions) are still very small, probably no larger than 400 to 500 grams. One of them is very active and surprised Denis at feeding time the other day by coming out and demanding her own food portion just like the others but the other one is rather retiring and scrawny looking. We took her out yesterday to check her for any obvious problems and she seemed strong and alert so maybe she is just a slow starter.
The boys, Biggy and Smalley, are still at home with us and generally doing well. Both weigh in at 1300 grams+ almost three times their sisters weight! They are getting quite bold and are very inquisitive. They still swim at least three times a day (in tepid water, if its too cold they just get out!) and we were taking them to work every day so that they could have some freedom in a secure pen however, Smalley has developed a worrying problem with at least one of his legs which means he is having some difficulty getting around unless he is swimming, when he appears fine. He's been to the vet and is on a course of treatment so we'll see how he gets on.
That's all for now, John.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Friday, February 8, 2008
The Return of the Fox
Well, from the title you've probably guessed that the fox has been back; on Tuesday morning we arrived at work and saw a bunch of peacock tail feathers on the path next to a fence. We did a brief search and about 20 metres away was the half eaten body of the peacock, a superb bird with his courting plumage almost completely grown. All of our peacocks can fly and generally roost high in the trees before coming to earth for their breakfast at around 8am. I wonder if the fox knew that too and was waiting for him when he landed.
He hadn't been dead for very long and I suspect that as we drove into the car park we had probably scared the fox away.
It was obviously time for a security review to find out where the fox was getting in but with well over a mile of ring fencing to check that was easier said than done. There are three parts to our ring fence, a 2 to 2.5 metre tall deer proof fence, inside that a 1.2 metre tall vermin fence and a three strand electric fence outside them both to deter climbers.
It took four people five days to check and repair! That's an awful lot of time to keep out just one fox and the worry is that he will find another way in sometime in the future.
The Golden Pheasant has been in the wars, he turned up this morning and was bleeding from his right foot. Because he's so friendly he was easy to catch and examine; he'd lost the tip of the claw on his middle toe somehow and it was bleeding freely. A quick bit of avian first aid was given and we'll keep him in the barn over the weekend to make sure he's recovering; as for how he'd done this we couldn't fathom but he does get himself into quite a few pickles because he's so nosey.
We have two Fallow Deer bucks here. The elder statesman, 15 years old in June, is Nigel, a splendid, friendly old boy who rules the roost and keeps the herd in order. He must also be one of the oldest Fallow on record and we have to keep an eye on him to make sure he eats properly because his teeth must be well worn by now. We also have a young pricket who is only 8 months old and starting to get quiet confident around the keepers. If two doe's are being hand fed he will often squeeze between them and pick up whatever they drop, not bold enough on his own but progressing nicely.
The British Otters are all fine and Hilda has disappeared into her holt for the last few days. We know she's in there but she has become very secretive. The last time she did that we thought she was pregnant but in the event she wasn't. It is possible that she is pregnant or has given birth but we've decided not to disturb her for the time being and see what develops. It may be that she is just missing her partner William, who we moved out a few days ago.
The Asian Otters are all fine too but Zephyr does look tired. She has developed a squint and looks her age (12 Years) but that might be because of the pressures of motherhood. The two female cubs with the Family are doing fine. They are still quite small but taking part in Family activity several times a day. As we approach them we hear them squeak and one of the others, usually Tilly comes and comforts them and then drags them to somewhere they don't want to go to but she thinks they should be. They all forget about us as we look on and a battle of wills begins which Tilly always wins because she's much bigger and stronger than them. We have seen the cubs in the pond but I don't think they are swimming just yet - would you want to swim in a pond in February??
The male cubs (we can't think of suitable names for them but are calling them Biggy and Smalley for the moment) are getting big too. They've been moved out of their crate in the utility room to a large cage in the kitchen which they seem to like; they roam free whenever we're at home and can now climb the vegetable rack, raid unguarded cupboards and sneak from room to room like two little brown commando's. And don't leave any buckets, mops or bowls of water anywhere that they can find because that is a shortcut to an otter flood; at least the culprits are easy to find because they leave a water trail wherever they go.
Their routine is well established and they know when its bath time or cuddle time and make different noises if they want to let you know that they want something. They get very excited at bath time and its fair to say that they are "mad for it". Both are now accomplished swimmers and divers but you'd better make sure that water's warm enough because if it isn't they'll let you know by trying to jump straight out. They will come when called and are particularly responsive to Mandy, making a bee line for her and jumping into her arms for reassurance if something gives them a scare and sometimes just for a cuddle if they are tired, especially Biggy - the big softee!
