Beware Gertrude!!

Ola good peoples.

As many of you know I recently became another year older. (wiser still in question)

This did not go unnoticed as my fellow staff mates jumped me and got me into the show pond. But hey what can we say.

News of my empire is that I am starting to handle the more advanced birds and have even started working some in show!! EPIC!

Next week I move onto some bigger and scarier birds, and no thats not Ed!! (You spazes!!). The mock shows are going well and with some hope and luck will be starting real shows soon.

Below is one of the more advanced birds that I got to handle. This is roufus the rock kestrel.

He is sitting on my glove eating his mouse. I know the vid quality is bad, but hey its the best my phone can do seeing as its raining out side

Below again is Cleo, the Cape Eagle Owl.

Now you may think that I only work with birds. LIES!!!

I also get to play with a 35kg albino python. This is Gertrude.

Happy Birthday Me

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME. WITH LOVE SHOW STAFF

Boo, I am alive

Hello again to all the masses.

As many people know I am no longer in Plettenberg, at the rehab center, but now have a fantastic job at the Monte Casino Bird Gardens as a trainer / show presenter.

All the staff are a bunch of complete nutters, which by me is just fine, it makes me look slightly normal.

The birds are all epic and beautiful in their own ways.

Below is a short video of Pedro, a green winged macaw have a shower in the rain storm.

She is a sweet heart who just love to give kisses and pick her nose. EEEWWW!! lol

The other macaw, Milley also loves giving kisses, but slips a bit of tounge into the picture.

Below is probably the most blood thursty, vicious owl I have ever seen, , ,

ED!!! DUM DUM DUM! (Please dont all scream at once).

Eddy here is such a cuty pie. 

Below is Cleo, the spotted eagle owl. 

Just lover those eyes.

Anyways that is all I have for now, but will have more photos and vids soon, 

so watch this space!!

The Awesome Animals

I have been privileged to work with a variety of animals while I have been at Tenikwa.

Will miss the excitement of getting new animals in, but I know they are in good hands

What I Had To Work With

Well through out my time here at Tenikwa I must say I have met some of the most interesting people that I know off. All of them are crazy, unhinged and I am sure that there was twitching too. But one thing that they were all is AWESOME FRIENDS.

Dumisani, aka Muntu.

Dumi showed me what I know about wildlife rehab. He was always up for mischief and never said no to heading to Toks (Local shabeen) for a drink that never ended that way. We always some how managed to come back drunk every time. He was always there and willing to teach and help anyone no matter what is happening.

Dominique

Dom was one of those happy go lucky people that not much could get him down. Seriously this man was EPIC, his car broke down about 300km away from work so he left it with some random man to fix and hitched hiked with truckers to get back to work.

We first met when he had to cram into my / his house before I moved into the farm house. 

One thing that dom taught me is that you never to macho to blow dry a swan baby!!!

HAHAHA.

Kela

Ah good old K. The amount of things we got up to is questionable. Never needed an excuse to have fun, even if it was just sitting on the grass talking crap. This girl may be small but her personality was massive, she gave me fudge, cookies (Thanks Kela's mom).

Lexi

O misses Charlie, we laughed and skinnered to much. LOL

Lexi can be described as hardcore, she went in the Cesar the Caracal, got half ripped to shreds came out and simply put, "I think I might need a bigger stick next time".

Between all of us, many students could have done PhD studies on our collective mental status.

I will miss these guys and think it might just be impossible to find people like this again

Not For The Faint Hearted

Being a rehab center, there where unfortunately some animals that did not make it.

If they died from unknown causes or if the animal was something new to the rehab I often did "post mortems" on the animal to learn or to try figure out what was wrong.

With the green sea turtle the disection was to learn the basic anatomical structure so if we needed to tube feed again we could see where to look and what structures to look for. Also if gasses got traped in the shell how and from where to remove them.

I also taught some of the other staff basic anatomy, so they could learn what is what and where it all lies.

Even if they never really took it seriously.

There was still mischief to be had even when dissecting a seal

My Dearest Miss Otter

As you guys know we got this fantastic Cape Clawless Otter in. 

We grew to love her, even though she smelled bad, and nearly broke my thumb.

She got the name Miss Otter.

She originally came in beacuse she was hit by a car, we managed to stabalise her and things where starting to look up. Sadly her condition got worse and despiste our best efforts, we could not save her.

I personlly want to thank Lexi, Dominque, Dumisani, and Kela for all the extra effort that you guys put in, not to mention all the extra night we had to spend with her. 

God speed Miss Otter