Spring is trying hard to make itself known and although it is still very wet underfoot the sun certainly has a bit more heat in it than it has had of late and some of the ground is even drying up in places. Not good for those dabbling ducks but much better for the rest of us.
Our splendid Fallow Deer buck Nigel (we think he’ll be 15 later this year- a great age for this breed of animal) is looking a little sorry for himself in the last couple of days because both of his antlers have fallen off. This is completely natural and happens every spring. His scars will have healed up in the next ten days or so and after that the antlers will begin to grow again, but until then I think he’ll be a bit miserable. In complete contrast our young buck is very proud of the inch long pricks on the top of his head. He’s just nine months old and supremely confident. Until today he’s been coming down for a feed but avoiding actual contact with the keepers but this afternoon he took several handfuls of food directly from Mandy’s hand. A very cocky young buck indeed.
We have our first ducklings on the pond- two seen yesterday (but so far not today) -and lots of birds on eggs. Also, and even more exciting, a Tawny Owlet has been seen several times on a tree branch by the waterfall. He’s been seen at various times of the day by a number of visitors. The common factor seems to be that he likes to come out in the sun but isn’t straying far from his nest. He looks to be about four to six weeks old so he won’t be there for very much longer. Tawny Owls are fairly common down here but wage a constant battle for nest sites with jackdaws and crows. Two years ago we even had a pair of Tawny’s build their nest and fledge three chicks from a nest they built actually inside the Bengal Eagle Owl aviary.
The peacocks and guinea fowl are all looking great with their new plumage and they are spending a lot of time and effort on looking good and attracting partners.
The otters are all well and spring is getting under their skin too. They are spending a lot of time playing (and then sleeping) other than Hilda, who rather typically is keeping a low profile and is only glimpsed occasionally.
The cubs are all well. Smalley has made a slight but noticeable improvement in his movement. He can now get up one stair. Not much you might think, but considering what he was like a short while ago we are pleased as punch. He is still a bit of a worry to all of us but we are optimistic. Biggy is fine, pushy and very energetic. He can often be seen playing with Cinnamon and they continue to get on very well.
Leap has improved too; she has put on a lot of weight and is looking very healthy. She still has a nervous (or evil) temperament but can be quite bold at times. Cinnamon is more and more likeable and beautiful every day. She is in superb condition and her coat shines like it has just been polished.
Last week we decided to leave the British cubs at work in a pen overnight for the first time because they were getting to be a bit of a handful; moving furniture whenever they felt like it and completely taking over the vegetable rack and some of their favourite kitchen chairs. They were easy to move from home to work every day but it is in their interests to move them away from us as soon as practical. They coped very well and seem to be adapting to their new, cooler environment without much trouble.
They were joined on Monday night by Biggy and Smalley. We worried about Smalley being cold but when I went in and checked them yesterday morning he was at the centre of a lovely fluffy otter heap and was warm as toast so as long as he burrows his way into the centre of the group he should be fine.
Biggy and Smalley are rather older than the others (19 weeks compared to Cinnamon at 13 weeks and Leap at 10 weeks) but look quite small compared to their British cousins.
We have moved the cubs into a sunnier pen with an electric water pump and they can obviously hear it humming because they have been put off swimming in the ponds. Once they get used to it I’m sure they will enjoy their new home. However, they haven’t been put off exploring and this morning I was in with them when they discovered a toad. They caught it, chomped on it a bit, realised their mistake and spent the next ten minutes with expressions that reminded me of our kids eating limes. They couldn’t get rid of the taste quickly enough but after a good drink three of them went back to it and started licking it again! The toad had been still all along and I thought it was dead and it just lay there as the three otters licked and spat and licked and spat. After a while the otters decided that the toad wasn’t good to eat and left it alone and went to try to find something else to annoy. A few minutes later I saw the toad rapidly heading for cover; I think I could hear him laughing….
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
We're open!
Considering we had 19 weeks to prepare and so many people to help why did opening day come round so quickly and surprise us all so much? I’m not sure either but that’s what happened. However, we opened on Good Friday without any major hitches or glitches and only a few wet patches of paint. Most of us were quietly confident that we hadn’t forgotten anything too important and we were right.
It was a pretty quiet day though; the rest of the week has been too, the weather hasn’t been great and it is very early in the year so things will pick up soon.
