Owl be seeing you

Just for a change I went to the zoo today. I was supposed to be taking my friend as my membership card admits two, but sadly (and even more sadly not for the first time) she phoned at the 11th hour to cancel, as she and her mother were poorly. I'd already turned down a day's work so as not to let her down, so I felt a bit peeved.

But you cannot stay annoyed or upset for long when you have a day like this. It was sunny, and really warm for November. The big cats loved it, and gave us great show. Then there was the gorgeous soft owl to scritch.



Head keeper Dan is training Jae Jae to position himself conveniently on the fence so that he can be visually examined or sedated without darting, to make intervention less stressful. He didn't like it when Dan left - he wanted more grub!



A bit later he went for a stroll calling - don't know what this particular moaning cry means. Maybe he wanted his lady to come outside - she's being rather shy.