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| Camels' New Home |
| November 10, 2005 by Stuart |
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After months of hard work, living out in a tent with a dog all spring and summer and part of the fall, while also building a 5 acre horse pasture, and running the rest of the Zoo, and with a LOT of help from a few people, the new camel environment is finally sufficiently ready for habitation.
On Wednesday, November the 2nd, Fear-No-More Zoo's new, much larger camel area was finally ready for their relocation.
We gathered them all together at 1pm and began to lead and coax them up the half-mile long trail from their previous environment, which had grown too small for the four of them.
About one quarter of the way along the trail Peaceful Baba broke away and returned back down the path to the old habitat. A further hundred yards on Purnimama managed to break away also, returning via a more circuitous path through the brush. We continued on with just Google Mama and Jelly Baba.
It was a difficult walk for them, separated from the other two and heading into unknown, unfamiliar country. It took almost a full hour to get these two all the way up to the new area. At times we had to be very forceful to keep them moving forward. I was completely impressed at how benign in temperament they all remained, even when being pushed beyond their comfort thresh-holds. There was not a single incident of the camels moving to kick, spit, bite or run over anybody. They remained sensitive to everyone's physical safety. Knowing them well, I expected they would be like this, but it was nice to see it confirmed. They are a good group of camels with a deep trust, respect and affection for humans.
Once Google Mama and Jelly Baba entered the new enclosure we left several people with them while another group went back for Peaceful Baba and Purnimama. This second hike went a lot faster as we mostly jogged the whole way back up the hill. Peaceful Baba and Purnimama could smell the other two along the trail and were keen to rejoin them. They arrived in the new area about ten minutes after leaving their old place.
Reunited, they all began relaxing again. It was great to watch them all gallop off through the new expanse and out into the broad open field. Every so often they would buck and kick their feet exuberantly, going around and around the entire environment in a tight-knit group, like a band of Masai tribesmen moving purposefully over the savannahs.
While they settled in, getting more used to the 30 acre area and its perimeters, locating the water trough and the bales of hay we had put around for them, I went back to work on various parts of the fences and other minor projects. For a couple of hours or so they chose to follow me back and forth from one end of the environment to the other. Whenever we came near the gates they all wanted to go out and return to their old place back down the hill in the main Zoo. After a while, I took them back out to the far end of the environment, near the lake, and hid myself in the bushes. After looking for me for a while they began to relax with the idea that I was no longer around. As I watched them from the bush, they continued with further exploring, eating, and relaxing, clearly no longer needing to have me in their sight. I snuck out and left them there. After dark I returned to check on them and everyone was fine.
Since their arrival we have been keeping a close watch on the camels as they continue to explore and familiarize themselves with the whole place.
They have a large wet-weather shelter, and a second one will go in soon. There is still quite a bit of work to be done to fully complete the project, but these are all merely refinements to further enhance the life quality, and the practical care,
of our camels in this new habitat.
The move was a success. The camels clearly love their new home, although they are still in the process of assimilating it all. It was great to watch all four of them run together across the fields, with their heads high, nostrils flaring, farting, barking, big backsides flexing from side to side, humps jiggling and woolly manes billowing in the wind. At different places one of them would suddenly pull up to investigate something in the grass, and all the others would rear around and come back to take a look, creating a circle of big hairy backsides in the golden, grassy field! Then they would all be off again in another direction, jogging about in search of the next curious thing.
Once they have fully settled in here, we will start formally training them again.
The people who helped with the relocation of the camels were Andrea Schwab, Andrea Keningston, Malcolm Dunshee, Terry Cafferty, Sandra Gutman, Rita Gordon, and Susan Hughes. These are all people whom the camels know well and trust. Everyone performed their assigned roles well.
And many others generously helped financially to make this possible. Thank you to everyone involved!
Stuart |
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© 2005-2006 The Avataric Samrajya of Adidam Pty Ltd, as trustee for The Avataric Samrajya of Adidam.
All rights reserved. Perpetual copyright claimed.
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