He hadn't been dead for very long and I suspect that as we drove into the car park we had probably scared the fox away.
It was obviously time for a security review to find out where the fox was getting in but with well over a mile of ring fencing to check that was easier said than done. There are three parts to our ring fence, a 2 to 2.5 metre tall deer proof fence, inside that a 1.2 metre tall vermin fence and a three strand electric fence outside them both to deter climbers.
It took four people five days to check and repair! That's an awful lot of time to keep out just one fox and the worry is that he will find another way in sometime in the future.
The Golden Pheasant has been in the wars, he turned up this morning and was bleeding from his right foot. Because he's so friendly he was easy to catch and examine; he'd lost the tip of the claw on his middle toe somehow and it was bleeding freely. A quick bit of avian first aid was given and we'll keep him in the barn over the weekend to make sure he's recovering; as for how he'd done this we couldn't fathom but he does get himself into quite a few pickles because he's so nosey.
We have two Fallow Deer bucks here. The elder statesman, 15 years old in June, is Nigel, a splendid, friendly old boy who rules the roost and keeps the herd in order. He must also be one of the oldest Fallow on record and we have to keep an eye on him to make sure he eats properly because his teeth must be well worn by now. We also have a young pricket who is only 8 months old and starting to get quiet confident around the keepers. If two doe's are being hand fed he will often squeeze between them and pick up whatever they drop, not bold enough on his own but progressing nicely.
The British Otters are all fine and Hilda has disappeared into her holt for the last few days. We know she's in there but she has become very secretive. The last time she did that we thought she was pregnant but in the event she wasn't. It is possible that she is pregnant or has given birth but we've decided not to disturb her for the time being and see what develops. It may be that she is just missing her partner William, who we moved out a few days ago.
The Asian Otters are all fine too but Zephyr does look tired. She has developed a squint and looks her age (12 Years) but that might be because of the pressures of motherhood. The two female cubs with the Family are doing fine. They are still quite small but taking part in Family activity several times a day. As we approach them we hear them squeak and one of the others, usually Tilly comes and comforts them and then drags them to somewhere they don't want to go to but she thinks they should be. They all forget about us as we look on and a battle of wills begins which Tilly always wins because she's much bigger and stronger than them. We have seen the cubs in the pond but I don't think they are swimming just yet - would you want to swim in a pond in February??
The male cubs (we can't think of suitable names for them but are calling them Biggy and Smalley for the moment) are getting big too. They've been moved out of their crate in the utility room to a large cage in the kitchen which they seem to like; they roam free whenever we're at home and can now climb the vegetable rack, raid unguarded cupboards and sneak from room to room like two little brown commando's. And don't leave any buckets, mops or bowls of water anywhere that they can find because that is a shortcut to an otter flood; at least the culprits are easy to find because they leave a water trail wherever they go.
Their routine is well established and they know when its bath time or cuddle time and make different noises if they want to let you know that they want something. They get very excited at bath time and its fair to say that they are "mad for it". Both are now accomplished swimmers and divers but you'd better make sure that water's warm enough because if it isn't they'll let you know by trying to jump straight out. They will come when called and are particularly responsive to Mandy, making a bee line for her and jumping into her arms for reassurance if something gives them a scare and sometimes just for a cuddle if they are tired, especially Biggy - the big softee!
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
The Return of the Golden Pheasant.
The Golden Pheasant was seen on Thursday afternoon on the wrong side of the fence down by the river, by Friday morning he was at the main entrance gate waiting to be let back in! He is in fine shape so obviously fancied a change of scenery for a few days; we were all really pleased to have him safely back with us.
We are pleased to report that the fox has not made a return visit to date and there are no signs of him having been in again.
Now for the cubs update, the two females on site are looking healthy and active and have been seen outside wandering around the pen under strict supervision from the rest of their family. The family are taking in food when we feed them so they are being weaned which will take some of the pressure off mum. Zephr is looking in good condition so we are pleased with the way things are progressing at the moment.
The boys meanwhile are also doing really well, putting on weight, eating well and becoming much more active and agile. Last Friday they decided they did not like the white fish we were giving them, they sniffed it, put in their mouths and then spat it back out again. They ate the raw mince with relish, we decided to try a piece of rainbow trout which they wolfed down so they were just being fussy! Obviously we cannot have them being this fussy when the long term plan is for them to return to the park where their diet will include a variety of fish and chicks. John sat up with them for a hour and a half that evening and offered them nothing but their milk and the white fish. They eventually gave in and now have a mixture of the mince and fish and eat all the mince and about three quarters of the fish!
