A White Christmas, 2010!

Well, pulling it out at the last minute actually....I didn't think we were going to get to see one.  But it happened: snow on Christmas.  In Georgia!

Here are a few pictures of the snow and the animals at the Zoo, taken Monday morning.  Enjoy!

Here is one of our Christmas trees that we decorated for wildlife.  It has now been stripped clean by all of the birds and squirrels we have on the property.

For those of you who have not seen the buck up close (he usually hangs out in the very back of the deer enclosure) here he is.  He is so old his antlers do not grow correctly anymore.

                                                            And the more sociable doe:

Big ol' DJ does not like to get his feet wet, either by mud or snow.  When we have those situations, he  walks where he can keep his feet dry.

Athena and Yonah doing what any sisters do: wrestle!

(Athena likes to lick the snow)

We hope your Holidays were Merry and Bright!  Come see us soon.

posted by Berkeley

Different types of fundraising! Please help!

We are in the midst of some good things here.  We are doing fundraising to renovate the existing bear yard so that the two cubs, Athena and Yonah can move in.  The cubs have grown so quickly- they are now over 100 pounds, and not slowing down!  They are growing much more quickly than we had anticipated, and we will need to move them into their new home much sooner rather than later.  Here’s where we are stuck.  We need to build a new night house in order to keep all three bears secure at night.  This will cost many thousands of dollars. 

A way to participate in our fundraising will be to contribute to our “Cans for Critters” program beginning in January.  Some of you may remember the “Bags for Bears” program that the Zoo did a few years ago where we collected plastic grocery bags to recycle.   This was where the Trex company offered to donate Trex lumber according to the amount of plastic grocery bags that were collected for recycling.  In all, over 8 TONS of plastic bags were collected and turned over to Trex, and they donated a roughly equivalent amount of their synthetic lumber to the Zoo.  We have used this synthetic lumber to create playscapes for the bears, the bobcats and the otters; resurface many of the decks and boardwalks; and make fences and enclosures out of it.  That generosity really helped us a LOT.

 “Cans for Critters” is a similar program.  Start saving your cans!   We are currently collecting aluminum cans to turn in for recycling.  A company will pay us for the amount of aluminum that we turn over for recycling.  We plan to use the money we raise with this program to help fund the renovation of the bear night house.  You can drop off all of your aluminum cans here at the Zoo, or at almost every elementary school in Clarke County.  We want your cans! 

Finally, there is another way that you can help us with our fundraising: EAT!  Barberito’s and FATZ Café have agreed to let us hold fundraisers at some of their locations.  All you have to do is get a ticket or a flier from staff at the Zoo or at Memorial Park, and then just show up at the restaurant, present that flier and buy your dinner.  On Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at both the East Side and Five Points Barberito’s locations, from 5 to 8pm, stop by and present them with a Bear Hollow flier (available at the Zoo office) and they will donate some money to the Zoo at the end of that night’s sales.

Join us for a pancake breakfast at FATZ Café on Lexington Rd, on Saturday morning, February 5, 2011.  Purchase your tickets in advance for $7, and you then just show up and eat some pancakes.  Tickets are available at the Zoo office or at the Memorial Park office.  Eating pancakes and supporting the Zoo?  That sounds like a win-win situation to me.

If you are interested in contributing to the Zoo, or if you would like more information on the projects we have going on , please contact the Zoo Office at (706) 613 3616 x21

Thank you for your continued patronage and support of Bear Hollow.  We are really excited for where the Zoo is going.

(p.s.- we'll get some pictures up here soon....our computer with a lot of our good photos from work is undergoing some maintenance right now!)

Posted by Berkeley

Frosty the Snowbear?

The weather outside is frightful! But luckily, the animals have nice fur coats to help keep them warm. And those who don't have other adaptations to deal with the cold.

Yesterday, the temperature steadily declined and I was on duty to ready the zoo for it. After cover hoses, wrapping spigots with towels and making sure each mammal had enough hay to snuggle into, I made sure the wind couldn't blow too fiercely into any of the night houses and that all gates were securely locked. But as I went to give the bear cubs their meal, Athena stood up next to the fence and she had little icicles hanging from her fur! She was still running around and playing with Yonah so it obviously didn't affect her. However, it makes you think about how truly amazing these animals are.

I spent my whole day bundled up in multiple layers of clothes and the bear cubs played all day, the bobcats roamed their yard and DJ the big bear.... well, technically he slept but he was still warm. Their fur coats are so incredibly thick that chances are, when the wind blows, they can barely feel the cold. I wish I had a natural coat like that.

Well that's about all I have for today. College finals are controlling my life these days but as soon as they are over, I hope to give an update every three days or less! Good luck to all of you with finals and we hope to see you all at the zoo soon!

Posted by Lynsey

If you can't take them to Waffle House, bring the waffles to them!

