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Wildlife Connections |
January, 2010 |
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Farewell to a Friend
Last month the museum lost a good friend and "colleague" - our gray fox, Jinca. Jinca came to our wildlife hospital in 1996 as a young orphan; attempts to reunite him with his family (near the Concord Naval Weapons base) were unsuccessful. A back injury requiring a lengthy treatment extended his hospital stay and by the time he was old enough to survive on his own, he had become too used to people to lead a successful life in the wild.
One of the museum's most popular animal ambassadors, this animal had a sweet nature and a great interest in everything going on around him. According to Jason Pfau, Jinca's lead keeper and trainer, the fox was always attentive, energetic and willing to work, whether in private interactions with animal keepers or in training demonstrations in front of museum visitors..
As Jinca aged -- at 14 years, he outlived the average 6-10 year lifespan for gray foxes in the wild -- he developed arthritis, for which he received medication and therapeutic massage. He had regular check-ups with our veterinarian – not his favorite thing to do, but he was a trooper. “His forgiveness was incredible,” says Jason. “Even after medical exams, he was just as willing to work and with a great attitude.”
Ever the ambassador, he continued participating in exhibit hall presentations until just days before his death from renal failure. Says Jason, “Jinca was a very trusting animal and a great teacher. I’ve never worked with an animal that worked so hard to please those around him."
We will all miss him.
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Wild Night at the Museum
Join us Saturday, January 30 for our new,
family fundraising event – Wild Night at the Museum.
The evening will feature great food, beer and
wine tasting, fun children's activities and a special presentation by Peter Gros,
star of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom along with a bevy of exotic wild animals including an ocelot, Burmese python and ring tail lemur. Tickets are $50 for one adult
and one child. Additional children are $10.00 each.
Proceeds from the event, which runs from 6:00 to 9:30pm will benefit the museum’s education and wildlife rehabilitation programs. For more information or to purchase tickets online click here.
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Living with Wildlife
Even though it seems like this is the right season to prune deciduous trees, it's too late to prune without endangering nesting wildlife. Fox squirrels, hummingbirds and band-tailed pigeons begin nesting in January here in the Bay Area and mourning doves begin in February. If you have put off pruning until now, be very careful—look for nests and avoid pruning bushes or trees if you see evidence of a nest.
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Walk with the Newts
If you're interested in the slithery world of amphibians and reptiles we've got some great opportunities for you!
Newt Walk (age 8-adult)
Sunday February 14, 9 am-12 pm.
Newts can be found for a short time after the winter rains have moistened the hills and the green grass begins to appear. Join our naturalist, Bob Love as we search for newts and learn what makes these amphibians so amazing (Participants under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.)
Visit our family programs page for more information.
Dinner with the Herps (age 5-7)
Did you know that herpetology is the study of reptiles and amphibians? Join us for this fascinating class with fun activities and up close observation of the special group of animals called herps. Thursdays January 28-February 18. See our children's program calendar for more information.
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Children's Art
Each time we feature a show of children's art from the River of Words project we're amazed by the quality of the work and the uniqueness of the young artists' perspectives.
This year's exhibit includes 50 paintings and poems from children around the world, examining the universal fascination with the phenomenon of reflection. Seeing objects, including our own selves, shining back at us from ponds, puddles and other surfaces gives us not only a fresh perspective, but new ways to understand ourselves in relation to the world. The exhibit runs February 10 through April 10.
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