Selamat Pagi

Hi all,

Unfortunately I haven’t been able to update this in while because the internet is really temperamental here in Sulawesi. It also makes updating through Facebook and Twitter quite difficult a lot of the time too.

I have been here in Tasikoki for 3 weeks already! It has gone really quickly. All the volunteers here are amazing and it is so much fun. Some have already left who arrived with me, and who were already here, but it fun to meet them all and share stories. I am sure in my six months I will see many waves of volunteers. I already know of one group at the end of November, and about two waves of volunteers coming through in December. Even though you have to wake up at 5:30, it is still good, especially since that is pretty much sunrise! I have been really busy, working on all the routines which is good fun, and this week is the first week I am Team Leader for routines. As well as this, I am the enrichment coordinator (obviously), which is good. I have come up with a few ideas which have had varying amounts of success; I have also helped the other volunteers come up with some amazing enrichment ideas. On top of these two responsibilities, I have been the head of the new bear enclosure project for the past week, as the usually leader (Brooke) has been away volunteering at another Masarang project for a week. I am also the only person working on a training and enrichment project with the orang-utans (Is and Bento) here http://www.mic.polyu.edu.hk/index.php/create/research/touch-project. Finally, on top of these roles, I am being trained to be the cover volunteer coordinator for the days he is off or sick. So I am going to be nice and busy for the next six months or so!

Other than work, spare-time has been fun too. In my first week, on Wednesday (our half day), we went to the Masarang sugar palm factory in the mountains which was interesting.  After this we travelled around about, saw a geothermal lake, which you were technically allowed to swim in, but no one did… It didn’t look to inviting, might have been amazing though. We also went to visit some hot springs up in the mountains, since the whole of Indonesia is volcanic, they are quite common. It was quite amazing… There were Pine Trees in the middle of the rainforest around these springs! I am not sure if they are naturally, I think they are.

I have been down to the beach at Tasikoki a couple times, it is really nice, volcanic black sand, really warm water, and really strong currents along the beach and in the lagoon when the tide is coming in and going out. I have bought a snorkel locally as there are several good places to snorkel along their beach; a pier, a small coral reef and bit of mangroves.

Seen quite a lot of large spiders around the place in the past few weeks, mostly wolf spiders (I found one in my shorts) and a couple tarantulas. Seen a few snakes (none venomous yet) just a couple green racers and a brown-tailed rat snake. Loads of geckos, small lizards and a couple Water Monitor Lizards, I really wanted to catch the largest one I saw (maybe 2 foot long) to have a closer look.

I have been to the local supermarket (like 30 minutes away) a couple times with a group of volunteers that is quite an adventure in itself. I wasn’t built for Asia, I am too tall, especially the taxis, luckily some of these taxis have a place for you to sit in a doorway, effectively hanging part-way out of the car, so I sit there, and it is so much fun. I am also beginning to love the Gangnam Style “song” as that seems to be the theme tune of our supermarket trips, so loud you can hear it for hundreds of metres around the taxi. The supermarket itself is really westernised as a lot Sulawesi (and probably the rest of Indonesia) is. But going to the supermarket or any town or city is fun. You feel like you’re famous, everyone is staring at you, it feels so weird but it is fun at the same time. You here people shouting Bule, which is Indonesian for foreigner, or people saying “Hello Mister, how are you?” even Mister to girls which is quite funny. You even occasionally get asked if they can take your picture, sometimes not even with them in, but to put on Facebook to show people they met a foreigner.

A couple days ago I went to a local market in a place called Tomohon with another volunteer (Edwin) and the volunteer coordinator (Graeme) because it was our day off. It was really quite interesting, all the locals staring again, but also really surreal. Again, we weren’t built for the market, lots of ducking but that is beside the point. Just walking through seeing all the local fruit for sale, some western clothes, some loose, dry rice and spices, amazing amounts of multi-coloured fish of all sizes!... and then you turn around and people are selling mobiles phones and SIM cards, it was so weird, but good fun none the less.

