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Just thought I'd share pics of some of the animals in my life.......

This is Arguss, 3-year-old Jack Russell Terrier, worshiper of food, Momma's boy. I love going places with Arguss, he's a big traveler and we go to Jack Russell Terrier trials every summer:





Here's Arguss doing Go To Ground at his first Texas terrier trial:



These are my other babies, Willieking and Meeka. They're White Bengal Tigers and are around 7 months old now. I've known their father since he first came to the zoo and I've been lucky enough to get to know them from a very young age. The first time I met them they were only 5 days old(wish I had gotten a picture then, they were so sweet!) but these pictures were taken at around 5 to 6 weeks. The striped male is Willieking and Meeka's the one with almost no stripes at all. I spent A LOT of time when them when they were babies(can't even begin to think of how many times I've bottle fed them or how many times they've torn me up during play) and I still do. I've really enjoyed the privalige of getting to know them and I've learned so much about my favorite big cats because of them:









I love them both so much but Willieking has to be my favorite of the two. He's so wild and outgoing and he reminds me of his daddy, Kumar, so much.

Sir Argyle Augustus Gryphon(Gryphon for short) is my rare blue budgerigar. He's got a Jekel and Hyde personality, during the day he's as sweet as can be but at night....watch out! Don't even think of getting him out of his cage after dark, he'll bite you until your hand looks like Swiss cheese. He loves listening to Evening Jazz and squalks along to MPR news on the radio in the morning(ugh) and loves eating at the table out of your plate:







That's leaving out all the horses but I'll get to them later.......

OMG TQ I would kill to have your job!! Bottle feeding a baby tiger?! They are so sweet

Aw, they're lovely.. you're so lucky.

You have the most wonderful job in the world, though it might be painful too. I mean having to let them o when they're older.

I've been a Zoo Explorer for 2 years now, it's incredible. I've gotten to know just about every animal personally and have so many opportunities to educate people(I'm a councelor for the Sumer Safari kids camp at the zoo, I also stop to tell people more about the animals if I'm just out putting food out or cleaning something) which I absolutely LIVE to do. From Gunther and Taluka the lion and lioness to Flame the zoo office's Eclectus parrot, I've gotten to know the animal's individual personalities and quirks. I talk to them just as easily as I can talk to any human being.

I was SO exited to hear last week that Willie and Meeka aren't going anywhere. Originally they were planning to give them away to another zoo within the state to help that zoo's conservation efforts but new plans are being made for the tigers in the expansion process so that much more area will be devoted to them. Only 2 months ago I was able to walk them around the zoo on leashes and let people meet them. Now they're mean, lean(not to mention BIG) playing machines that can REALLY tear you up. The last time I was "in" with them Meeka sliced my pants all the way down, just scraping my leg. She was trying to climb me like she would the tree in her enclosure. I've been keeping myself on the other side of the fence lately. I really miss playing with those two but just watching them interacting with eachother and their enrichment toys and knowing that they'll be staying is rewarding enough.

I'll try to get some more recent photos up soon, they're gorgeous.

Wow, you lucky person you . Willieking has a beautiful fur, so does Meeka. And Gryphon is adorable, I own one too his name's Paulie ^^.

They're really beautiful animals.*waits patiently to see some more*

Good Gawd...you are so lucky! I would KILL for your job!!!

aww there all so cute, your so lucky to have tigers

Hello big cat fellow!

Ironically, you seem to have close contact to most animals I do too: tigers, lions, big parrots and budgies.

How are the youngsters?

Haha - that's the trio I've to raise:

Arisha


Amir


& Hairball (who's one of my very best friends today) - he's the one using his brother as pillow

They're gorgeous Kovu; do you own them?

No... no... even if I'd be the owner - I wouldn't ever say that I own an animal. Same as you can't "own" a kid.

I see them as my friends, and care for them by the conviction that they have a great and interesting life in captivity.

We're a park that cares for captive pantherines, pumas and bears that would originally have been killed by their owners (hence, zoos that are lacking money and space to keep them).

Hairball, Amir and Arisha, however, were born in our park. Normally we try to avoid offspring, as our space is limited too, and as we try to offer a new home to as many abandoned or not wanted cats as possible. We simply didn't manage to separate their parents at the right time - and now... I got the lucky position to raise the youngsters (actually it was Hairball who decided over this, as he always wants to stay together and play with me [originally I didn't even work there, I was there for my studies on pantherines])

EXELLENT point

And I thought I was lucky enough to have contact with AT LEAST my two, *I* would kill to work on a reserve. I'll bet you weren't too dissapointed when you found out about those precious cubs....