They have also learnt to swim this week, they started out being a little timid in the water but they have three swims a day and with each one they became more confident. They now swim around with their heads under the water, play around together and seem to really enjoy themselves. This is really good news as we have heard of otters that have been hand reared being afraid of the water initially.
All the staff have been involved in feeding the cubs during the day, it is good for them to share the experience and for the cubs to get used to seeing different people.
At the park the maintenance is ongoing and the weeks flying by so quickly that we will never get everything done that we hoped to do during the winter months.
That's all for now, almost time for another feed and swim for the cubs!
Otter Keepers' Wife.
We are pleased to report that the fox has not made a return visit to date and there are no signs of him having been in again.
Now for the cubs update, the two females on site are looking healthy and active and have been seen outside wandering around the pen under strict supervision from the rest of their family. The family are taking in food when we feed them so they are being weaned which will take some of the pressure off mum. Zephr is looking in good condition so we are pleased with the way things are progressing at the moment.
The boys meanwhile are also doing really well, putting on weight, eating well and becoming much more active and agile. Last Friday they decided they did not like the white fish we were giving them, they sniffed it, put in their mouths and then spat it back out again. They ate the raw mince with relish, we decided to try a piece of rainbow trout which they wolfed down so they were just being fussy! Obviously we cannot have them being this fussy when the long term plan is for them to return to the park where their diet will include a variety of fish and chicks. John sat up with them for a hour and a half that evening and offered them nothing but their milk and the white fish. They eventually gave in and now have a mixture of the mince and fish and eat all the mince and about three quarters of the fish!
They have also learnt to swim this week, they started out being a little timid in the water but they have three swims a day and with each one they became more confident. They now swim around with their heads under the water, play around together and seem to really enjoy themselves. This is really good news as we have heard of otters that have been hand reared being afraid of the water initially.
All the staff have been involved in feeding the cubs during the day, it is good for them to share the experience and for the cubs to get used to seeing different people.
At the park the maintenance is ongoing and the weeks flying by so quickly that we will never get everything done that we hoped to do during the winter months.
That's all for now, almost time for another feed and swim for the cubs!
Otter Keepers' Wife.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Cub update.
I apologise for not updating the blog earlier. The past week has flown by and we have been really busy both at work and home. We are pleased to tell you that the Asian Otter Cubs that we took away from the parents are doing extremely well, they have put on almost 100 grammes each and have been weaned onto solids now. They are given a small amount of raw fish and raw mince at feeding time during the day but not at the 4am feed. We have had to move them into a higher bedding box as they were attempting to climb out of the of the one they were in.
They are extremely playful when they come out for feeds and enjoy exploring the kitchen and playing with the balls we have got for them. Then they end up wrestling with each other before being returned to their box and falling to sleep again! They are fed every 4 or 5 hours now, they usually feed in about 10 minutes now compared to 40 when we first got them but it still takes over an hour as we groom them and play with them. Their coats are getting coarser and their teeth are coming through too at a very fast rate. This morning we introduced them to water as they were becoming a little smelly, we filled the sink with tepid water and put them in, they did not panic and were curious about the dripping tap!
We are also pleased to report that the two females that stayed with their parents have been doing well too. They have been introduced to life outside their box by being dragged out by one of their parents being dipped into the cold pond and mud before being taken back inside!
We have had an unwelcome visitor on site, we spotted a large dog fox by the marsh lake yesterday, he soon made off but had helped himself to at least one of our ducks. We then had to try and find out where he got in, we found a small hole which we have blocked and there was no sign of him today. we heard today that several of our neighbours in the village have lost ducks and chickens through a fox. We were given a brown Chinese Goose today from someone in the village as the rest of his stock had been taken by the fox.
We have been busy repairing Sunny and Thors' (Asian Short Clawed Otters) pen, and dredging their pond. We have also noticed that our Golden Pheasant has not been around since Sunday, he is a real character and comes to greet you in the morning and follows you around as you work, often attempting to follow you into the otter pens when we are feeding and sitting on the wheelbarrow and even jumping onto the piece of wood you are sawing! We are concerned that he has been a victim of the fox but have found no evidence to confirm this yet.
He can be a bit of a nuisance at times but we have really missed him not being around.
