Because I'm a slacker: Weeks 5 and 6

So, I just realized that I never did an entry for the week of June 13-19 so I will combine that week with the current week of June 19-26.

Last week I got to work with the Giraffes, Bo and Mac. When doing this routine I am also obligated to participate in the three giraffe encounters that the zoo sets up. This is a chance for the public to come out and feed the giraffes at 11, 1, and 3, everyday (needless to say bo and mac eat a lot of crackers) I also got to participate in a training session! This was very cool, especially after having taken an animal training course at Unity College. They, like my class, use the method of operant conditioning, which is always a positive experience for both trainer and animal. Whenever Lisa would use her clicker I would give Bo a reward (carrots!). We were training him to walk into a shoot that is to be used for medical purposes. He walks through it just fine when both ends are open, but when one is closed he won't go in there. He has already worked on target training, putting his face up to a tennis ball on a stick, but Lisa wants him to now touch his chest to the ball and guide him this way, that way instead of just stretching his head into the shoot, he will walk in.

Holy thunderstorms/tornadoes! All week, tornado warning after tornado warning, thunderstorm after thunderstorm, RAIN RAIN RAIN!!! It has been crazy weather I tell you!

This week I got to shadow the vet, Steve. While shadowing him I observed some orangutan training (open mouth, target hands, expose shoulder, toes, etc.), bat checkups, and he also drew blood from one of the alpacas. It was Steve's birthday earlier in the week and I guess everyone wore fake mustaches; there were some left over so I took the liberty of wearing one the rest of the day since I was going to be working with him.

This week I had to fill out two incident sheets. It's true, my clutsiness has finally shown itself to my coworkers. First I cut my finger while chopping sweet potatoes, and then the very next day (today in fact!) I got kicked by an alpaca. I know it was out of spite, those alpacas are in for revenge! I had to catch said alpaca and hold him still while Angie administered some medication. Mr. Alpaca didn't like this. When it was over I turned around to walk away, and he kicked me right in the leg! jerk face.