August 23
The cubs were completely unfazed by all the attention they received during their big debut on August 11. I arrived extra early that day so that Soyono and her boys could get outside well before the press and visitors arrived. We wanted Soyono to have a chance to check the yard thoroughly and assure herself that everything was safe before the cameras arrived. It was only the third day that they had all been outside together and she was still a little nervous. She and the boys had been outside on the previous two days, but the area had been closed to the public so that she could get used to the idea with as little stress as possible. We knew that as long as Soyono felt comfortable that everything would go well it would.
The news cameras, reporters, and FONZ members arrived and saw three happy, healthy cubs playing in the yard, watched by their beautiful and attentive mother. We all heaved big sighs of relief, and joined in with the oohing and aahing.
If you haven't had a chance to come and see them yet, don't worry. They will be cute for quite some time. Right now they are outside from 7:30 to 10 a.m. every day, but that window will gradually expand as the cubs continue to grow and their endurance increases, and as Soyono gets more relaxed. She is still very protective of them, and I think she would prefer that we leave the door open so that she can bring them back in at any time. Since we use this time to clean their cages we can't do that, and the cubs really want to stay outside all the time!
Because Besar, Jalan, and Marah have such a good time in the yard, the end of their outside time has attracted its own set of visitors who just come to watch us try and get the cubs in. Soyono is very good about coming in and then trying to call the boys inside, and very often she is successful. She will come inside and call to the boys and, if she has to, go back out and try and round them up and lead them back in.
One day she even grabbed Marah by the scruff of his neck and started to haul him toward the door! Jalan and Besar had already come in on their own. Marah was being a bit of a brat so his mother was just letting him know who the boss was. Every parent who has tried to round up her own kids at the beach or an amusement park knows just how she felt. Some days the boys come when called, but some days they just won't. On those days we have to shut Soyono inside and chase the boys in. Since they see us all the time they are not particularly afraid of us and do not run away. They merely hunker down in the bamboo and hiss. They have gotten way too big to safely pick them up, but fortunately we have found that there is one thing they are afraid of: an old sign made from sheet metal. When we shake that at them, it makes a sound sort of like thunder and that usually sends them towards the door. We sure hope that they learn to always come in with Mom before they learn not to be afraid of the sign!
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