We will keep you posted with developments, signed,
The Otter Keepers Wife
They are extremely playful when they come out for feeds and enjoy exploring the kitchen and playing with the balls we have got for them. Then they end up wrestling with each other before being returned to their box and falling to sleep again! They are fed every 4 or 5 hours now, they usually feed in about 10 minutes now compared to 40 when we first got them but it still takes over an hour as we groom them and play with them. Their coats are getting coarser and their teeth are coming through too at a very fast rate. This morning we introduced them to water as they were becoming a little smelly, we filled the sink with tepid water and put them in, they did not panic and were curious about the dripping tap!
We are also pleased to report that the two females that stayed with their parents have been doing well too. They have been introduced to life outside their box by being dragged out by one of their parents being dipped into the cold pond and mud before being taken back inside!
We have had an unwelcome visitor on site, we spotted a large dog fox by the marsh lake yesterday, he soon made off but had helped himself to at least one of our ducks. We then had to try and find out where he got in, we found a small hole which we have blocked and there was no sign of him today. we heard today that several of our neighbours in the village have lost ducks and chickens through a fox. We were given a brown Chinese Goose today from someone in the village as the rest of his stock had been taken by the fox.
We have been busy repairing Sunny and Thors' (Asian Short Clawed Otters) pen, and dredging their pond. We have also noticed that our Golden Pheasant has not been around since Sunday, he is a real character and comes to greet you in the morning and follows you around as you work, often attempting to follow you into the otter pens when we are feeding and sitting on the wheelbarrow and even jumping onto the piece of wood you are sawing! We are concerned that he has been a victim of the fox but have found no evidence to confirm this yet.
He can be a bit of a nuisance at times but we have really missed him not being around.
We will keep you posted with developments, signed,
The Otter Keepers Wife
Friday, January 11, 2008
Cub News
For those of you who have been here before you may know that we were concerned about our Asian Short Clawed Otter cubs.
On Monday 7th January 2008 we again weighed them and were really disappointed when none of then showed any weight gain at all. That indicated that Zephyr was probably unable to produce enough milk to support all of her babies.
We had prepared ourselves for this and had previously agreed that if Zephyr wasn't able to supply enough milk we would take out two of the larger cubs, the two males, and attempt to hand rear them. This would leave Zephyr to feed the two, smaller, female cubs - thus reducing the strain on her and hopefully giving all of the cubs a fighting chance.
We had taken our mobile incubator (large plastic ice cream tub, hot water bottle, straw and lid) with us and removed the cubs as soon as the weighing was completed. More about the boys later.
The remainder of the Family didn't seem too concerned until they had finished their breakfast, but then they noticed that two of their cubs were missing. It was a little upsetting to watch them search and call for them but I was sure we were doing the right thing. They searched for the boys for some time; all day on and off, but eventually seemed to realise that they had gone.
We have checked to see how the two female cubs with the Family are doing and up to yesterday (Thursday) they looked very good. We haven't checked today because of the awful weather, but there's no reason to think that there are any problems at present. The Family have settled back down and will hopefully take good care of their youngest members.
The Boys..
As soon as we got the boys into their ice cream tub (which was very snug with the straw and hot water bottle) we put them into the van and took them home.
Their first day here was very quiet as we managed the change over from their mothers' milk to the replacement and gave them a chance to get used to the new sounds and smells of our utility room and kitchen.
They were fed by syringe every three hours (which is actually every two hours because it was taking almost an hour to feed them!) and then allowed to sleep under a heat lamp. This is an important time because a change of diet at this stage in their lives can induce diarrhoea which is a serious condition for any small (or large) animal. The first two days went very well, their appetities increased and so, gradually, did their weight. They weren't very active at first but were gaining confidence and starting to explore their new environment.
Wednesday went so well that we decided to risk moving them on from the syringe to a lambs' bottle. After a little bit of difficulty they both got the hang of it and feeding times went down and quantities went up. Marvellous, you'd think.....
Then on Thursday afternoon a small amount of diarrhoea was seen on the small cub, and he was soon followed by his brother. By Friday both were slightly worse and we decided it was time for a trip to the Vet.
It's Friday evening now and while it's safe to say that neither of the boys actually like their medicine they are taking it. Their feeding isn't bad and they are both still inquisitive and active; wrestling and nibbling being high on the agenda (although not as high as sleep). Fingers crossed for a good recovery.
