aaaannndd more from Nashville!!

Today was such an interesting day!! I got to start getting familiar with our Hornbill, Jane, and she seems to be liking me well enough. I’m really excited to get to know her a lot better and hopefully soon I’ll be able to handle her.

I also got to hold the Harris Hawk, Diego, today!!! I was going to ask this morning, but the opportunity never really presented itself. Then this afternoon my supervisor asked me if I wanted to take her back to her pen from the amphitheater! Of course, I said yes! So, if they’re asking me to do stuff like that then I must be doing something right. Too bad no one had a camera, but perhaps there will be other times when someone does have one handy.

It was a strange day… Victoria, the other intern, got bit by two birds and then our Red Tail Hawk, who thinks she’s a human (imprinted) and finds other humans to be a threat, grabbed Victoria through the mesh on the side of his cage and got her headband and one of the keepers had to get her off. Luckily, the only injury she got was just one scrape on her head and some major bruising.

I got bit by my opossum buddy, Oscar, bit my hand. Drew some blood, but a bandaid made it all better. He has some trouble walking (blood tests will be done soon) and I had woken him up and was going to move him so that the Zoo Teen could clean his pen since they don’t have authorization to move them, and I had my hand somewhat in front of his face and I think he was just so frustrated with being awake (nocturnal animal), with being moved, and not being able to move well on his own… and so he took it out on me. The Zoo Teen jumped more than I did and it stung at first. But it wasn’t a deep bite since I think it was just a warning telling me he was cranky. Strangely enough though, I wasn’t angry… I had no emotion about it except for a matter of fact thing and just fixed it and went along with my day. I have no hard feelings towards Oscar at all and actually gave him a treat and pet him later that day. Maybe it’s because I’ve accepted the fact that it’s a zoo… and it’s part of the job.

And that’s my day!!!

~*~Shilo~*~

Andy Heim internship with research experience for undergraduates (Huntsville, TX)

hey y'all I'm in Texas and I think the heat may be a little too much for me. We average between 95-100 degrees, and I'm in the part of Texas where there is humidity. Currently at Sam Houston State University I am working with my mentor on a research project involving the bullhead minnow and blackstripe topminnow. Fish are not necessarily my favorite, but this experience has given me a new appreciation for them. I have been here for nearly a month and I have learned that research is not for me. I am having fun and learning a lot, but teaching and doing research would not motivate me to skip to work everyday. However, things are going quite well and I will be sad to say goodbye. :)

Nashville Zoo

So, I'm one month into my internship at the Nashville Zoo and I'm loving it!!! I'm working in the Education Animal Building (EAB) helping to care for the animals which are used in the shows and for promotions. In the morning is general cleaning and maintence time. After that is all done we start working on diets. After lunch, there are two shows which I help with along with training the animals. I'm also learning how to handle most of these animals.

I work with a number of different animals including: Two-Toed Sloth, some Macaws, some Parrots, Opossums, New Guinea Singing Dog, Serval, Caracal Lynx, some arthropods and amphibians, some snakes, and some birds of prey, some skunks (descented)... etc.

Today was a sad day though... Our Quaker Parakeet, Dinero, died this morning. I had gotten really attached to him and it was sad to see him randomly get sick. They'll be doing a physical necropsy soon... so I'll keep you updated on that.

Well, that seems like a pretty good first blog on here if you ask me. If you have any questions, feel free to ask and I'll be sure to answer them to the best of my ability!!

-Shilo Cushman

Rehabilitation Internship

So this summer i'm doing my second internship at Avian Haven in Freedom Maine. I did my first one at The Raptor Trust in New Jersey. That is where I found that I have a passion for wildlife rehabilitation and want to pursue my career in it. Obvisously being a Wildlife Care and Education major I wanted something to do with wildlife but I didnt know what until my internship last year. This summer I am furthering my education in Avian Rehabilitation at Avian Haven.

I've only been there for two weeks but I love every minute of it even if my days start at 8am and aren't over until 7ish. They are long days but they are completely worth it. Last year I got a taste of what my life will be like when I continue my career but this internship is actually showing me how intense and interesting it is going to be. I'm doing a lot more and getting more hands on experience.

So far i've helped tube a Red Tailed Hawk, held a Barred Owl, "Milk" a Great Blue Heron, change a dressing on a gosling and not to mention feed counts amounts of baby birds. Its only the start of the summer so I know i'll be doing a lot more and I can't wait!

Jill

Great Idea!

Nicole

Thanks for the great project...wonderful for all the students as well as faculty/staff to see what is happening

Lets hope lots of folks post stuff frequently

Tom Mullin

Unexpected

What type of things came up during your internship that you did not expect? Good, bad or neutral.