A couple days ago I had an extremely unfortunate and severe group of problems and illnesses, I felt so bad, but I am mostly better now. Luckily, like one of the Danish girls said, I am smart enough to find out what was wrong with myself and fix it myself. First off I got really bad back pain because I had pulled a couple muscles in the base of my back, which I assume was caused by the fact I was working on different projects all week, all of which involved heavy lifting or digging. The next day, my back pain hadn’t lessened at all but I know had a massive headache/migraine that I couldn’t get rid of and started to get a little bit of a sore throat and blocked sinuses. That evening we had a party at the Eco-lodge to celebrate the female Javan Leopard going to Java after 2 years of trying to get her there. As I started to head to the eco-lodge I was beginning to feel even more unwell, and it was real struggle to eat as I was losing my appetite. I then began to get a fever, the giveaway being that it must have been about 30°C and I was feeling cold and shivering. So I eventually left the eco-lodge, got back to volunteer house, took a load of painkillers and went to sleep. I felt a bit better the next day, but kept taking painkillers. I let Angela and Simon (the people running the project) and they said for me to stop taking the painkillers to see if the symptoms were just being masked, so I did. That evening the headache, back pain and fever came back with avengance. The next morning my back pain had gone down and fever had gone, but I still had my headache, so I made sure to take a bottle of water with me for the shift before breakfast. After breakfast and lunch I had forgotten to take water with me, so I just drank during the breaks, and that’s when it began to get interesting. First of all I couldn’t physically make myself eat at all that day, except for the watery pineapple at breakfast. My headache was still bad. But now new, weird symptoms began to emerge. First of all it was getting hot, and the normal response is to sweat, except I got an odd sheen of watery sweat all over me, which dried off… and then I didn’t sweat for the rest of the day, which was odd I thought. A couple hours later I was starting to get back pain again, but this time I noticed it was actually kidney pain, which I have never had before. I then desperately needed to go to the loo (toilet) and it became weirder… as I peed blood! That’s when I thought I must have become very dehydrated! But on top the fever may have been cause by a kidney infection as there was no water to clean them, and I had caught a bit of a cold off another volunteer as there wasn’t even water in my blood to help with my immune system! So that evening I drank 2 litres of water, a cup of salt water, and two cups of really sweet sugar water. Within a few hours my kidney pain had gone down, there was no more blood. The next morning I drank a litre of Coca-Cola, to try and get some slats and sugars I needed back into my body, then two more litres of water. No more symptoms of dehydration and my appetite has come back slightly, presumably since water is needed for digestions and everything in your body. Still not full hydrated, but on my way there, still drinking tons of water and taking a larger bottle with me to work. It certainly pays to be smart! However my fever stayed with me for 5 days! So I went to a hospital in Manado to see what was wrong. It could have been a simple infection, or Malaria, Typhoid, or Dengue Fever. They all show similar symptoms but the latter are a lot more dangerous. Unfortunately they cannot identify most of these problems through blood tests until after 4 days. So I went to the hospital on the 5^th day and had a bloody test. Luckily it came back saying I had a simple infection, so they gave me tons of antibiotics and I feel much better and am back to work.

The end of my fever and infection came at the perfect time too. The volunteer coordinator has now suddenly left Tasikoki so now another volunteer (Brooke) and I have been promoted to volunteer coordinator for the time being. Another challenge on top of many, but I sure we can handle it just fine!

But all is good, despite being dangerously dehydrated; I would not miss this for anything! Everyone who can do this sort of thing, even for a couple weeks, should do.

I’ll try to keep this regularly updated, internet depending.

Cheery-bye

Scott

SquifFYI

Hi all,

I have noticed there can be some trouble viewing my wildlife photography blog.

This can be found...

----------->HERE<---------

Just FYI it is best viewed in either Firefox (version 15 or higher), Internet Explorer 9, and Google Chrome. I don't know about versions of Opera or Safari.

Unfortunately the problems with viewing it in earlier versions of web browsers I cannot fix they are issues with Google's Blogger website itself.

Hope this helps!

Toodle-oo

Pardon My Dust

So today I have been spending all day on my photo blog. It has been looking a mess most of today as I have been fiddling with the template and the html but it is now finished for the moment.

I have also been spending the past few days uploading the last of my photos to make it up-to-date, culminating in today’s activities. There are now a total of 145 of my best photos on the blog, so go check it out here:

eatdrinksleepwildlifephotography.blogspot.co.uk

The blog can also be found by going to the “photography” tab above. Or you can get there by simply clicking here, here, here, here or here, not to mention here, or even here! But whatever you do don’t click here!

Enjoy – while I go take some more photos!

Also don’t forget to check out the poll and answer over on your right ------>

Ta ta!

Keeping the Ball Rolling

The past two weeks I have been mostly spending my time at Paignton Zoo gaining more experience in husbandry and enrichment of more species, ready for my arrival at Tasikoki Wildlife Rescue in three weeks! Work experience at Paignton Zoo was to focus on their Primates (including Sulawesi Crested Macaques (Macaca nigra)), Hoof-stock (including Anoa (Bubalus depressicornis), a Sulawesi local), and Reptiles (very prolific in that part of the world).

It was a great two weeks, I got to meet many new people and listen to their opinions and experiences. I got to see many things whilst I was there, including being one of the first two people to see the new baby King Colobus (Colobus polykomos) which was great.

It was another great experience, and now I can't wait to get to Tasikoki. 22 days and counting!

Don't forget to check out my wildlife photography blog which can be found here:
http://eatdrinksleepwildlifephotography.blogspot.co.uk/

Also check out the poll and vote. Which can be found on the right of your screen ---->

Ta ta!

