Tour guide Georgie's day

 

Today was a quiet day in the zoo but my talks were still well attended, which is heart warming.  Visitors were in the main new to what we do but it was lovely to chat to a couple that make sure they visit at least twice a year.  They said there was always something new to see when they come and they loved our new meerkats.  I spent some time today trying to teach everyone how to 'talk tiger'.  Tigers don't purr: of all the big cats, only cheetahs are purring cats and they don't have the ability to roar as the others do.  To show pleasure and greet one another tigers blow air down their noses to make a 'chuffing' sound, officially called 'prusten'.  
 More news next Monday, thanks for reading!! Georgie

Tour Guide Georgie shares her day

I had a great day at the zoo today.  I had some lovely visitors come along on my talks. One family travelled from Guildford especially to come to our zoo for the day, which was lovely. I was asked some very delicate and sensitive questions, especially regarding the size of the enclosures compared to the space that these magnificent predators would have as a territory in the wild.  As I said then, tigers are being squeezed into smaller and smaller territories by man and they are hunted for ancient oriental medicines, often before they have matured.  Our tigers have been born into human care environments: they don't know what it feels like to be hunted or hungry. If they are unwell we call our vet, Matt, in to care for them straightaway.  They are encouraged to express natural behaviour and often show their feelings of enthusiasm and excitement.  They are so loved by all that work here and their adoring public.  Our cats treat their spaces just like their territories, marking and spraying, and patrolling the perimeters.  So I guess that one of the most important things that I've learned whilst working at the zoo is that our cats are the ambassadors of their species. We are privileged to work alongside them - predators in smaller safer 'territories'.  Here is a photo of the lovely 'Lola' (an ex-circus tiger) showing her lovely physique stretching up to get her meat at the Big Cat Feed today at 4.30pm.  Thanks for reading this.... I'm here every Monday!!