Things we learned at the zoo today

[xiphias]

1. Grey foxes can get hairballs. Or, at least, that's what it looked like. As a cat person, I recognize that particular hacking sound. . .

2. Snow leopards in a zoo couldn't really care less about humans nearby staring at them -- but the dog walking by on the sidewalk outside the zoo was VERY interesting. The leopard looked rather alert, and perhaps even a little jumpy, even after the dog was out of sight. The body language was more or less the same as Boopsie's when she would see another cat walk by outside the house. Boopsie didn't like other cats, and I suspect the snow leopard isn't a big fan of other carnivores of its approximate weight class.

3. A meerkat can pick a fight with a stick and lose. Twice. Same stick both times.

Comments

[marquisedea.livejournal.com]

hahaha that sounds awesome! what zoo did you go to?

[juliansinger.livejournal.com]

Sounds like the Stone Zoo. (I'm hoping to go next week.)

[wildcard9.livejournal.com]

How in the world does a meekrat loose a fight to a stick, let alone loose twice to the same stick??

[felis-sidus.livejournal.com]

Smart stick?

[micheinnz.livejournal.com]

Meerkats have ten braincells. Eight of them are used in the standing-on-two-legs business they like so much. But if they do that for two long, the blood rushes to their feet, and they lose the ability to use the other two braincells. Which results in their being outwitted by a stick.

[redbird]

There are additional brain cells, but they're entirely devoted to babysitting and tracking the schedules for same.

here from metaquotes

[bosswolf.livejournal.com]

are y'all talking about meerkats or The Babysitters' Club? /silly

Re: here from metaquotes

[yaminekohyousai.livejournal.com]

Same thing, really.

[cheshyre]

Bumped into the stick -- surprise buttsecks!

Meerkat freaked a bit, ran off, spent a little time all jumpy and paranoid.

Then, a little later wandered back near the same stick and somehow managed to back into it again This time, it actually whirled around in anger and bit the damn thing.

The first time it happened, we assumed it was just stupid and felt sorry for the little bugger.
The second time... I'm wondering if we're seeing some kind of fetish.

[fibro-witch.livejournal.com]

It's all an act. Now that the Meerkat's in Africa have their own show. Every meerkat and their mother wants to at least be on America's Funniest Animals or something.

[soberloki.livejournal.com]

OMFG... I love it. Can I metaquotes you?

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

As always, if it's not friendslocked, feel free!

[gingicat]

Last time I went to the Stone Zoo, the assorted big cats were VERY interested in the small children, and stalked them from the other side of the Plexiglass.

[pixel39.livejournal.com]

My favorite stalking story is the time my sister and I went to the Minnesota Zoo, back when there was a tiger display cage instead of a meerkat exhibit. We were having a wonderful time chatting and chuffing with the tiger (he was very exited and happy to see us and rubbing the bars and all) when some people came walking by with a woman in a wheelchair. When he saw them, he crouched, and when they came directly opposite the cage he pounced.

Heh.