It's Time for Hay!

Well it's getting time for hay. With the cooler mornings we felt it necessary to add hay to our smaller cats (bobcats, servals and caracals). Let me tell you, they are enjoying it. As soon as the hay was put into their house, the cats went straight over to check it out. This morning, every single bobcat, serval and caracal were snuggled in their warm, cozy house. Even during the afternoon, they will stay in their house. I think they like the feel of the hay and the cushion it adds. It won't be long until we are adding hay to all the animals of IEAS as Winter approaches.

Rainy Days

Well, the animals are enjoying some much needed rain. You would think on days like today, you would find the animals in their houses staying warm and dry. Well, not the tigers. Majority of the tigers are out walking around as if it was a nice sunny day. Akbar, Arusha, and Kumar stayed on their perch relaxing. Makeen and Noel are up walking around just checking things out while Sabrina is in her cave watching the rain come down. Our group of young tigers, Kimberly and Karen and Allie and Rasul are taking time to play in the rain like little kids. I guess it takes more than just a little rain to keep these guys in. If you didn't mind getting soaked to the bone, it is actually really cute to watch these guys have fun.

Shauna got a pumpkin today for enrichment. She loved it! As soon as they raised her house gate, she ran inside and grabbed it. Even though the pumpkin was the size of two put together, Shauna grabbed it with ease and ran around with it. It was as though she was showing off her prize. She eventually settled with it near her perch and just bit into it and rolled around with it. She would hide behind her tree and then jump out and pounce on it. After playing with it a bit longer, she carried it up on her perch and laid next to it. I think she was ready for a nap by then.

Minor Repairs

Well, we have been doing some minor repairs the past few days. First, Ron's favorite perch needed to be replaced. He loves lying on the perch every morning, but over time it just got to the point it needed to be fixed. So, Roy and Christi worked hard all last week to build him a new perch. This morning, that project was finally complete. Anyone can guess where Ron has spent the rest of the day.

Another repair being made is to the Grizzly pool. With the cooler weather comes cracks in the pools. So the Grizzlies have been supervising our progress on their pool. The interns and staff have been working hard these past two days to re-cement and mortar their pool again. Tomorrow all we have to do is rinse the pool and fill it. Then we just watch them enjoy their pool. For anyone who has seen them, these four bears LOVE their pool. With this beautiful fall weather, those who haven't visited the animals that call IEAS home, you should come out and see them.

Dakar and Lucky

Today Dakar and Lucky were enjoying the beautiful weather. They were in their meadow area of Bear Orphanage playing together. Lucky would start out on top of Dakar almost like putting him in a head lock, but then Dakar would duck under and poor Lucky would end up on his back. They were like two little kids wrestling. Meyote soon came to break up the fun. When she arrived, they all just sat there looking at each other. I think they enjoyed it more when it was just the boys.

Pumpkin Season is Here!

Tis the season for pumpkins! That means loads of fun for the felines and more to eat for the bears! The bears love pumpkin season as they enjoy trying to break them open to see what's inside. They love the pumpkins seeds, and eat them one by one. The felines enjoy playing with the pumpkins; it's a new enrichment item for them to play with. Some cats will roll them around and bat at them while others will shred them to pieces. When they shred them, it's usually in their pool which makes it fun for us to clean up.....not really, but we do enjoy watching them have fun. That is the entertaining part. So, if you have any old pumpkins you would like to donate to the animals of IEAS, please let us know. We would be happy to take them. The animals really enjoy them every fall, and it is something for them to look forward to during this season.

Enjoying the Cooler weather

The cooler weather has all the keepers and interns bundling up during their morning chores. However, the animals are loving it! They are more frisky in the morning during feeding, but they spend their afternoons basking in the sun taking long naps. The leopards and cougars are lounging on their high perches in the sun and the bears are hanging out in the trees a lot more these past few days. The tigers of course still enjoy splashing in their pools. It has to get much colder than this to stop them from enjoying the water. We have had tigers playing in their pool when there was snow out!

Caesar's Pool

The new interns had their first experience with mortar this week. We had to repair Caesar's pool since it started leaking. The interns enjoyed mortaring Caesar's pool. This is just one of the many skills they learn while interning at IEAS. Caesar also was grateful that he has his pool back. His favorite place to lie is in the fall right next to the spout. He just relaxes there under the tree watching the world go by. He has a good vantage point from this particular spot.

Scooter and Greta

Scooter and Greta are growing into young little bears. It's amazing how big they have gotten in just the past few weeks! They are spending more time napping lately. They will come out to visit with their caregivers and to eat, but after a good play session, they usually end up back inside to nap. The past few weeks, Scooter is spending more time with his human caregivers while they visit. I guess the newness of Greta has worn off and he misses his human social interaction. Don't get me wrong, he and Greta still play while we are with them, and Greta enjoys relaxing during the visits. With the cooler weather approaching, they are actually becoming more mellow and will end up laying with their human friends chewing on twigs or just sniffing the air. We are so happy to see that Greta and Scooter were able to find their happy ending.

