Quote:
Originally posted by SomeGuy:
Sorry to hear that Saz.How's work at the cat zoo place?
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Thanks, SomeGuy! Well, we went back out there this past weekend, and it was great once again. We got to hear the lions roaring, calling to each other at the end of the day. It's incredible; you feel it vibrating through your body, it's so intense. They weren't being aggressive, either; just communicating. They seem to do that right at sunrise and at sunset, although the interns out there say that some do continue to roar deep into the night.
A lion's roar is fascinating. They start out long and low, like...
Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrroooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhh
then they get progressively shorter, but faster, like:
Rrrrrrrrrrooooooooohhhhhhhhh
Rrrrrrroooooooohhhhhhh
Rrrrrrooooohhhh
Rrrrroooohhhh
Rrrooohhh
Rrroohhh
Rrooohh Rrooohh Rrooohh
and then suddenly stop. A timing of geometrical progression that's fascinating to experience. I'm not sure why they keep getting shorter and faster with their roar, but it seems to be a method of intricate communication among them.
The highlight of the tour was when the clouded leopard decided to make an appearance. There's only about 400 of them remaining, and one of them is at this sanctuary. Clouded leopards aren't actually leopards; they're the closest living relative to the saber-toothed tiger that still exists. This fellow was in a species-survival program when he killed his mate (apparently accidentally), which made him unsuitable for that program, so the IEFS got him instead. He's an absolute beauty, and it was a thrill to get to see him, as most visitors out there do not.
Well, we go to our first volunteer meeting this Sunday, so we'll see how it goes from there. I must admit I'm pumped about it!
Cheers,
-Sazerac