On Monday 7th January 2008 we again weighed them and were really disappointed when none of then showed any weight gain at all. That indicated that Zephyr was probably unable to produce enough milk to support all of her babies.
We had prepared ourselves for this and had previously agreed that if Zephyr wasn't able to supply enough milk we would take out two of the larger cubs, the two males, and attempt to hand rear them. This would leave Zephyr to feed the two, smaller, female cubs - thus reducing the strain on her and hopefully giving all of the cubs a fighting chance.
We had taken our mobile incubator (large plastic ice cream tub, hot water bottle, straw and lid) with us and removed the cubs as soon as the weighing was completed. More about the boys later.
The remainder of the Family didn't seem too concerned until they had finished their breakfast, but then they noticed that two of their cubs were missing. It was a little upsetting to watch them search and call for them but I was sure we were doing the right thing. They searched for the boys for some time; all day on and off, but eventually seemed to realise that they had gone.
We have checked to see how the two female cubs with the Family are doing and up to yesterday (Thursday) they looked very good. We haven't checked today because of the awful weather, but there's no reason to think that there are any problems at present. The Family have settled back down and will hopefully take good care of their youngest members.
The Boys..
As soon as we got the boys into their ice cream tub (which was very snug with the straw and hot water bottle) we put them into the van and took them home.
Their first day here was very quiet as we managed the change over from their mothers' milk to the replacement and gave them a chance to get used to the new sounds and smells of our utility room and kitchen.
They were fed by syringe every three hours (which is actually every two hours because it was taking almost an hour to feed them!) and then allowed to sleep under a heat lamp. This is an important time because a change of diet at this stage in their lives can induce diarrhoea which is a serious condition for any small (or large) animal. The first two days went very well, their appetities increased and so, gradually, did their weight. They weren't very active at first but were gaining confidence and starting to explore their new environment.
Wednesday went so well that we decided to risk moving them on from the syringe to a lambs' bottle. After a little bit of difficulty they both got the hang of it and feeding times went down and quantities went up. Marvellous, you'd think.....
Then on Thursday afternoon a small amount of diarrhoea was seen on the small cub, and he was soon followed by his brother. By Friday both were slightly worse and we decided it was time for a trip to the Vet.
It's Friday evening now and while it's safe to say that neither of the boys actually like their medicine they are taking it. Their feeding isn't bad and they are both still inquisitive and active; wrestling and nibbling being high on the agenda (although not as high as sleep). Fingers crossed for a good recovery.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
The Weigh In.
The Asian Short Clawed Cubs were 5 weeks old on Sunday (30th December) and we thought that it was time to weigh them to see what the differences in their weights actually were. We all look in on the Family and they are very used to our daily visits and don't usually pay us much attention when we feed them and look in on the cubs. In addition I have also been handling the cubs regularly so that we can examine them without causing any stress to the animals. However, we always have to be careful to treat the group with respect and to take nothing for granted.
So at about 9.15 on Sunday morning Mandy and I walked up to the Family pen and prepared to enter; they were unusually noisy and agitated and when Mandy threw in the first course of their breakfast they completely ignored it. Very odd behaviour for this lot! We talked to them and offered more food but they still weren't interested one little bit. These animals can be very vicious when roused and have a powerful bite so we decided to complete our morning rounds and to go back to them half an hour later to see if they had calmed down.
When we returned their mood hadn't changed one iota. Their food lay where it had fallen and they were still riled and upset. We wondered if one of the cubs had died or whether another animal, such as a mink or stoat, had got into the holt while the family had been away from it and attacked the cubs. We decided on the broom test - put a broom into the pen and see what their reaction was; well it was a conclusive if not very scientific result. The broom lost after being seriously assaulted by the Family! Something was very wrong and it was certainly too dangerous to go in with them but what was up?
Mandy and I discussed the situation and as we talked we noticed just how much dirty straw there was in their pen, could it be that simple? A couple of minutes later we returned with a wheelbarrow full of fresh straw and threw some of it to them. Well, what a response! Six very stressed otters transformed themselves into a team of very industrious movers, shifters and cleaners. The straw was taken into the holt and their mood changed so quickly that within two or three minutes I was in the pen with them and looking in on the cubs as normal. All four snuggled together in the bottom of a very bare holt sleeping soundly. And there lies the key to their annoyance - no clean straw! They'd obviously decided on a really major spring clean sometime earlier that morning but didn't have anything to replace the dirty straw. They don't usually replace all the straw in one go but prefer to take a little out every day and we provide a replacement.