Update on Bill the Black Bear

Bill has come a long way in the past three years. He is spending more time outdoors. He now enjoys cooling off in his pool, interacting with his neighbors (the grizzly bears) and we have even seen him lounging on one of his perches. The past few nights he has been sleeping outside on his perch instead of in his cave like he has in the past.

For those who don't know about Bill, before coming to IEAS, Bill had lived in a 9x4 foot cage tucked away in a barn on a remote property in Gonzales County. He had no view of the outdoors as he had the covering over the top and sides of his cage and had not even stepped foot on grass before. Authorities confiscated Bill as soon as they were tipped off to his deplorable condition, and he was sent to the North Texas Humane Society until a home could be found for him. Once IEAS heard that a home had not been found for Bill, we knew we needed to rescue this distraught bear and give him a chance at a better life. When Bill arrived at his new home, he was in complete shock. It was the first time in his life that his paws with cracked and dried pads touched the sand and grass. He had never in his life been outside! He never walked on grass, sat or splashed in a pool, climbed a tree or even seen the sky! He spent his first month sitting by his water trough in a corner with a blank stare on his face. It was obvious he was in shock and couldn't comprehend the variety of new stimuli that was before him. He wasn't used to having all this room and wasn't sure what to do. After a month, he made his first step; he climbed a tree. We were not expecting this. He stayed in the tree for a day and then decided to climb down. Once Bill got used to his surroundings, he spent most of his time in his cave. He would come out every now and then to eat and cool off in his pool, but he just felt more comfortable in the privacy of his own cave.

After a rough beginning Bill has made great progress, not just physically but emotionally. He now enjoys visits from a few visitors and will allow them to watch him enjoy his pool. He is now comfortable with his surroundings and the staff who work so hard to give him the best quality of life possible. You can ask anyone who works here and they will just tell you how much they love and enjoy Bill. He isn't the youngest bear, but he has stolen the hearts of many in just the thee years he has been here.

A Big Thank You to Walmart

A few weeks ago, Richard Gilbreth, Director of IEAS, received a call from Kim, the Manager in the Meat Department at the Walmart Store #5312. It was some good news for the animals of IEAS. We now get donations from this Walmart store once a week. We get a variety of things including produce, meat, chicken, pasties, bread and much more! Not only do the cats of IEAS enjoy the steak and ground beef as a very special treat, the bears love the shrimp they get at least once a week! Let's not forget about the pastries. The pastries are the biggest hit with the bears. The grizzly bears enjoy rubbing in their cakes getting frosting all over their head and face! By the time they finish, they only have about a handful of cake left to eat. At least they had fun with their food before eating it. We want to take the time thank Walmart for donating all these goodies to the animals of IEAS, and also a special thanks to Dunn Produce and IGA in Boyd and Bridgeport for donating produce for the bears of IEAS. None of this would be possible if it weren’t for your help.

A Visit from Louis

Greta and Scooter enjoy their regular visits from Louis, the Animal behaviorist at the Sanctuary. They always seem to look forward to these visits. After eating, they will spend some social time with Louis either sitting on one of the perches or playing in their water tubs. What Louis is doing is providing these cubs with Emotional Enrichment. He gives them the source of security, comfort and affection they would be getting from their mothers...essentially becoming a parent figure to them. You can learn more about our unique Emotional Enrichment Program at our website.

Treats for the Bears

First, I would like to thank all of you who participated in Giving Day for the Sanctuary. I know it took patience, but I think it was a big success. Well the last few weeks, the bears have been enjoying some extra treats. We have been getting pastry treats donated for them, along with hot dogs, cakes, and even shrimp! The shrimp is a big hit with the grizzly bears. To say they love them is an understatement. Willie, a grizzly bear, and Greta, an American Black Bear, enjoy the pastry treats the most. Willie ended up rolling his head all over his cake that he got the other day. There was only about a fist full of cake left for him to actually eat. The rest was smeared all over his head and face. Greta loves the donuts and other pastries she gets with her meals. She will even eat those before the grapes. If you know our bears, you know that grapes are always the first to go, but with Greta, the pastries win out.

Get Up and Give

Get Up and Give! North Texas Giving Day
Wednesday, September 8, 2010 from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.

September 8^th is a day for you to go to your computer and give to the animals of IEAS! Between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Wednesday, September 8, 2010, nonprofits with an approved DonorBridge profile will receive matching funds when donations are made online through DonorBridge. This helps your gifts go farther than ever before!

Simply click here and you can help to make this a special day of all of these amazing animals. Then just click on the Donate Now button. You can donate as much as you want! The only requirement is a minimum donation of $25 for your gift to receive matching funds.

Please remember, the credit cards that will be accepted are American Express, Visa, Mastercard, and Discover. If you do not have a computer available to you at this particular time, please call our office at 940-433-5091 on September 8th, and we will be happy to take care of the transaction thru DonorBridge for you.