It has been too long since the last entry but we all have been busy at the zoo with Thanksgiving and such. I am a college student (graduating in 16 days) and my time is limited. But last Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, I was able to spend my holiday at the zoo. I am so thankful for that. There is nothing more special than being with the animals you care for and being able to enjoy a quiet and empty zoo. I love seeing the public but it gives you a different perspective when it's just you and a few volunteers doing animal care.

I did something special for the mammals..... I made them waffles! Needless to say, they were a big hit, especially with those silly ole bears. I spread peanut butter on them to make sure they ate the first piece. When I handed the waffles to Yonah and Athena, they carefully took them from my hand and dropped them to the ground. However, once the taste hit their tongue, it was almost as if they vacuumed them off the ground! In two seconds, they were reaching through the fence, begging for more. Their second waffle was covered in grapes and honey. Talk about heaven! They wanted more but I had to ration them out to the other animals.

And of course, the big bear DJ got his own waffles (and the pieces from the first few waffles I made that fell apart in the iron). After I gave him the first piece, I'm pretty sure he forgot anything else existed. Such a big handsome boy and his nose was going crazy.

The opossums even had a piece each. The male was trying to figure it out when he saw the female chowing down. Needless to say, they swapped pieces.

Gus didn't eat his right away. He went for his corn instead. I assume he ate it eventually, or his little squirrel friends did, because it wasn't there the next morning.

All in all, it was a great day at the zoo. All the animals were active and enjoying their day off. Even they need a break every now and again.

Be sure and come out to the zoo, even though it's cold out! It's funny though. I have so much fun taking care of everyone that I hardly notice it sometimes. Hope to see you all soon!

Posted by Lynsey

The Animals Thanksgiving

We are very thankful for all the animals at Bear Hollow Zoo (on both sides of the fence). On this last Saturday 11/20/10, we held our first Animal Thanksgiving. This day was dedicated to enrichment for the visitors and the zoo residents. 

We provide for all of the animals' needs: food, water, shelter, and space. However, just like some of us, if we are given everything we need, we might just sit there and let the staff do everything for us. This is going to result in a lack of mental and physical health. That is why we engage in a documented regiment of enrichment. By combining new smells and treats with the understanding of the animals individual adaptations, we are able to stimulate the animals' curiosity (mental stimulation) and by placing the items in, under, just out of reach, and in food puzzles (physical stimulation), we are able to  stimulate the animal . On this occasion, the children that visited the zoo had the chance to help create some of this enrichment. 

A few days before the animals Thanksgiving, I was able to go with Memorial Park staff and the Athens Community Council on Aging to the DeKalb Farmer's Market. My goal was to drive the bus safely there and back, and to find new and interesting fruits and vegetables for our program. There were plenty of items that I had no idea what they were. The enrichment also helped me. The items included: Jackfruit, Durian fruit, Star apples, Kiwi, Pummelo, Guava, Buddha’s hands, Peppermint (the plant), yucca, rutabaga, sugarcane, and water okra.

After stuffing some pumpkins with some of the animals' more normal treats, we cut up the new fruit and vegetables. Everyone had a chance to see and smell the new fruits and veggies. For those that were there, they will not forget the smell of the Durian fruit. Even if the kids and animals didn’t like some of the items (the Durian) and loved others (the sugarcane), the new and strange smells and textures stimulated the participants.

We would like to wish you a happy Thanksgiving. Remember- enrich your life… Hide all of the components to your Thanksgiving dinner around the house and yard….. Or, just visit the Zoo or other wild places soon.

Posted by Clint

Calling All Horticulturists!

I've been watching some vet school students working with ol' Gus. 

We're trying to get him trained for Groundhog Day.  It's time to have him step it up a notch.  Literally.  The vet students have been attempting to teach him to step up onto a stump to make his presentation early in the morning on February 2.

It's been slow going.  He has really reduced his activity since the weather has gotten cooler.  He doesn't quite hibernate in this climate, but he definitely doesn't (want to) move as much as he does during the summer.  So while I have been sitting in his enclosure watching the trainers, I have been looking around at the autumn leaf color.  We've been working very hard to remove the invasive plants from the Zoo grounds: bush honeysuckle, privet, eleagnus, English ivy, winter creeper, etc etc.  With those plants gone, there is a LOT of hidden stuff that is now visible.  And also, there is now a LOT more space to work with.

One of the things that I would like to see happen to the Zoo is the incorporation of a botanical aspect, even some informal gardens.  I would like to get some good specimen plants put out on the grounds, as well as more colorful plantings to line the sidewalks or divide an area.  And I would like to have it all labeled so that visitors will be able to determine what they are looking at!

Plants have already been featured in some of the animal exhibits (alligators and gopher tortoises to name two), but we have decided to start spreading outside of the exhibits as well. 

                                                           (Photo of False Indigo flowers)

We have been working on an Asian influenced garden at the front gate.  It features a variety of plants of Asian origin: Chinese fringeflower, Pieris, Japanese maples, Toad lilies, Hosta, and many more. 

