Getting Ready to Go - Leech Socks


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November 9th 2006
Published: November 28th 2006
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Clouded LeopardsClouded LeopardsClouded Leopards

This is a photo of Clouded leopard cubs born at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in 2004.
Off to See Clouded Leopards!
It's official - Wendy, Karen and I are headed to Thailand and Vietnam on December 3.

We just met to discuss some of the details of the trip. We'll be visiting with WildAid staff in the Tam Dao National Park in Vietnam for a couple of days. We'll also be heading out to Khao Yai National Park in Thailand (outside of Bangkok) for quite a few days. Karen and Wendy are bringing a big box of biofacts and curriculum materials for a teacher workshop we're supporting in Thailand. In the box are a variety of great educational tools, including biofacts like replicas of Clouded leopard skulls. That should be fun to try to bring through customs!!!

I'm a comfortable international traveler, but I'm already getting ready to be the biggest wimp on our trip. I have never traveled with zookeepers before. I spend most of my day at the zoo working behind a computer or visiting with donors.

Leech Socks
Karen cheerfully offered up that she has an extra pair of "leech socks" if one of us wants to borrow them. I asked her if we would be walking through mud pits, and
Raja the Clouded leopardRaja the Clouded leopardRaja the Clouded leopard

Raja is the male Clouded leopard in residence at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. He is the father of Rama and Kwan Jai, the two cubs born at the zoo in 2004.
she said not exactly.

"Actually, the leeches live in the forest," she told us. "As you're hiking down a path, they may be lying flat on the ground, but when you stop they almost seem to lift their head, look at you, and inch towards you as fast as possible."

Leech socks go up your shins, over your pant legs and down over the tops of your shoes to prevent leeches from crawling up your pants. Karen says that even with leech socks on, you may end up taking your pants off at the end of the day and discover blood running down your legs. EW. She says this all quite cheerily. I am a wimp!

Oh. Leeches. Don't tell anyone, but I think I'm afraid of leeches.



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30th November 2006

you and me both
Well, the title says it all... who came up with this interface?
30th November 2006

The interface
Travel blog is a free online tool, so sorry about the ads on the blog. When it's free, I guess you can't complain too much. I just hope that the ads that end up on here aren't too strange! Thanks for reading.
4th December 2006

leeches - get off the bus!
Too yucky for me! you are such an adventurer- can't wait to hear about the reaction to leeches for real.
6th December 2006

wow
Honey you can say you're wimpy, but you are amazing! So glad for you to have this trip! Eat everything, try anything, enjoy everything! I absolutely love Thailand, the people, the culture, the food, the countryside, ooh I'm so tickled for you. Love, Laurie

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