Gifts made on Giving Day will be processed through the Communities Foundation of Texas. Donations will appear on credit card statements as being payable to “CFTexas.” Donors will receive an acknowledgement email that includes an official gift substantiation/tax receipt. IEAS will be notified and given your contact information, unless you request to remain anonymous. If you do not receive an email receipt, please contact CFT directly at donorservices@cftexas.org, and they will provide another copy.

Thank you in advance for caring for these magnificent cats and bears. We hope that this will be a very special day for the animals of IEAS. Your gift will help to ensure that they continue to live a very happy, healthy life here at the Sanctuary!

Thank all of you so much for all your help!

Richard Gilbreth
Executive Director
International Exotic Animal Sanctuary
Cell: 940-393-9036
Office: 940-433-5091
richard@bigcat.org
www.bigcat.org

Scooter and Greta Play Hide and Seek

Scooter and Greta are enjoying their time together. They spend most of the morning and parts of the afternoon just playing outside together. The other day we were able to get some video of the two playing hide and seek together. Scooter would get under the perch while Greta was looking for him through the boards and trying to get at him any way she could. It was very cute to watch. We are glad that these to little bears were lucky enough to find each other. They really have bonded quite nicely in the last few days.

Scooter's New Friend

Greta came to us from a gentleman in Houston. This Good Samaritan rescued her from an animal shelter in IL. Greta had been exploited for her cuteness and used in photo ops in order to make money. When she could no longer provide profits, she was left at an animal shelter that was not equipped to care for her. The Good Samaritan knew if he didn't rescue Greta, she probably end up being euthanized. Most captive born bears, outside of zoological institutions, will face an uncertain future, full of torment and sad unimaginable outcomes.

A few months after rescuing Greta from an uncertain future, the Good Samaritan began to realize how lonely Greta was and how badly she needed a friend. He finally called Richard, Director of IEAS, for help. That is when he learned that IEAS had a little bear cub who needed a friend as well. So, Greta came to join Scooter at IEAS. In just the first hour of being together, Scooter and Greta hit it off. They enjoy each others company and have been playing almost non stop. This is truly a happy ending for both bears. When they are moved down to Bear Orphanage, a five-acre habitat that consists of meadow and forest areas, ponds, and dens, they will embark on a journey that few captive bears will ever experience... Freedom. The natural environment will allow the bears to grow and experience the freedom of open skies and seemingly endless boundaries.

Grizzly Bear Enrichment

The Grizzly bears got a treat today. They enjoyed fruit bocks during the hot afternoon. All we had to do was fill a bucket with water, add fruit to it and freeze it. We usually stick to their favorites: apples, pears, strawberries and of course don't forget the grapes. This is a big hit. We even gave Bill, the black bear who is a neighbor to the grizzlies, a fruit block. He came right out and started enjoying it. Of course, Bill always ends up pulling everything into his cave. You can check out more videos of the grizzlies and Bill enjoying their enrichment on our website, www.bigcat.org. Just go the the Animal page. You can also see videos and pictures of the cats enjoying blood buckets, which is a favorite treat for them during the hot summer days.

Khera's Pool

Well, now that the cooler weather has moved in, we are able to make some repairs to some of the pools. Today, interns got to perfect their mortaring skills while re-mortaring Khera's pool. Not only do interns learn how to properly care for these magnificent animals, but they learn about pool maintenance, vehicle maintenance, cementing pools and feed slabs, making troughs and working with PVC pipe. These are just a few of the many things they have the ability to learn during their internship.

Khera is a Bengal tiger who loves her pool. With this dry, hot weather, her pool began to leak as the ground shifted. Today, Khera laid by her drop gate and watched patiently as we fixed her pool. Eventually she did get bored and went into her house. Tomorrow she will be able to enjoy it again. Khera loves to play in her pool during the early evening hours. She will occasionally drag her firehose ball into the pool with her.

Scooter's Encounter with the Bumble Bee

Scooter had his first experience with a bumble bee the other day. The bee was crawling around outside his house while Scooter was rolling around inside his house. Well, on Scooter's way out he saw the bee and decided to give it a taste. Poor boy was quick to spit it out and left it alone.

On a happier note, Scooter did enjoy his purple boomer ball. He had a blast playing with it. He would pull it out of his water tub, throw it in the air and the roll around with it. You can see for yourself in the video clip.

We Finally Got the Picture

Domino is a male Jaguar who came to IEAS as a cub in 1993. During the hot Texas summers, he will occasionally cool off in his pool. Since he arrived, we have only been able to get two pictures of Domino in his pool. This summer is no different. We have seen him in his pool on numerous occasions with it being so hot. As soon as we get there with a camera, he just walks out of his pool and lies on his perch. Well, he was nice enough Saturday to wait for us. We finally got another picture of him in his pool! This summer heat is getting all of our animals to cool off anyway they can. Most of them have pools while others have mister systems to help them cool off. You can come see Domino and the others cooling off this summer on a tour. We have tours Saturdays at 11 and 3, Sundays at 11, and during the week just call the office to set up a time.