August 5
The boys continue to thrive. We did not weigh them this week since we can see that they are doing well, and catching them is starting to get a little too exciting for the keepers! The smallest cub continues to be the most ferocious, while the biggest is the most confident and relaxed. I think the middle cub may be the smartest: He figures out on his own that he has to move away from the door before we can let his mother back in from outside. We see the cubs trying to get up on the bench with Soyono, but we can't tell on the monitor who is who so we are not sure if everyone is showing climbing ability or just one or two of them.
Since we are seeing them (hopefully, all of them) trying to climb, it means that they will be ready to go out soon. Yeah!! We are starting to do a little training with Soyono to get her ready. Since there are almost certainly going to be television cameras for the cubs' debut, we are getting her used to the all the things that she will see on that first media day. We saved a couple of boxes that the meat comes in and have painted them black. These are the cameras. We have also made microphones out of broom sticks with socks on the end. Admittedly, they wouldn't fool any of you, but we aren't really trying to fool you or Soyono either. We just want these things to be familiar, and for her to realize that they are not a danger to her cubs.
We will also be enlisting the help of a small army of volunteers. Much as we would like to, the keepers cannot stay and watch the cubs whenever they are out in the yard. Our friends at FONZ have organized a group of volunteers who will be keeping on eye on the boys while they are outside. The volunteers will have walkie talkies and can let us know if there are any problems.
I don't know what we would do here at the Zoo without all the volunteers. From the keeper aids to the fund raisers, to special opportunities like cub watching and so much more, they do so much to make the National Zoo what it is. So, if you are a volunteer, thank you! If you are interested in volunteering, learn how to get involved. We would love to see you!
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