The Wonder of Giraffes

   Theo may not admit it, but he's a giraffe enthusiast. 

     He takes after me. The giraffe is the most wonderful of animals. They are elegant and gentle, smart and always eating. I think that the always eating or snacking appeals to Theo. When you see a giraffe saunter by, whether in a zoo or in the wild, they are chewing. This is based on their own peculiar digestive system which double digests all the food they consume. 

       Although cats differ from giraffes, they, too seem to be always eating or wanting to always eat. 

     Fast forward. I would love to report we're on safari in Kenya, in the bush on the lookout for giraffes (and I have been in that position), but we're only at the zoo. It's our good luck they house three giraffes. All female. All beautiful. All always eating.

     We move up close to the fenced-in-area where the giraffes live. They are outside, moving from the left side of their site to the right and we are both mesmerized. They float over the ground as they walk. 

      Theo wants to see everything. If he could, he'd jump out of my arms and sneak into their habitat, saunter beside them on the dusty ground. I can almost hear his cat thinking . . . I wonder what they smell like. If I could only sniff them. 

       "This is as close as we can get," I whisper. 

        Still he's making every effort to sniff what he can. The breezes that blow past must have some giraffe scent. 

         Because the giraffes are so popular, the zoo has instituted a chance to interact with the giraffes. For a few bucks, you can hold out a few branches with edible leaves (from the giraffe's point of view). The giraffes will begin eating the leaves practically out of your hand. The kids love it. Well, most of them do. (The ones that aren't scared out of their wits.)

         Giraffes have big heads or rather gigantic heads. When they lean down to eat, you can see how truly big they are. Their long black tongues extend out of their mouth as they grab onto and literally pull (they are amazingly strong animals for all their grace) the branch and suck up the leaves. Chomp. Chomp. Chomp. 

          Theo looks longingly at the kids who are lined up. Each is holding a branch they will feed to the waiting giraffes. I watch the process closely. Kid extends arm with waiting branch, coached by mom or dad. Giraffe swoops down and grabs hold of the branch. Said giraffe yanks it--usually--out of the kid's hand while mom and dad hold onto junior for dear life. Someone is usually taking a video! 

          I can read Theo's mind.

          "Too dangerous."

           He pouts.

           "Just watch . . . when that giraffe grabs hold of the branch, he could lift you up into the air and then . . . smack down you fall onto the hard dirt."

            Not a pretty picture. And I'm not exaggerating. 

            But I feel sorry for Theo. He's restless and wants a bit of adventure. I imagine for a moment going up there--on the feeding platform--while holding Theo who grasps the branch in his mouth. The giraffe will swoop down . . .

            That's as far as I get. How will Theo react when the giraffe is hovering over him? How will the giraffe react when he smells Theo, who isn't quite human? Too risky. Too dangerous.

           But I relent. 

          The line of kids is long. It is sunny and hot. Theo is a little squirmy and a bit overwhelmed by the prospect. He wants to do it. He tells me he needs to do it. But then . . .

           We're the next ones in line. The kid in front of us is not a happy camper. As the giraffe swoops down, the kid panics and drops the branch. He cries. Out of fear or shame? A commotion ensues. 

           I look at Theo and he looks at me. "There's always another day," I say, quietly stepping out of line. We wait and watch the giraffes moving back and forth. Then we leave to get ice cream and magically both feel better.  

 

             

  

    

He's no Smokey the Bear

          Sometimes I'm amazed at how brave Theo can be. 

       Case in point: Quite by chance he catches sight of an old TV commercial warning against forest fires. Smokey the Bear is the hero, of course. Nice bear, Theo thinks. Who can do no harm. Who likes honey. 

       He gets an idea in his head--bears are kind, gentle, friendly creatures, like Teddy Bears.

       Fast forward. We are at our local zoo. Standing outside a large fenced in area (fenced-in for a reason) where a sloth bear lives.

       Sloth bears are big, brown, furry bears with big noses. They love a challenge. The zoo keepers will often hide their food at the very top of a man-made wooden structure, forcing Mr. Sloth Bear to climb up, sniff around, and figure out how to get to the food. Because he has uniquely designed long curved claws, he can easily climb and hang from trees. 

