Last post before I leave! 2 in 1

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It's the weekend before I leave and I am on lions today. I got to bottle feed Josh for half of his bottle, and Meghan did the other half. The only reason why I wanted to do it was for the pictures, I've already done it a few times, but I was always like oh, I'll do it again and get a picture. I never really realised how fast time was going here. We raked, picked up poop and the leftover chicken, but then they knocked the chicken bucket over and dumped all the chicken out again. Then they just got too roudy so we all had to leave and go back after breakfast. We switched animal time and project time again because some people were going shooting. I normally would have but since its my last weekend, I wanted to spend it with the animals.

After going to the lions and finishing up, i went on down to tigers because they were sleeping. They sleep on their backs a lot so they look really goofy and I love it. They ended up waking up and we played with them. They play in their pool sometimes so they get wet a lot, but its not just water because they also pee in it so its not so fun to pet them when they are wet! Amber let me take some good shots of her while I was in there 😊

Afterwards, I went and chilled with Edison who was being super adorable as always. I spent so much time with them this past month, I can actually tell them apart by looking at their face. Ed looks sillier than Shanzi, his face is shorter and he has bigger eyes. It looks really obvious to me now, but it actually is really slight, becuase even people who have been here for 2 weeks don't know how I tell the difference. I then went on the hunt for the friendly giraffe with no luck. I didn't really know where to look and its Tams and Delano's weekend off so I couldn't even ask them where to look.

On my way back, I stopped at Shadow's and he came up to the fence and let me pet him for a little while before going to sleep. When i got back to the tigers, the vet was here to see Judah for his ear. he was trying to drain it, but it hurt, so the vet had a hard time getting to it. Or had Melissa go make a bottle which calmed him right down. The vet was able to drain it and give him antibiotics and anti-inflammatories, so he should be getting better soon. He'll also be getting pills in his bottles at feeding time, much like Amber did a few weeks ago.

I then watched the hyaenas get fed their bottle, but since Tams wasn't here, someone else had to go in with the volunteers to get the toys back. The hyaenas really didn't like the person who went in, so when he reached for the toys they bit at him. I honestly think they would have responded better to me had I gone in instead, not once have they bit me and they always perk up and listen when I start talking to them.

I then helped Or when she brought a little kid in with the lions. They must have been friends or something because kids aren't allowed in with the lions, she stayed on Or's hip the whole time, but the lions love little children. I then went out and started whale watching to get away from everyone. I have yet to see a whale and time is winding down.

After lunch, Ashley and Or gathered everyone who was leaving on Monday and took us down to see the big lions before we left. I went in with Coby and Skyla, they are so big! They aren't full grown, but they are older than the one I see everyday anyway. We then watched Ashley and Or go in with ShoSho and Faye, two grown tigers. Finally we went in with Noam and Tom, who are the two lions that I always hear at night, so that was really cool. They are a few years old and have their manes growing in and are pretty well behaved. Noam was a little roudy, so we had to make sure we stood when he came around.

We went back to the restaurant and had even more animal time. This weekend was shaping up nicely. I went back in with the tigers and hyaenas before going up to go to food prep. While at food prep, my ankle gave out on me, I guess I was putting too much pressure on it and I fell in the doorway. Everyone was around and trying to help me, but I was just kind of shocked, one minute I was standing and the other I was on the ground. Someone ran and got me some peas from the freezer because it was faster than ice, which I thought was funny because thats what we do at home. I was going to stay and eat something, but I figured the sooner I went back and elevated it, the better it might be.

I went back, made some mac and cheese and legit fell asleep by 7 oclock. I slept more than 7 hours and woke up at 730 when my roommates were leaving. Since it's my day off it didn't really matter what time I got up there and there were plenty of people in my group to handle everything. I ate breakfast in my room, because we were having scones which I don't like anyway and I walked up and chilled by the tigers and hyaenas waiting for someone to want to come in there because I couldn't go up the stairs. People came down and we went in to tigers and hyaenas, then Meghan and I went around the boardwalk, I was going to take a video, but I didn't have enough memory on my card. I was then called for a handling. After that, I went whale watching again and I think I saw one, I'm just not entirely sure, but I'm going with it.

After lunch, my plan was to go down and pack because Sophie would be packing at nighttime and that would be too complicated. When I was packing, my ankle gave out again though so I spent the rest of the day in my room. I watched 2 movies and finally caught up with my blog! My plan for tonight is to go the communal cabin and hang out with everybody. We leave tomorrow at 11 to go to the airport and my plane leaves at 330!

See you all in a few days!

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Comments

[Mary Mueller]

Your blogs have been wonderful!
Allie, it has been fabulous reading your blogs! Really fascinating!! Thank you so much for taking the time to write and I am SO glad you had so much contact with all those amazing animals - what a thrill! I can also see how hard you work - and not easy work either! You did it though - you made a real contribution while you were there! Get home safe and sound! Love Mary xoxoxo