Happy Halloween!

Tigers and pumpkins!!!

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3 Sumatrans, 2 Bengals, 2 Bengal cubs, 170 miles = 1300 pictures.

The first tiger in this set is the new male at Pt. Defiance Zoo. His name is yet to be chosen, I'm voting for Bali. He got some "enrichment items" for his introduction to the public. They included a "Popsicle" and a pumpkin with some hamburger inside. Sadly when he went to investigate the pumpkin, he knocked it into his pool. He seemed to really enjoy the Popsicle, as he drug it up the hill and hid in the shadows with it. The keepers were saying that they will try and get him and Jaya to eventually breed hopefully.

Jaya is in this set as well. She was being photogenic as usual, if not a little shy, hiding in the back of the 2nd enclosure.

Java was mostly hiding in the shade of a third enclosure. I got only a few pictures of him and only one worth posting.

I won't post the rest of this set just yet, per request.

More fall color

And sometimes the fall color is just everywhere.

I should keep my camera on me at all times. Of course, if I did that it would take me hours to get to my next client appointment every day.

Well, today it was just easier to take pictures in the backyard.

Click on the pictures to see the full size versions.

October 17th.

Todays visit was pretty wet. Storm cleared long enough to allow a few pictures.
Almos was in the Phase I enclosure and was cooperative.

The cubs Bhagira and Vitez were brought into the glass enclosed area and were playing and talking to Almos and the Cougar Nashi. Bhagira was running back and forth and Nashi was following him.

October 11th.

I didn't realize any of these would come out. I was lucky enough to get a few pictures of Nashi the Cougar.
It seems that it was a very snoozy day for the tigers Taj and Almos. Nashi was so alert because he had just been given his enrichment treats. You can see some hamburger hidden in the enclosure.

Windoze 7 for my work laptop.

Well, work just gave me a new drive with win7. YAAAWN.
Friends are having win7 rollout parties to get free copies.

Its pretty vista, new significant new gadgets. Seems every so slightly faster.
On the flip side, IE seems ever so less stable. Perhaps it was the AJAX page i was pulling up.

Color me unimpressed.

CMZ 3-Oct-09

The big guys are still being tempted into their new enclosure. Their big tiger ball was moved down the connecting tunnel, which Almos retrieved and brought back to the phase 1 area.

Since Almos and Taj are still happy in their current area, their little friends get to play in the larger phase 2 enclosure.

Tail of 2 Tigers and 2 Cubs

September 26th, Tale of 2 Tigers event at Cougar Mountain Zoo.

Taj and Almos were to be introduced to their new enclosure. Unfortunately, they didn't cooperate. I think there was a little stage fright goin' on. The ever-creative curator Robyn, had a plan B. The cubs Vitez and Bhagira got to go play in the new enclosure, as did all of us visitors. There are some pictures in the sequence.

Rough Play

These big boys play rough.
When their paw connect, you can hear the thwap.
They are connecting, but without claw extended.
I could only imagine if they were serious what would happen.
At the end of combat, they groom each other.

CMZ 12-Sep-09

To get good at photography, take pictures of the same type of subject.

Java from Point Defiance Zoo (Tacoma)

I have not been to PDZA very often. I will be going more this year as my sweet wife got me a membership.

Sunday, Java was out, so pictures of him:

Vitez and Baghira Tiger cubs

Yes, more pictures of the tiger cubs.
Vitez is the little royal white, and Baghira is the standard orange cub.

Too cute to not post.

Tiger cubs attempt zoo-break

Tigers are crafty little creatures. On a recent trip to Cougar Mountain Zoo I captured photographic evidence to prove this hypothesis.

Watch as these two 11 week old cubs plan and execute an escape attempt.

Ever wary zoo general curator Robyn Barfoot, foiled said attempt.

UPDATE: 8-Sep-2k9 Enlarged to 600x400 slide show

Encounter with a Bengal Tiger

Once in a lifetime...
Hardly! I will do this again if I am able.

His "nickname" is Titan, he does not yet have a formal name. There is a contest the zoo is putting on to give him an official name. Tigers deserve names that befit them.

Very playful little guy (18kg) at 11 weeks. The fur isn't soft like a kitten, but slightly wiry. Under the fur, its all muscle. Sasha said he was doing the "tigger" thing today, bounding around. At just under 3 months old he is definitely a tiger. The experience was very much like playing with a 10-12 month old German Shepard puppy. You KNOW he is powerful, and must respect him (he deserves that).

Robyn's friendly reminder "18 claws and 30 teeth" rings in my ears. He did charge me a few times and brushed me with his paw, his claws retracted. He knows that he is just playing with me, the stuffted toy will not fare so well.

Tiger Cubs - August 8, 2009

These little guys are too photogenic.

All 20 lbs, 18 claws and 30 teeth. (Thanks Robyn)

On Tuesday I get to play with the orange one. They don't have names yet.

Cubs

The new cubs at Cougar Mtn Zoo are just too adorable to not photograph.