       Sloth bears can also forage on their own for food, of course. They can consume 40,000 insects in a single feeding by suctioning the insects into their mouth, creating a kind of funnel with their lips and tongue. Zoo keepers say that when they eat they sound like a vacuum cleaner and can be heard from 300 feet away. 

       Theo is in awe. If he could, he would climb into the bear habitat. Reach out and try to be friends. He learned that from Chucky. Always the ambassador.

       This is what he wants from me. To lift him over the fence and plop him down into enemy territory (my words.) So he can approach the bear because he believes that Mr. Sloth Bear IS Smokey the Bear. 

       By a pure coincidence, this sloth bear does look like Smokey. What are the chances of that? 

       "Theo, I would gladly help you. But . . ."

        "I have to do it, see?"

         My little gangster cat. I hate to ruin his day. I wish he could keep on believing that Smokey the Bear lives at our local zoo and just does TV spots to earn a little extra cash. That he's an employee of the Forest Service. A government employee. 

         There is no Santa Claus. Or Easter Bunny. Now, interestingly enough, there was a real bear who Smokey was based on, but that real bear lived a long time ago.

          "The truth is, Theo, he isn't Smokey the Bear. He's a look alike Smokey the Bear. And he's dangerous." I want to say-he could suck you up like those poor insects. He could claw you to death. In short . . . I pause. "Theo, he's a wild animal."

         Theo frowns. He doesn't care. If he could, he would make tiny muscles in his cat arms to show me how fearless he is.

         "He doesn't want to make friends."

         Theo wiggles a bit in my arms. He has a clean view of the sloth bear. We can hear grunting and snorting sounds. 

         "Right now he's foraging for food. Sniffing all around like you do. And he's with a friend."

         Sure enough, another sloth bear has suddenly appeared and they're foraging together.  

         "But he's fun to watch," I add. 

         We leave the habitat with things unresolved. "This is a cruel world. Everyone isn't your friend. Sometimes you have to live and let live. That's our new motto. Okay?" 

          Theo looks up at me. "Really?"

          In truth--it's tough raising a cat. 

           

            

      

Theo in Bird Heaven

            After the semi-dangerous risky encounter with a King Vulture, Theo, the gangster cat, Dan and I are on our way to a bird sanctuary. 

         Now, I love this place, but I have to admit, it is not the most popular. Few people are as into birds as I am. Maybe it harkens back to Emily Dickinson's poem where she expertly describes a bird on the walk eating the fellow raw, referring to a worm. Or maybe it's the Alfred Hitchcock movie Birds which had me in a tizzy for weeks as a kid, imagining an eminent bird attack at any moment. Or maybe it's my sisters who insist that every time we spot a Cardinal, it's really my mom checking up on us. Keeping us safe.

         The sanctuary is a large building. Slightly humid inside. The lighting is a bit more subdued than natural sunlight. There are three separate areas. The first is a large screened in area with birds cohabitating--flying around, drinking tea and building their nests. 

          The second area also has a plethora of birds who flit from branch to branch, but safely behind a viewing screen. 

           Theo would stay in sections one and two forever--in some kind of half dream state--if I don't hurry him along. 

            "Birds, mom."

             "I know but you haven't seen everything yet." I know what lies ahead--birds--some rather exotic birds--that are not sequestered behind screens or in cages. These birds roam free and fly around. They walk around, too, and if you're not careful, you could step on one of them.

           I am in awe. 

           We pause before going in. "Remember the three rules, Theo. No eating. No attacking. No bullying."

           He "listens" before he scurries into the third chamber in front of me, which can be a disaster waiting to happen. 

           "Wait," I call after him as I plow ahead, through a mesh screened entrance way, almost tripping on Theo, now in this special place but completely mesmerized by the scene in front of him.

            In short, Theo is in Bird Heaven. He is almost paralyzed, watching and looking, sniffing, listening. His tail swishes back and forth in a mad attempt to get some perspective.