The Wallabies have surprised us over the last few days, at first there was one joey, then Denis saw two and then this morning Sonia and I saw three! All still in there mothers pouches but all looking healthy (their faces did anyway) and one of them has quite peculiar large blond eyebrows; very becoming.
The Fallow Deer have been testing our patience by creating holes in their fencing that you’d think they couldn’t get through but they do because they end up in the wrong enclosures and can be awkward to put back. After a short while and some minor repairs all the deer were back where they should be but I am anticipating further escapes; I’m not sure why though because the grass isn’t greener on the other side of the fence.
The otters are all doing fine. Hilda has moved back in with William and has him under her thumb again, a position which seems to suit him just fine. The little Asian Short Clawed female is getting on very well and comes out with the Family all the time now and demands to be fed just like everyone else, she is very cute.
The four cubs (Biggy, Smalley, Cinnamon and Leap (we decided that the name Spotty wasn’t very becoming)) are still at home at night but go to work every day and if it isn’t too wet or cold they go into their own pen for a few hours. They have two ponds and a stream to explore and seem to like it if it’s not too cold. We have been encouraging them to search for shrimps and daphnia which mainly entails the keepers getting wet and muddy and the otters looking on waiting for the goodies. However, as a reward for our efforts Biggy has decided that the fresh food is so nice it’s worth him making the effort to catch his own and he joined me in the stream this morning. He was very enthusiastic as he sploshed and splashed around my hands and feet and at last caught one of his own. He had a very satisfied expression on his face as he chewed it up but then thought his work was done and started whining because he was wet and the day was cold. Into my jacket he went and settled down in there very quickly, nice and warm see and he knew it. He was very unwilling to come out too.
Cinnamon is doing fine; although she does have the occasional try at biting a keeper she is settling down well and is showing us her nicer side at times. She has romps with Biggy and is a bit of a thug in a sisterly way. She has allowed me to touch her once or twice in play but I am very wary of her temper and her speed.
Leap is still giving us some concern as she is small and doesn’t always eat as much or as often as the rest of the gang. She is becoming very slightly bolder though and sometimes forgets herself and tries to play with a person instead of an otter. She has lost her instant temper and is enjoying life a little more I think. Her wounds are healed. I was looking at pictures of her with a friend of mine the other day and he pointed out that a number of her white patches appear to be in pairs, as though they were scars from bites in earlier attacks. Who or what might have inflicted this damage will never be known for certain but we speculated that a bigger sibling or even her mother may have been responsible. Or of course she might just be an unlucky little otter and have been attacked by some other predator.
Smalley is the cute one of the bunch. He is playful, cuddly and always pleasant and good tempered. His walking is much the same and that is worrying but he is such a bright little thing that I can’t help but be optimistic for him. He has been being picked on by the others but is now sticking up for himself a bit and I even heard him growl at Cinnamon for rolling him over the other day and she left him alone for a while after that. Good boy Smalley!
It was a pretty quiet day though; the rest of the week has been too, the weather hasn’t been great and it is very early in the year so things will pick up soon.
The Wallabies have surprised us over the last few days, at first there was one joey, then Denis saw two and then this morning Sonia and I saw three! All still in there mothers pouches but all looking healthy (their faces did anyway) and one of them has quite peculiar large blond eyebrows; very becoming.
The Fallow Deer have been testing our patience by creating holes in their fencing that you’d think they couldn’t get through but they do because they end up in the wrong enclosures and can be awkward to put back. After a short while and some minor repairs all the deer were back where they should be but I am anticipating further escapes; I’m not sure why though because the grass isn’t greener on the other side of the fence.
The otters are all doing fine. Hilda has moved back in with William and has him under her thumb again, a position which seems to suit him just fine. The little Asian Short Clawed female is getting on very well and comes out with the Family all the time now and demands to be fed just like everyone else, she is very cute.
