June 16, 2011
Read the keeper diary about bringing Damai to the Zoo.
Damai is settling in nicely in her new home. It was overwhelming for her at first. At the San Diego Safari Park, Damai was used to visitors who were in vehicles, and there was a visible fence separating them from her. She must have been quite surprised when she went outside for the first time here in Washington. All those people running around loose! With no truck to contain them or fence to keep them away!
Advice for Visitors
The toughest thing for Damai to get used to has been the shouting. I’m not sure why people shout at the animals but we see it all the time. And not just the lions and tigers but all the animals. The animals hate it and all they want to do is get away from the noise. The best piece of advice I can give you when coming to the zoo is that the noisier you are the fewer animals you will see, and the quieter you are the more animals you will see.
But as I said Damai is adjusting well and seems to have decided that while the people are awfully close, they are not actually a threat to her.
Learning to Come Inside
In addition to getting used to her admiring public, Damai needed to learn to come inside when she heard the door open. This is probably the most important thing any of our cats learn here at the Zoo. You never know what kind emergency can occur or when, but if your cat will come inside when you ask, it will be safe. That’s why they get most of their food when they come inside. We want them to hear that door open and think “Yeah! Supper time!”
On her first day in the yard, Damai went outside at about 8 a.m. She came in at about midnight! Once she was outside, there wasn't much we could do to make her come in. It’s not like we could get behind her and push—we just had to wait. It was decided that keeper Karen would stay late and I would return in the wee hours of the morning. This way, there would be someone to close the door behind her if and when she came in. I was pretty happy to get that phone call at midnight saying that Damai was back inside.
And Go Outside Again
For a week or two after that the problem was not getting her in but getting her to go out. You can’t force an animal to be brave and you can’t reason away their fears. We just let Damai take her time and decide for herself that the yard was safe and that it was more fun outside than inside.
Some members of the FONZ Photo Club showed remarkable patience as well, waiting for Damai to make an appearance. Wildlife photography is not for the weak! Janice Sveda was rewarded with some great shots of Damai stalking some (very foolish) mallards in the moat. Craig Salvas was there the day that Damai’s curiosity first overcame her fear and she really started to explore the yard. They have been kind enough to share their photos with us. Thanks!
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