             Birds are everywhere. Birds to the right of us. Birds to the left of us. And they are all safe because Theo isn't moving. He's too awe struck.

                                                         

           Then Theo sees the bird of his dreams--the Crested Coua--who lives in the rainforest. His initial mesmerized state is replaced by inquisition. His mouth opens. He begins to make those excited cooing sounds while the bird, completely oblivious to any possible danger, is just being a bird. Dancing around. Eating a snack. 

            Theo crouches down. I know what that means. I have no other choice. My fear is that if I stay out of it, the crouch will turn into a leap. He'll tell himself he's just going over to sniff, but he's a cat. 

             I swoop down and pick him up. Hold him so he can still see the bird, but the momentum is broken. He wiggles to get away. 

             "I know what you're thinking," I whisper to him.

             

             He turns and makes eye contact with that look on his face. "Let me just be a cat," he seems about to say. 

              "Live and let live," I tell him. 

              He takes one last look at the Crested Coua. Theo knows I'm right. But, still, with his cat dream smashed, he is now one more  pouting cat who'll have to wait another day for an adventure. 

              Like we all do. And isn't that the truth?

HOT BLOGGING WITH CHUCK IS TAKING A MUCH NEEDED REST. WE'LL BE BACK IN THREE WEEKS (JULY 2) WITH ANOTHER NEW EXCITING ADVENTURE FEATURING THEO, THE GANGSTER CAT, MICO AND SIENNA.  SEE YOU THEN. 

  

                          

Theo Meets King Vulture

      Tortoises? Yes. Monkeys? Yes. Giraffes? Yes. Big Cats? Yes. Theo, the gangster cat, is curious about all of them. But . . . let him spend a few minutes with birds or in a bird sanctuary and you have given Theo a one way ticket to heaven.

        What? Cats and birds? I know what you're thinking. I love cats and I love birds, too. In fact, I'm a card carrying member of the Audubon Society. Does Theo feel the same way? Probably not. It's a species thing. Call it natural instinct. 

        Nevertheless, sanctuary birds are safe. They are sequestered from animals and humans, but Theo can see them and smell them and watch them.

         At home, Theo will spend hours looking out our supersized patio door watching birds. We have robins, bluejays, cardinals mostly flying about and perching and tiptoeing on the patio itself. Sometimes these little flying bits of magic get so close to where Theo is waiting, I don't think they even realize that only a heavy duty screen is keeping them from being pounced on and loved to death.

   

          Theo, for his part, is super quiet. Most often he's hunched down, his focus like a laser beam, cutting through the air, aimed at his victim, ah hem, I mean aimed at a flying friend.

          So we're going to a bird sanctuary to see nothing but birds--unusual and exotic birds, well, that beats even a snack.

          As we're walking toward the sanctuary, I spell out the rules to this little gangster. No bird attacking, eating, bullying.

          "Remember, we're guests here. Very special guests. We must be on our best behavior."

          Is he even listening? He's so focused on getting there, he's literally bouncing along beside me. 

          Then we're sidetracked. Dan spots a sign for a King Vulture. Outdoor cage. And there King Vulture is in all his magnificence. Theo seems to have no fear. He marches up to the oversized enclosed area and stares in. I'm more worried about Theo's survival at this point than the bird's. A cat versus a vulture? 

           My imagination takes over. What if that vulture finds some way of escaping from that oversized cage? Is there even a top to this cage? I clearly remember being in a zoo in Lisbon where the cages had no tops. Monkeys were free to come out of the cage at will and swing around on the branches of the trees as unsuspecting visitor was walking along. That freaked me out.

           It's all about expectation--monkeys are supposed to be in cages, not dangling above your head, touching your hair, as you walk along.

           I crane my neck and look up. Yes, there is a top to this cage. I tell myself there is no way that this vulture can fly out. So, let Theo wander as close as he wants.

           "This is a King Vulture," I manage to croak out, tamping down my worry. "They can live up to 40 years, Theo."

            Theo steps even closer as if he intends to check out the amount of wrinkles on this vulture's face. 