Panic over we decided not to weigh the cubs that morning but on January 3rd we took them out of their holt and weighed them on a set of portable scales at the side of the pen. The Family could see what we were up to with their precious offspring but weren't agitated at all. In two or three minutes it was all over - two males (400 and 440 grammes) and two females (about 300 grammes (wriggling) and 340 grammes). The differences are still a worry but that's for another day. They were all replaced just where I found them and only one of them (the wriggler) was woken up by our activity. Very cute!
I don't think my mum ever got that concerned about spring cleaning, then again we didn't all share the same bed.......
So at about 9.15 on Sunday morning Mandy and I walked up to the Family pen and prepared to enter; they were unusually noisy and agitated and when Mandy threw in the first course of their breakfast they completely ignored it. Very odd behaviour for this lot! We talked to them and offered more food but they still weren't interested one little bit. These animals can be very vicious when roused and have a powerful bite so we decided to complete our morning rounds and to go back to them half an hour later to see if they had calmed down.
When we returned their mood hadn't changed one iota. Their food lay where it had fallen and they were still riled and upset. We wondered if one of the cubs had died or whether another animal, such as a mink or stoat, had got into the holt while the family had been away from it and attacked the cubs. We decided on the broom test - put a broom into the pen and see what their reaction was; well it was a conclusive if not very scientific result. The broom lost after being seriously assaulted by the Family! Something was very wrong and it was certainly too dangerous to go in with them but what was up?
Mandy and I discussed the situation and as we talked we noticed just how much dirty straw there was in their pen, could it be that simple? A couple of minutes later we returned with a wheelbarrow full of fresh straw and threw some of it to them. Well, what a response! Six very stressed otters transformed themselves into a team of very industrious movers, shifters and cleaners. The straw was taken into the holt and their mood changed so quickly that within two or three minutes I was in the pen with them and looking in on the cubs as normal. All four snuggled together in the bottom of a very bare holt sleeping soundly. And there lies the key to their annoyance - no clean straw! They'd obviously decided on a really major spring clean sometime earlier that morning but didn't have anything to replace the dirty straw. They don't usually replace all the straw in one go but prefer to take a little out every day and we provide a replacement.
Panic over we decided not to weigh the cubs that morning but on January 3rd we took them out of their holt and weighed them on a set of portable scales at the side of the pen. The Family could see what we were up to with their precious offspring but weren't agitated at all. In two or three minutes it was all over - two males (400 and 440 grammes) and two females (about 300 grammes (wriggling) and 340 grammes). The differences are still a worry but that's for another day. They were all replaced just where I found them and only one of them (the wriggler) was woken up by our activity. Very cute!
I don't think my mum ever got that concerned about spring cleaning, then again we didn't all share the same bed.......
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Cute cubs.
Well as you can probably imagine it's been a rather quiet few days here; everything ticking over nicely but not a lot of action apart that is, from our cubs. They were 4 weeks and 2 days old on Christmas Day and when I checked them on Christmas morning I noticed that one of them had just begun to open his or her eyes. They were just tiny slits with a hint of black behind them but definitely opening! By Friday 28th December three of the cubs had both eyes open, not quite fully round yet but nicely widening slits. Unfortunately the smallest cub, I've mentioned her before, had only just started to open her right eye - a very odd sight. By this morning (Sunday 30th) she had both eyes open but they are still just narrow slits compared to those of her brothers and sisters.
This may or not be significant; it's clear that she is developing at the slowest rate and is around 5 days or so behind her siblings. At the moment all of the cubs suckle from Zephyr and none of them can move around independently. However, all this will change in the next week and if this small cub is pushed to one side at suckling times by her larger and better developed brothers and sisters and always last at feeds when they begin to wean onto solids then she will be in trouble. The question is will Zephyr recognize what is happening and make sure she gets her share or will she leave her to her fate?
Only time will tell but you can be sure that we will intervene if we have to and give her the best possible chance of survival.
This may or not be significant; it's clear that she is developing at the slowest rate and is around 5 days or so behind her siblings. At the moment all of the cubs suckle from Zephyr and none of them can move around independently. However, all this will change in the next week and if this small cub is pushed to one side at suckling times by her larger and better developed brothers and sisters and always last at feeds when they begin to wean onto solids then she will be in trouble. The question is will Zephyr recognize what is happening and make sure she gets her share or will she leave her to her fate?
Only time will tell but you can be sure that we will intervene if we have to and give her the best possible chance of survival.
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