Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Target Training

We've told you a little about Zuri's training... now we'll show you! That yellow stick in the keeper's hand is called a target. It's got a soft foam tip that is brightly colored so that Zuri knows where the keepers want her to move. And when she touches the target with her trunk, she gets a treat!



You can also see that you're never too old for training, as momma Christie does some work herself!

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

We're gonna' need a bigger boat...

...or wading pool.

The keepers say they go through "quite a few" wading pools for little Zuri, but try to reuse them as often as possible! "We just bang out the dents and let her go for it again and again," they added for some guests who were watching Zuri "swim." Too cute, and Zuri is such a good baby.



You can see more videos of Zuri and more on Hogle Zoo's Official YouTube Channel!

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Running Through the Sprinklers

The young 'uns always love running through the sprinklers!


Just another summery Saturday with a cool water hose and Zuri at Hogle Zoo...

Thursday, June 17, 2010

They grow up so fast!!

Right now little Zuri is 756 pounds. Little? Well, compared to Christie who weighs in at about seven thousand pounds! Not only do the little ones grow up so quickly in weight, but Zuri is also growing through her training.

One thing the Elephant Encounter keepers are working on is separating Zuri and Christie for a short amount of time to work on training separately. For a few minutes a day, Zuri goes out into the yard by herself and there were even a couple of times where Zuri did an Elephant Encounter program all by herself! The crowd was thrilled and Zuri got some grapes-- her new favorite training treat. It doesn't happen for very long, Zuri still wants to be with her momma, and the two are always happy to see each other.

We'll have some great Zuri pictures posted this weekend now that the weather is cooperating, but in the meantime why don't you check out Zuri and Christie during one of our two daily programs at Elephant Encounter? The training programs are at 10:30 am and 1:30 pm. Also, if you need a little Zuri fix while you're sitting at your computer right now, be sure to check out our Facebook page photos submitted by staff and followers and "like" us if you don't already!

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Summer of Magpies

You know summer has arrived when you can find those twice-daily programs at Elephant Encounter. Visitors are thrilled to see Baby Zuri working alongside with her mom Christie each day, while learning more about how our keepers make sure the elephants are healthy.

Outside of the programs, however, Zuri has quite a bit of fun chasing magpies around her yard. Keepers talk about how Zuri really makes sure her yard is "secure!" They say, "Zuri sees the birds land and then readies for a charge by putting her ears up and back and running straight for them." Of course, nobody gets hurt, but like a baby, Zuri is curious about everything she encounters.

Elephant programs at Elephant Encounter are every day at 10:30 and 1:30. Be sure to get there early for a good spot and be sure to ask questions!