The four cubs (Biggy, Smalley, Cinnamon and Leap (we decided that the name Spotty wasn’t very becoming)) are still at home at night but go to work every day and if it isn’t too wet or cold they go into their own pen for a few hours. They have two ponds and a stream to explore and seem to like it if it’s not too cold. We have been encouraging them to search for shrimps and daphnia which mainly entails the keepers getting wet and muddy and the otters looking on waiting for the goodies. However, as a reward for our efforts Biggy has decided that the fresh food is so nice it’s worth him making the effort to catch his own and he joined me in the stream this morning. He was very enthusiastic as he sploshed and splashed around my hands and feet and at last caught one of his own. He had a very satisfied expression on his face as he chewed it up but then thought his work was done and started whining because he was wet and the day was cold. Into my jacket he went and settled down in there very quickly, nice and warm see and he knew it. He was very unwilling to come out too.
Cinnamon is doing fine; although she does have the occasional try at biting a keeper she is settling down well and is showing us her nicer side at times. She has romps with Biggy and is a bit of a thug in a sisterly way. She has allowed me to touch her once or twice in play but I am very wary of her temper and her speed.
Leap is still giving us some concern as she is small and doesn’t always eat as much or as often as the rest of the gang. She is becoming very slightly bolder though and sometimes forgets herself and tries to play with a person instead of an otter. She has lost her instant temper and is enjoying life a little more I think. Her wounds are healed. I was looking at pictures of her with a friend of mine the other day and he pointed out that a number of her white patches appear to be in pairs, as though they were scars from bites in earlier attacks. Who or what might have inflicted this damage will never be known for certain but we speculated that a bigger sibling or even her mother may have been responsible. Or of course she might just be an unlucky little otter and have been attacked by some other predator.
Smalley is the cute one of the bunch. He is playful, cuddly and always pleasant and good tempered. His walking is much the same and that is worrying but he is such a bright little thing that I can’t help but be optimistic for him. He has been being picked on by the others but is now sticking up for himself a bit and I even heard him growl at Cinnamon for rolling him over the other day and she left him alone for a while after that. Good boy Smalley!
Monday, March 10, 2008
Raining Otters
It never rains then it pours! So true here in Cornwall this week in more ways than one. Firstly, if you’ve seen the news or live nearby you’ll know it’s wet, wet, wet here at the moment and likely to stay that way for a few days. We’ve already lost one tree to the wind and with the worst of the weather still to come so its fingers crossed that we don’t suffer any further damage.
It’s also been raining otters; we haven’t had any wild otters brought to us for over a year and the last one was so ill that it unfortunately died after two days. However, late on Sunday 24th February we received a call that resulted in us collecting a small furry bundle from a town in Devon. The otter, about seven weeks old, was seen alone on a road earlier that evening by Cindy who had watched helplessly as the wheels of the car in front straddled the poor animal as it lay in the road. She stopped and picked up the frightened baby which, very unusually, offered no resistance at all. I’m sure that if Cindy hadn’t decided to help, the cub would have perished.
When we got the otter (who we have called Cinnamon) home it was obviously in shock and still very placid. I stayed up with it most of the first night and syringed milk into its mouth. It gradually seemed to take a little more interest in its surroundings and, by tea time the following day seemed to be a bit better but was still dehydrated and suffering from diarrhoea.
Cinnamon had noticed Biggy and Smalley across the kitchen but was too frightened to do anything about it so we decided to allow them to see each other but not have any contact with them for a while. Later that evening, after a good feed and play with the Asian cubs we introduced Cinnamon to them properly; Biggy was fine about it all, touching and sniffing the new arrival but not being aggressive at all. Smalley was another kettle of fish altogether, snorting, screaming and generally not happy but after a couple of hours they all settled down in a big bundle and went to sleep. When I checked them at 3am they hadn’t moved so I decided to leave them alone and let them bond rather than disturbing them for a feed.
Then it became easier to tell that Cinnamon was getting over things. How? Because it started to bite and bite very hard, very hard indeed! That’s why I wear thick gloves, I’ve decided I like my fingers and would like to keep them all; even with the gloves on the bites hurt and easily draw blood if it bites further up my arms where there isn’t such good protection.
So there we are, Cinnamon settling in nicely and we were just getting into a routine when on the following Friday we had another call which resulted in us looking after a very small, miserable and feisty otter cub. This one is not yet weaned and that, together with its size makes me think that this one is very young, probably five or six weeks old at most. It was a very bony otter cub with no spare flesh. Rather disturbingly it also had at least three bites on its back end and several large tics spread over its body. The bites were fresh so we cleaned them up but decided to let the tics alone and deal with them when they dropped off.