Wildlife Photography

I have been very much into wildlife photography since I was quite young. This pastime of mine has been more and more of a common occurrence in recent years. Now, after much deliberation, I have decided to share some of my favourite photographs from recent years through my blog for you to enjoy.

Some of my photographic collection can be accessed by the "Photography" link at the top of the page, or through this direct link:

Eat. Drink. Sleep. Wildlife Photography.

So have a peruse of my work and, most importantly, enjoy!

Ta Ta!

Keeping Busy

So last week I spent four days at Newquay Zoo to gain some more experience in husbandry and enrichment ready for being at Tasikoki Wildlife Rescue in November. The experience from Newquay Zoo was to specifically focus on primates and carnivores. It was a very full four days – it is strange how quickly four days can go. It definitely finished too soon at Newquay Zoo!

I feel like I learnt a lot while I was there, but I can’t specifically place what. Just spending four days working with the passionate keepers, watching and listening to them and what was going on. Learning what they do with their animals, why they do it and why they think it needs to be done. It gave me a great insight, and should help me answer many of my own questions of what’s best for these animals when I get to Tasikoki.

It was a great week and full of many things; such as seeing many of Newquay Zoo’s more secretive animals, trying out enrichment with the Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox) (with interesting results), trying to avoid my fingers being bitten off while attempting to pass food through to some excited Lynx (Lynx lynx carpathica) kittens, being locked in the Squirrel Monkey (Saimiri sciureus) exhibit by a keeper (accidentally, I hope), and being punched in the face by a pair of Capuchins (Cebus xanthosternos)!

All in all it was excellent week, learnt a lot, and met some great people. Hope all goes well for them and the Zoo and hope to see them and the Zoo again when I come back.

Next is the start of two weeks at Paignton Zoo.

Ta ta!

Newquay Zoo: One of a kind

So I went Newquay Zoo yesterday to talk to the Head of Animal Collections and meet the keepers, as I will be starting a week of “Work Experience” on Tuesday to get some experience with their macaques and small carnivores before I head out to Tasikoki. I also got to talk to the Director again which is always good.

I always love visiting Newquay Zoo, it is truly a one-of-a-kind place. It may be small, only covering 13 acres, but it certainly breaks the mould for a traditional zoological collection. Zoos are almost becoming identical, to quote the film Fierce Creatures “…Zoos popping up everywhere, all exactly the same. Leopards on the left, rhinos on the right, monkeys in the middle, sea lions in the centre, ferrets in the front”. Newquay Zoo does have the animals which draw in the crowds like the big cats, the primates, the carnivores. But there are subtle differences, for example; Their big cat collection consists of Lions (Panthera leo) and Carpathian Lynx (Lynx lynx carpathica)… wait a minute Carpathian Lynx, who keeps these? Newquay Zoo, that’s who! They keep the rare and obscure species. Why? Because they are interesting, they need our help, and because they can. One of the better examples of this are their Owston’s Palm Civets (Chrotogale owstoni), ever heard of them? Probably not. There are 18 of these amazing creatures worldwide; Newquay Zoo has 7 of them and none have been seen in the wild in the past 3 years! Newquay saw that they needed our help, and have successfully bred them regularly since they got them. The Director even helped set up a Carnivore and Pangolin Conservation Program in Cuc Phuong National Park in Vietnam, to help these animals.

Newquay Zoo has many of these species not usually seen in Zoological Collections such as; Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox), Six-banded Armadillos (Euphractus sexcinctus), Kinkajou (Potos flavus), Black Wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou), and Hoffman’s Sloths (Leopus hoffmanni). On top of this, they are very successful with their husbandry and their breeding.

More Zoos around the world should take a page out of Newquay Zoo’s book and take in more of the animals that need our help more urgently than many of the “people pleasers”. And if you haven’t managed to visit Newquay Zoo, it is definitely worth a trip.

Ta Ta!

Researchers, Keepers, and other Animals

Right, well I have now done the presentation at West Midlands Safari Park. It went well. The people who attended seemed to be quite interested, and there were many questions and ideas for further research. Hopefully this will lead to more long term studies at the park and more communication of “goings on” between departments. The presentation also gave other departments an idea of what their Researchers do.

I often feel like Researchers and Keepers are two species of the same genus. They are both adapted to fill similar niches, the improvement of husbandry and the welfare of the animals. However, they have different adaptations (methods) to do this. Researchers often have the knowledge of husbandry and caring for the animals, and want to make sure the animals are well cared for. They keep their observations of the animals filed and look at these in depth and develop changes. But they have traded in their shovels for a pen and a clipboard. On the other hand, keepers, they obviously have the husbandry knowledge. Every day they are with their animals and observe them. They have the ability to pick up a clipboard but they don’t because they appear to be intimidated by the word Research. They shouldn’t be, they do it every day without knowing. In more and more organisations keepers and researchers should work together more for the animals.

