 Greetings,
It’s
winter and you’re getting cabin fever. Come
to the wide-open spaces of Fossil Rim and observe our animals
as they delight in the cooler temperatures. Let our special
educational day on January 22 and our Scenic
Wildlife Drive $2 off coupon entice you to emerge from your dwellings
and enjoy an un-crowded experience.
I’ve
seen blackbuck and Fallow Deer pronking (a stiff-legged
jump straight
into the air) exuberantly and the rhinos running
in sheer joy just because the weather has turned cooler.
Take in these sights and many more from the heated comfort
of your car during these cold winter months. Bring your
family and friends and enjoy a special time together.
I’ll
be looking for you,
 
Jan
Bussey
Education Specialist
About Jan
 They
say elephants have good memories?
By Dr. Holly Haefele
Ichabod
is a very unique individual. He was born into a very cold
world on January
4th, 1999,
and immediately began to suffer from hypothermia. Giraffe
calves are very susceptible to the cold, so Ichabod was
taken to our Animal Clinic for treatment and the decision
was made
to hand-raise him. Ichabod really loved nursing from his
bottle and was fed this way for nearly a year. Unfortunately
when he was one and a half years old, Ichabod became very
ill. We took a chance and offered him his bottle again,
and he took right to it, getting the antibiotics he needed
to
become well again. He was treated for a joint infection
that caused swelling and pain. The infection was caused
by a microorganism
called mycoplasma, and it was the first time a giraffe
had ever been found to have this type of arthritis. The
case
and Ichabod’s successful recovery is detailed in
an article written for the Journal of Wildlife Diseases
in 2003:
Mycoplasma-associated polyarthritis in a reticulated giraffe.
Continued >>
Want
to help?
• Bongo
update – Our
three new and pretty Bongo females are adjusting nicely
to their new physical environment and seem to be dealing
with our Texas winter quite well. You will find them in
the pasture with the Kudu’s (the first cattle guard
you cross after entering the wildlife drive).
Continued
>>
To find out more about the Bongo read
our press release >>
 • Maximus – AKA
MAX, our 3 month old baby Cheetah who is being raised by
Mary Jo is thriving and still wreaking havoc when Mary
Jo brings him in to the office. We tried introducing him
to Kodi but
the meeting didn’t go too well.
•
Kodi – Find out how you can meet Kodi and his handler
Curt at
our Overlook Educational activity on Saturday January
22nd.
Dr.
Robin Radcliffe is in Indonesia to help endangered Sumatran
Rhinos
For those
not in the know, our Director of Animal Health, Dr. Robin
Radcliffe,
DVM, DACZM, is in the Indonesian/Malaysian
region for a few months on loan to the International Rhino
Foundation (IRF). He will be helping with conservation fieldwork
on the very threatened Sumatran and Javan rhinos. We hope
to be bringing you updates on his work there, over the next
few newsletters.
Here
is the first update we've received so far:
Hello
From Jakarta.
I have
been in various meetings in Jakarta for the past week engaged
in Wildlife Department discussions
about
the evacuation
of Sumatran rhinos from a remote
National Park known as Kerinci Seblat on Sumatra’s west coast. Continued
>>
We will post updates from
Dr. Radcliffe to our subscribers via this newsletter as
they become available.
Each
Saturday in February will be dedicated to volunteer training.
We have a great group of people who give tours, help at
special events, perform odd tasks around the center, perform
office work, and fill in on various needs at Fossil Rim.
We occasionally get together for special trips like cruising
the bald eagle winter grounds at Buchannan Lake or visiting
the Texas Exotic Feline Sanctuary in Boyd. There are rewards
offered such as gift certificates to the Nature Store and
overnights at our Lodge or Safari Camp. If you would like
more information about this fabulous opportunity, please
e-mail me.
Jan Bussey
For more
information on volunteering opportunities, please visit
our web site.
Have
a suggestion for our newsletter? Send
us an email.
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