Do you remember I said that Cinnamon was placid at first? Well, no such luck with this one who makes up for in ferocity what it lacks in size. The cub, which has an unusual dappled pelt (which is why it’s called Spotty), is hard to feed. It’s very particular about its milk and rarely attempts to eat any solids. We have got the milk just about right now, but solids are a different thing. It will only take solids that are literally put under its nose, usually in my hand or if it gets near enough to one of the others it will steal theirs. The otters don’t seem to worry too much about the theft, after all there’s a good supply of food nearby, but I do because it won’t take food off the glove, it has to be my bare skin or nothing! Is it any wonder that I’m going grey?
So now we have otter opposites; in one corner Biggy and Smalley (cute, cuddly and love to play with you) and in the other Cinnamon and Spotty (Atilla the Hun/Boudicca personality traits, but not so forgiving). Ah well maybe they’ll calm down soon, if they don’t Ill have to learn to type with bandaged fingers. For now they all seem happy with each other and usually snuggle up together, very cute.
That’s all for now, John.
It’s also been raining otters; we haven’t had any wild otters brought to us for over a year and the last one was so ill that it unfortunately died after two days. However, late on Sunday 24th February we received a call that resulted in us collecting a small furry bundle from a town in Devon. The otter, about seven weeks old, was seen alone on a road earlier that evening by Cindy who had watched helplessly as the wheels of the car in front straddled the poor animal as it lay in the road. She stopped and picked up the frightened baby which, very unusually, offered no resistance at all. I’m sure that if Cindy hadn’t decided to help, the cub would have perished.
When we got the otter (who we have called Cinnamon) home it was obviously in shock and still very placid. I stayed up with it most of the first night and syringed milk into its mouth. It gradually seemed to take a little more interest in its surroundings and, by tea time the following day seemed to be a bit better but was still dehydrated and suffering from diarrhoea.
Cinnamon had noticed Biggy and Smalley across the kitchen but was too frightened to do anything about it so we decided to allow them to see each other but not have any contact with them for a while. Later that evening, after a good feed and play with the Asian cubs we introduced Cinnamon to them properly; Biggy was fine about it all, touching and sniffing the new arrival but not being aggressive at all. Smalley was another kettle of fish altogether, snorting, screaming and generally not happy but after a couple of hours they all settled down in a big bundle and went to sleep. When I checked them at 3am they hadn’t moved so I decided to leave them alone and let them bond rather than disturbing them for a feed.
Then it became easier to tell that Cinnamon was getting over things. How? Because it started to bite and bite very hard, very hard indeed! That’s why I wear thick gloves, I’ve decided I like my fingers and would like to keep them all; even with the gloves on the bites hurt and easily draw blood if it bites further up my arms where there isn’t such good protection.
So there we are, Cinnamon settling in nicely and we were just getting into a routine when on the following Friday we had another call which resulted in us looking after a very small, miserable and feisty otter cub. This one is not yet weaned and that, together with its size makes me think that this one is very young, probably five or six weeks old at most. It was a very bony otter cub with no spare flesh. Rather disturbingly it also had at least three bites on its back end and several large tics spread over its body. The bites were fresh so we cleaned them up but decided to let the tics alone and deal with them when they dropped off.
Do you remember I said that Cinnamon was placid at first? Well, no such luck with this one who makes up for in ferocity what it lacks in size. The cub, which has an unusual dappled pelt (which is why it’s called Spotty), is hard to feed. It’s very particular about its milk and rarely attempts to eat any solids. We have got the milk just about right now, but solids are a different thing. It will only take solids that are literally put under its nose, usually in my hand or if it gets near enough to one of the others it will steal theirs. The otters don’t seem to worry too much about the theft, after all there’s a good supply of food nearby, but I do because it won’t take food off the glove, it has to be my bare skin or nothing! Is it any wonder that I’m going grey?
So now we have otter opposites; in one corner Biggy and Smalley (cute, cuddly and love to play with you) and in the other Cinnamon and Spotty (Atilla the Hun/Boudicca personality traits, but not so forgiving). Ah well maybe they’ll calm down soon, if they don’t Ill have to learn to type with bandaged fingers. For now they all seem happy with each other and usually snuggle up together, very cute.
That’s all for now, John.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Work, work, work . . .
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.
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.
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
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