Blanca

I love my job, but this weekend I peeked into the daily activities of my great friend Erin, who works at the Wild Animal Park here in sunny San Diego.

Erin took my great friend Robin and me behind the scenes into the areas where she works as a keeper. Here are the top five highlights of our visit (and the pictures to prove it, although I couldn’t get the formatting right. Sorry!):

1. Tiger Training
   Robin and I were given the important job of being “unfamiliar strangers” while the trainer taught a tiger named Blanca to be comfortable in a crate. Robin and I also pissed off a sexually frustrated male tiger named Utan, but we weren’t supposed to turn our backs when he charged us, roaring and jumping (behind the fence). We were supposed to stand our ground and tell him, “No!” and “Down” while holding up our fingers in warning. Umm. We didn’t. We fled, likely setting back his training for years to come. Sorry, Erin!
   

   Unhappy Utan
2. Lion Cub Watching
   Erin grabbed a big bucket of beef heart cubes to the lion exhibit, where 8 8-month-old cubs were hanging out. Yeah, they were cute.
3. Monkey Baiting
   We slipped into the keeper area behind a monkey exhibit, and they all came to stare, hoping we were going to offer treats. We didn’t have any, but we got to see the baby hanging on to the mom up close. We were glad they didn’t pee on us.
4. Okapi Hugging
   
   

   Erin and the cubs

   The best part ever. Okapi keeper Lisa lured the mama okapi out of the pen so we could hang out with the 3-week-old baby. I held his head in my hands, and he lifted his nose and pressed it to mine. I can honestly say I never ever thought I’d be nose to nose with an okapi, but my life is now complete.

5. Gorilla Gossiping
   Erin told us about her first day on the job as we watched the grumpy old gorilla named Alberta. Alberta had gotten a hold of a big rock, and she sat there tossing it in her hand as she sized Erin up. Erin turned her back for a minute as she was “throwing lunch,” and Alberta let the rock fly. Luckily Alberta has terrible aim, but she does fling her poo really accurately when keepers are cranking open one of the gates.

Okapi bonding

Training for my next job