                                                           (Photo of Japanese Maple)

Other ideas that we would like to try are an African vegetable garden, a butterfly garden, a wetland and a bog garden.  An azalea, rhododendron and camellia garden would be nice too.

                                                   (Photo of White Top pitcher plant flowers)

The only trouble is, there are just three of us that are on staff here.  We need the extra hands to help us get things done.  If you have an interest in horticulture or gardening, or if you just have some plants that you would like to donate- please let us know!  We will take just about anything, as long as it is not invasive (remember, the plants that take over are what we are trying to control now!). 

Well, that's enough rambling for now.  It's time to close up shop and get out of here.  But seriously, please let us know if you would like to help out in any way with the gardens here at Bear Hollow!

Enjoy this fine fall weekend.

Posted by Berkeley

Oh look. This exhibit is a pile of hay.

This past weekend was so relaxing. Not too hot. Not too cold. It was just right.

I was able to get some much needed pond cleaning and exhibit maintenance done. And I went into one of our most comical (at least in my opinion) animal's exhibit for some conditioning, Gus the groundhog.

At first glance, visitors may think we have put a pile of hay on display. But deep within that pile lives a slightly lazy and particular creature. Gus has been at the zoo about 3 years now and demands peanuts on a daily basis. The intern and I went in with him over the weekend to clean up some leftover peanut shells, cardboard box remnants, and mix up his dirt pool. While we were doing this, he rummaged through his food bowl, looking for all the peanuts, which we had cleverly buried in the dirt pool. :)

Finally, after realizing what we had done, he gave us a very disapproving glare, picked up his ear of corn and started munching away.

We continued to clean, watching him nibble his corn. The visitors that walked by kept commenting how adorable he was and how they never see him. Lucky for them, they came by at the right time on Sunday. Once we finished our task, we left the exhibit to clean more houses. Later in the day, I returned to check in on Gus and needless to say, that big hay pile was back on exhibit. Only now, there were peanut shells and a nibbled-on ear of corn in the dirt pool.

Posted by Lynsey

Down in the swimming hole

Today was B-E-A-yooo-tiful at the zoo. The leaves are gorgeous colors and the animals are all in good spirits. And at least it wasn't too cold to function for me. :)

I went in to do some conditioning with Gus the groundhog. We spent some time together, getting him used to me being in there, walking around, messing with his things. I fed him acorns the entire time so maybe that had something to do with it. He's making his own hay burrow so if you don't see him while you're in the zoo, he's snoozing already. Kind of a lazy boy.

As I made my way around the zoo, peeping in on all the animals, I (of course) was distracted by two whiny bear cubs, begging for acorns. I collected a bowl full and sat at the fence, tossing them treats. I can't believe they are getting so big! If you  haven't been to the zoo lately, stop by and check them out. I remember when they first arrived, weighing just under 7 pounds. They've become so curious and independent in the last few weeks and it makes me wonder exactly what will happen as the weather continues to cool down. Will they go into a hiberation? Or will they follow our actions, staying awake all winter because of us giving them adequate food and shelter? Time will tell and every day is a guessing game for us lately. They are changing every day and each day is a learning experience that I wouldn't trade for the world.

And speaking of bears, I was able to sneak up on DJ, the grown bear, and see him swimming today!! He was sitting in his pond, with just his head poking out. He would raise his arms really high and splash in the water. Then he'd run to the shallow area, scoop up some muck from the bottom of the pond, and eat whatever was in his paw. Tadpoles I'm assuming. In almost a year of working with these animals, today was the first day I've ever seen him play in the water. It was amazing!! He looked so content just splashing and playing. I know he weighs ~400 pounds but he sure has some adorable antics. How did Christopher Robin say it? Silly ol bear.

Hopefully tomorrow brings great things also. We look forward to seeing you at the zoo!

Posted by Lynsey

There's an owl in my bookcase.....

So, we are starting a new blog here at the Zoo.

It's kind of exciting.  We plan to do our Keeper Blog here, where we talk about various happenings around the Zoo- what the animals are doing, programs or exhibits we may be working on, or just our random thoughts about Zoo life.

We will try to make it a daily publishing; but just so you know, we can't guarantee that.  Just because of what our jobs entail we may not be in the office long enough to create a post for the day.  But you can expect to read entries from Clint, Lynsey and myself on a regular basis.

As to today's title- there really is an owl in my bookcase right now:  Radar; he's our program screech owl.  One of his enrichment activies is bringing him out of his enclosure and letting him hang out in the office with us.  He likes to sit on the bookcase on my desk and watch out the door.  If he sees anyone coming up the sidewalk, he gives out his little alarm call.  It's almost like having a living doorbell sitting just in front of my head.

That's probably it for the first post.  I've got to get back to some paper work that needs to get done....  We do hope you come visit the Zoo sometime soon.  We have a lot of things up our sleeves that we are very excited about.  Keep an eye here, and you may be among the first to learn what's new!

Thanks for your support!
Posted by Berkeley