I met the world's bravest person today.

Two days ago, I got to experience the joy of de-worming twenty helmeted guineafowl. They are really pretty birds with black and white spotted bodies and blue heads with red wattles and a little horn on their head. Me and another technician entered a small barn where the guineas are housed for the night. Immediately, I was overcome by the stifling heat as I crouched to avoid hitting my head on the low ceiling. My long sleeves started sticking to me, and my back was cramping when I got briefed on the objective...run the birds to the other side of the barn and behind a door where we can scoop two up at a time and take them outside to be de-wormed. My supervisor was waiting outside with the medications, and we were to knock on the door when we were ready with birds. We had put on the long sleeves as an extra precaution, because these birds have been known to scratch and resist capture. Humorously enough, we began to make a joke from the popular youtube sensation, and started singing, "We climbin' in yo windows, snatchin' the guineas up, tryin' to worm 'em, so y'all need to hide your legs, hide your beaks..." It was great fun, and at first it went pretty well. You always catch the dumb ones first. The way we held the birds was very funny. We held them by their rough legs, one finger betwen the ankles, and one bird to each hand. Their little heads lifted at an arch, looking around like, 'What the heck?' With me and the tech each possessing two birds, we went out for the medicines. The process was to swing the bird up into the crook of your arm and wrap around it to hold the wings down, while the other lady opened the beak and gave the meds. Once they were ready to be released, we did what I can only call the guinea-swing. You take the guinea, still holding it by the feet, and give it a little under-handed toss away from you. In the time while the bird starts to propel through the air, you hold your breath...will he flap in time to break his fall? And they always did. After landing, they trotted off into their overgrown yard with quick waddling steps. As we got down to the last few, it began to get a little harder as they were the clever ones who had already escaped our last four capturings. In the end, the tech netted the final two in one swoop and we got the job done. During the de-worming process, we found one bird with highly swollen legs, very pale wattles, and flaky dry skin. We treated him for mites by dusting, but we are bringing him in to the vet wing tomorrow to see if it may be something more going on. I will have an update on him soon.

The little duckling started getting bad again over the last two days. I took him outside to graze for a bit three days ago and the little chap, who we thought would quietly walk around me in the grass, started frantically running away from me into the parking lot. So, we decided that was not a good idea, and put him back in for the night. The next day, his walking had become labored, and with each step he took, his little chest would sink to the floor. It was utterly depressing, considering how far we had come. When he had his running episode, we considered relasing him the next day. We're sure he misses his other little duckling friends. He's even been eating a lot less lately. By the doctor's request, I moved him to a bigger stall, out of the ICU, where he has a little pond, sunshine, and much room to walk around. He does seem happier, especially to have the pond, and the walking had improved somewhat today. We've been feeding him lots of extra mealworms, which he loves, and we've dusted them in Calcium and vitamins so hopefully one of the several changes we've made will cause more improvement. It's hard to know exactly what is going on with him, and it's frustrating, because I've grown so fond of him. I've been calling him "cheeper" affectionately, and I love to hold his tiny body against my chest when I must move him, despite the fact that he flaps indignantly against me, ready to get away from this strange animal carrying him. Here are pictures of him--he has grown so much since the last picture several entries ago!!!

In other news, the most amazing thing happened today. I was doing my weekly duties at the petting pen, loving life as I sat among the goats, lightly scratching their heads and letting them chew my keys (Hope was enjoying it very much!)

I was also watching our old seventeen year old lady, Baby Ruth, who is just sweet as peaches, and who posed so lovely for my photos.

Well, during this peaceful time among the goats and the hilarious children who ask the funniest questions and to whom I love talking about animals, a young and vivacious girl walked in. She was very pretty, big green eyes, long dark hair and the world's biggest, brightest smile. She asked me if I always work in the goat pen, and I told her about how I actually work with the vet staff. She told me how she's been volunteering at another zoo, and has always wanted to work with animals. I found out she is in high school, and just asked her a variety of questions about her dreams. These sort of discussions are my favorite. She was happy to oblige, was so mature in her answers, and so happy in her goals, that I never would have guessed what was coming. As she talked of Africa, where she would love to work on conservation, she mentioned how she would be unable to, because of her sickness (cancer). She has decided to stay in the States and work in a zoo, and though she may only have a little while to live, she is desperate to get through these next fews years so that she may fulfill her lifelong goal. She was so hopeful, so full of life. How could something that was full of death be inside her, taking over? It broke my heart and yet lifted it at the same time. She was so determined and so happy. The whole story brought tears to my eyes, but also made me so thankful for my life, my opportunities, and I pray that that little girl will achieve her dreams, because she deserves it, and the animals of the world deserve a beautiful person like her to work with them. It's amazing what comes out of seemingly bland situations (goat pen) if only you open your mouth and connect with those around you.