            "Isn't he beautiful?" I point out. The colors are magnificent. But then I remember cats can't see all that many colors. 

           Nothing much happens at first. The vulture stares at Theo, and Theo stares at the vulture. I'm ready to rescue Theo if that vulture makes one move closer, but he doesn't. I'm hoping he'll open up his wings.

           I should have been more focused on Theo. He's the one that makes the first dangerous move. He puts his paw right up to the screen and keeps it there. At first I think it's stuck, similar to when his nails get stuck on our patio screen at home. But he's not stuck. He's reaching out.

           King Vulture is watching. Probably imagining Theo in some fancied roast cat dinner. What if that vulture puts one of his talons through the screen? I step closer. The holes are pretty small. Would that even be possible?

          Theo is not concerned. His paw is there--a kind of welcoming sign--as he sniffs the air.

          We wait (and trust me I'm ready to whisk Theo up at the slightest sign of danger.) 

           In the movies the vulture would have come closer. But this is real life, and that vulture is more than content to stand his ground further back. Finally, Theo takes his paw down. I feel bad.

           "You tried," I whisper. "Remember you can only control your own behavior. You're getting more like Chucky everyday. Mr. Ambassador."

           Theo is not nostalgic. He shrugs, "Mom, I do what I have to do."

           And that's okay.

           STAY TUNED TO PART II WHEN THEO ACTUALLY VISITS A BIRD SANCTUARY! 

         

          

Theo Meets a Tiger

      Theo's fascination with "big cats" begins while he's watching a documentary. He doesn't watch much TV, but when a tiger walks across the screen as he stalks his prey, Theo is mildly curious.

       "He's one of your ancestors." 

        The rule with Theo is to keep things simple. No elaborate stories. He doesn't have the patience. 

        Of the 38 species of cats on this planet, most are small cats. Theo doesn't realize it, but the tiger is the most similar to the small cats. They share about 95.6% of the same DNA, which is remarkable when you think about it. Or is it so remarkable?  

     

       There are differences. Size, of course. Small cats purr. A tiger roars, and his roar can be heard for 5 miles due to the specialized structure of his vocal chords. Tigers also love to be in the water and will often bathe in a stream or river to cool off. The shape and color of their eyes (tigers only have hazel or copper eyes) are different, too, but that's about it. 

        Is Theo really a miniature tiger in disguise?

        We set off for the zoo to see a tiger in person, up close and personal. An Amur tiger lives at the Philadelphia Zoo. As we approach, the tiger is doing what tigers tend to do--sleeping when they're not marking their territory. Tigers choose an area, then mark the perimeters with their scent by scratching their nails vertically across tree bark. It's their calling card. It's their way of saying this is where I live. If tigers share a territory with other animals, this helps the others know when it is safe to enter so there are no surprise encounters.   

         Tigers also follow a regular schedule for checking their area, to refresh their scent and/or patrol the grounds.

        "Look, Theo. He's doing what you do all the time."

         No comment.

         Theo stands watch at our patio door for any intruders onto the patio area. Squirrels, birds and especially other neighborhood cats. He'll literally pounce at the glass to scare them off, then run around the house, looking out of all the windows, to see where they run off to. 

         Tigers also like to perch in high places. They will climb a tree or a mountain to get a good view of the surrounding area. They want to be able to see everything. 

         Theo, Mico and Sienna do the same thing. They prefer to be up high--on the back of a chair, on a table, on top of a door--looking down, observing, getting the lay of the land. They particularly like looking out the upstair windows. They can see everything from their perch.

          "I don't know Theo. We're going to have to start calling you "Il Tigre," Italian for "the tiger."

         Theo doesn't think that's funny. 

         Tigers and cats both have 30 teeth. They groom their fur on a regular basis. Tiger cubs wrestle, bite, and paw each other. They stalk each other before pouncing in preparation for when they're adults.

         Theo fits the bill. He hides behind a chair and will jump out as Mico unsuspectingly saunters by. He'll jump over Mico and land right in front of him, just because he can. They'll race after each other, up the stairs, and when they get to the top, stand there and stare at each other. Sometimes they then groom each other. Sometimes they wrestle on the rug.