But I digress… haha!

Now that I have finished at West Midlands Safari Park things aren’t slowing down. Still sorting things for Tasikoki and all is going well. On top of this though, starting tomorrow I am volunteering alongside some keepers at Newquay Zoo, for a couple weeks, to get some experience with similar animals before heading off to Sulawesi. Not sure what animals I am going to be dealing with at Newquay, probably their Sulawesi Crested Macaques (Macaca nigra) and maybe some of their small carnivores, one of their specialties. Once that is over I’ll be volunteering alongside some keepers at Paignton Zoo from September 25^th with their Macaques, Slow Lorises (Nycticebus pygmaeus), Anoa (Bubalus depressicornis), reptiles and maybe more. We’ll see.

Not a moments rest... I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Ta Ta!

Dissertation: The Sequel

Just when you think university is over and your dissertation is behind you... It comes back to haunt you, though maybe in a good way (is there a positive way of haunting?).

After doing my third year dissertation on the impact of visitors on Ring-tailed Lemurs (Lemur catta) at West Midlands Safari Park I never really thought I would be doing follow-up work.

After my dissertation was submitted WMSP (West Midlands Safari Park) asked if I could prepare a poster for a poster presentation at this year's (2012) BIAZA Research Symposium, unfortunately I was unable to be there in person. My work didn't stop there, soon WMSP asked for me to carry out a shorter follow-up study. This had benefits, threefold; a second set of results could check the validity of last year's work, they can see whether visitors do impact the behaviour of their lemurs, it was also a alpha test for using undergraduate students to carry out research they want doing. It did have benefits for me too; it gave me more practical experience to put on a CV, I may have actually helped the husbandry of these lemurs at the park, I may have help establish many future long-term research projects at the park, and finally it gave me something to do for a month so while I was looking for more long-term work.

Having only just finished my follow-up research for West Midlands Safari Park my work still isn't finished. I now have to prepare for a presentation I am part giving with the research officer at WMSP, and a fellow researcher who helped with observations, visitor questionnaires (seemed to be his forte) and many other aspects. That is still not all. After this I have statistically analyses and some write-up. At least there is a hope of this study being published in the near future (a year or so), hopefully get my name on a scientific document.

Yet, more busy days to come.

Ta Ta!

Wild Fact Files

So I thought making species fact files to learn some of the basics of the animals out in Tasikoki would be a helpful endeavour. They sent me over a list and at first glance it seemed like a good list and it wouldn't be too taxing to get the basic information I wanted... As it turns out it wasn't as simple as I thought.

I thought the best places to find the information I needed on the internet would be the IUCN Red List, ARKive, and Encyclopedia of Life. So I started off with making a basic template that would be easy to get the information off of when reading. That was the most successful part of the task.

Indonesia covers 1% of the world's land mass, and is host to 17% of the World's animal species! It is comprised of approximately 17,000 islands and is one of the most biodiverse countries in the World! Yet, from my search of species at Tasikoki, it must have the most, least studied animals in the World. I would say that most of Tasikoki's animals are "popular" animals as most are confiscated from the illegal pet trade, and yet at least half of the species there either have no available information on them or are described as the least studies of their respective genus in Indonesia.

Perhaps I need a trip to the Natural History Museum in London before I leave the country in November.

My degree in Animal Behaviour is certainly going to be tested as I appear to have to work from scratch on many of these in the coming year.

TTFN!

Wild Indonesia

If it's possible, people who are interested should try and catch the BBC's mini documentary Wild Indonesia. Managed to download them and watch them a couple days ago, as they were unavailable anywhere else. They are good documentaries covering where I am going, and is one of the few I can actually find, either them or the 1985 "Wildlife on One" documentary Sulawesi: Island of Discovery.

It was very good and made me more excited to go.

If you can't catch them on TV you might be able to stream them from here:

1. Island Castaways
2. Underwater Wonderland
3. Magical Forests

Ta Ta!

Job Description

Hmmm, how should I start this blog off? I suppose I best start off with what I am actually going there to do.

Tasikoki Wildlife Rescue's plan for the enrichment coordinator's job involves the research and observation of the wild counterparts of the species currently housed at the sanctuary: how would they spend their days in the wild, look at the captive enclosure, look at the animal individually, and propose different kind of enrichment that target certain behavioural or physical aspects needed to rehabilitate in order to either release or move to sanctuary care. It would be the coordination of the environmental and nutritional enrichment. One of their goals is to be able to change all the feedings into enrichment. They would like to change as far as possible the enclosures too in order to meet, where possible, the 5 freedoms of animal welfare.

Cannot wait to start and start adding to the Sanctuary.

Scott Out!