I've decided that I just love our new hammerkop in quarantine. It was a struggle at first between us two. I was warned that they can become so stressed out they fly into walls and can break their own necks. I wanted desperately to make a connection to this bird, but how in the world would I be able to with him so flighty? When I came into the quarantine building and got suited up in the terrible sweat-sauna plastic full-body suits, boots, and gloves we wear, I would try my hardest to make next to no noise. His stall has an indoor part, with a little pond and an outside part, with perches. As I cleaned inside, I had to do so from a distance, spraying the hose through the grates, and only entering to exchange the food bowl or open the drain. When I did enter, I had to do so very stealthly, so as not to shake the bars and distress him. He was so keen on my movement, even from outside. Every step I took elicited a loud squawk-squawk-squawk from his long, thin beak. I was stressed out during the whole procedure, thinking he would freak out on me and go flying to his death. The first two days, he didn't eat anything we gave him. After those two days, he started to warm up, though. By day three, he was eating most all of his fish, and his favorite, the raw meatballs that I placed on his ledge. Still, he would not enter the building while I was there. However, yesterday, as I had finished cleaning, and was gladly stripping the quarantine gear, I saw his head poke round the corner. He was curious about me and what I had done in his house. He walked in, and then back out again. I smiled a little and backed away to a non-threatening distance. When he peeked around this time, he found that it was okay to enter, and came inside to take a drink of water and splash his face in his pond. He stood there for a minute or two, and as I started to leave, he went back outside. Some progress was made. Today was great, though! As I got up to his outer stall, I noticed he had pooped in there. Well, we'd been waiting on this, for quarantined animals need fecal samples read that say they are clear of parasites before they can be released to exhibit. But how was I to get the sample without him stressing? I paced my movement, made every step deliberate, and tried to not take my eyes from him, but also not look him threateningly in the eye. Animals know when you look at them threateningly, and some animals especially hate it if you give them eye contact. That being said, some of the more developed species can read eye contact and gauge wether it is a threatening gaze or that of mere interest. I didn't want to risk the eye contact gamble, so I just peered at him every few seconds and moved doors at a snails pace. He squawked as I entered to get the poop, but did not flap ferociously as he had in the past. I felt  hopeful for today's cleaning. So, as I was inside the building, I took away his food dish from the previous day, cleaning out the sickening remains of raw meat and fish parts, nearly puking in the process. And, by golly, the little fella came right inside and hopped in the food dish holder (a wooden box on a perch) and started indignantly pecking at the empty box, as if to say, "Lady, where is my food? Aren't you the one who brings the new food?" I giggled to myself, and calmly shooed him back outside. I cleaned in the stall and after stepping out, he stepped inside. He did his same face-splashing routine, and as I left the building this time, he stayed inside. Finally, I would be able to clean the outside stall by going into it! He had figured out that he can spend time inside while I am outside. So I get outside, sweating to the nines in the terrible heat of that suit, and sneak into his cage, hose ready. I start cleaning, and happily, because it was getting pretty gross in there. During the spraying process, he sneaks outside onto his tree limb perching. And he cocks his little hammer head and just looks at me curiously. He gave one squawk and then just proceeded to sit. Thinking I was not posing much threat, I continued to clean. He continued to sit in the branch. And thus began our friendship. He was fine with me being in there, he had pointedly called for his food when I had taken the old away, and he was not going to break his neck on a wall! How much patience pays off! I am so tickled that he has warmed up to me, and I feel such a great sense of accomplishment. I also relate to this hammerkop, as I take much time to warm up to people, but once I've decided I love you, I'll love you forever. It was a happy day.

Pictures of the hammerkop to follow soon!