         I point out to Theo what I've observed. He shrugs. 

         Tigers also use the slow blink at each other. It's their way of calming the other tiger down or offering reassurance. 

         "I've seen you do that," I say to Theo. 

         I'm looking for a concession. I want Theo to admit he is more like a tiger than he thinks. But he won't go there.

         Finally, as we're leaving the exhibit, Theo comes face to face . . .  with a tiger? 

         He stops, crouches, and then blinks. Then he realizes the tiger isn't moving. It's a cardboard cutout of a tiger. Yeah, Theo goes over to sniff him just to make sure.

         That's as close as Theo will ever get to a real tiger. God willing. Because there's no doubt in my mind, if they ever did meet face to face, Theo would be just another tasty meal to a hungry tiger, ancestor or not.

          PS The tiger is an endangered species. Of all the "big cats," the tiger is the closest to extinction. Only 3,500 tigers remain in the wild. There are no wild tigers living in the United States. Approximately 5,000 tigers are captive in zoos, sanctuaries, and private facilities. 

          

          

        

        

The Giant Tortoise

        I must admit that I'm the cause of this obsession. Theo announces, after I  have spent too much time talking about them, that he has to see a turtle. Not just any turtle. He wants to see the kind of turtles that I remembered when I was a kid. At Turtle Back Zoo.

      "You could ride on their backs," I tell Theo one night when I'm reminiscing. "That's how big they are."

       We have a few photos, but a photo of a big turtle on your iPhone doesn't quite set the stage. You have to be there in person. You have to look a turtle in the eye, watch him crawl so slow he's almost standing still. And you have to watch him eat. 

         Theo does nothing slow. He zips around the house. He gallops like a racehorse at the Kentucky Derby. He wolfs down his food as if any minute his brother Mico will sneak up from behind and snatch it away.

         I think that that's why Theo is so entranced. We stand outside an area where turtles roam, encircled by a fence, but Theo doesn't seem to mind. I assume he wants to ride one. (That will present a problem.)

         But, no, he is literally entranced just being there. 

         The turtles here are old. They're not prehistoric, but they look like they can be. Their skin is wrinkled. Their shells have lost the shine that you see on any supermarket fruit. If they were people, we'd suggest a diet to help slim down their fat, pudgy legs. But everything that we humans fight to avoid, turtles inhabit with glee. 

         There are four girl turtles here: Wilma, Betty, Tweedle Dee, and Tweedle Dum. Wilma and Betty are over 50 years old. The Tweedles are younger--in their early thirties. Each one weighs between 180 and 300 pounds. Officially, they are part of the "Aldabra Giant Tortoise" family. We do our research and discover the largest Aldabra Tortoise weighed close to 700 pounds. The Aldabras are some of the largest tortoises in the world. 

          Theo continues to stare. 

          Giant tortoises used to live on many of the western Indian Ocean islands and on Madagascar. Back in the day, they lived on every continent with the exception of Australia and Antarctica. By 1840, however, they're the only species of giant turtles to survive the overexploitation by European sailors. They are not endangered, but their existence is fragile.

           "Did you really ride one?" Theo asks.

           I nod, none too proud of what was allowed years ago. "But that isn't a good thing. They're not horses."

           Theo tilts his head, then actually moves closer to the fence, close enough so he can sniff them. I believe cats really never truly understand anything until they sniff it.

           I know little about giant tortoises. Suddenly one of the tortoises starts to amble towards Theo. I slowly back away.

           The journey to Theo is slow. Each foot lifts as if it is encased in cement. Eventually, he is standing within a few feet of my valiant gangster cat. 

           Theo presses his nose against the fence. The turtle looks up. He is quite beautiful in a wrinkly kind of way. 

           Nothing dramatic happens. Theo doesn't leap over the fence. The turtle doesn't clamor to get out. They just gaze at each other. I'm reminded of that phrase close encounters of the third kind, when two species coming together.

            Later I have to ask Theo, "Did you want to be friends?"

            Theo looks askance. 

            "You got up so close . . ."

            "I had to do it, see?" 

            

            

Animals in Danger

        We're on our way to the zoo. It's part of the payback for convincing Theo (our gangster cat) to help us during the missing Mico sink drainer incidents. Snacks were involved, of course. But a trip to the zoo to see the "special animals" is part of the deal, too. 

      The conversation went something like this:

      Theo: I want to see them, see. 

       Dan: Yes, of course. We'll take you to the zoo so you can see them face to face.  

       Theo: And save them.

       It's hard to know what's rolling around in the mind of a cat. Sometimes it's obvious--that plaintive meow usually means he wants a treat. Other times, his desire to save them makes no sense at the time. 

       We are within driving distance of the Philadelphia Zoo. It is one of my favorite places to go. I love animals. All kinds of animals--especially the big cats and the giraffes. And the monkeys.

        This time, however, we are going to see the "special animals." Or in adult speak, some of the endangered species. In danger of becoming non-existent. Whose habitat is threatened. 

         You have to go inside a building at the zoo to see them. You walk down a hallway which seems to me like you're walking down death's row. I am acutely aware of what these animals face. Their chances of survival. Theo is with us, but I'm not sure how much he understands. Dan has him in a special carrier so our curious and concerned cat can see these animals up close and personal. 

          We arrive at the first exhibit. The Pied Tamarin is described as being bald, beautiful and in trouble. They live in the forests of Brazil, in forests which are being destroyed. Species in Danger in red ink catches our attention. 

                   We try to explain to Theo that if the forest trees are knocked down, these little guys will have no place to live. He seems to understand. He's looking very intently.

             "Like the squirrels," I point out. He knows what squirrels are. 

          We move on. The Francois langur hails from China and Vietnam. A new baby Quy Bau was born in 2020 and has thrived. Baby Lei was born in 2021. Zoos help with breeding so endangered animals survive. We catch the family on video acting a lot like monkeys.

            Theo enjoys watching the langurs swing around in their cage, but as we move on, he gives me a soulful look. 

           The Rodrigues fruit bat is another species in danger. These bats roost together during the day, but during the night they disperse and seek out the juice of ripe fruit such as mangoes and figs. Contrary to popular folklore, they do not suck blood. They are also endangered, of course. 

           At first, they're difficult to spot, but I can tell the moment that Theo sees his first fruit bat. It is a sight to see as he slowly opens his large wings to stretch. 

           "Are bats like birds?" he asks.

           The easy answer is best. "Well, they can fly like birds."

 

       We figure one more "special animal," before we move on. All the White Faced Saki Monkeys don't have white faces, only the boy monkeys. They are usually calm and quiet until they aren't. They can puff up their fur and bounce up and down on branches when they're doing their territorial call. They live in South America.  

              

           It's time to go and we begin to head toward the door, but Theo squirms in Dan's arms and manages to drop to the floor.  

 

           "Theo, what is it?"

           Theo is a cat of few meows. He looks over at the White Faced Saki Monkeys. "We need to save them, see?"

           Now I get it. He thinks these Saki Monkeys are literally the last ones . . . I turn to Dan and squinch up my face. How do you explain to Theo that the problem of endangered species is much bigger than saving one family of White Faced Saki Monkeys? 

           As we ponder our dilemma, Theo moves over to their cage. He cases the joint, looking for a way to jump up. He sniffs every nook and cranny. 

           "These monkey are safe," we say. "But other Saki monkeys need some help."

  

           He shoots us that look, the kind that teenagers give their parents when they think they're full of it. I expect him to meow, "Whatever."

          "We can send food." (Make a donation.)

          Dan hoists Theo up so he can get closer, and he presses his face against the glass. 

          We leave the building with mixed feelings. On the one hand we're so proud that our furry boy cares. On the other hand, the three of us wish we could do more.

           Later, back at home, I wax philosophical at Theo. "We know what's going on. Now we can let other people know."

           "It's not fair, see?"

           And Theo is absolutely right.