Little Guenon, Big Exhibit
Posted at 9:23 am February 13, 2009 by Janet Hawes
Installment #3
Read Installment #2: Little Guenon Gets Acquainted
The exhibit that houses the Wolf’s guenons in Monkey Trails at the San Diego Zoo is beautiful. It is lushly planted and embellished with various leafy vegetation, climbing structures, pools, and grassy areas for rest and play. The exhibit is also very tall and hilly, offering our guests two-story viewing. These exciting exhibit elements are enriching for the guenon family and our guests, to be sure, but can be problematic for a youngster who does not yet “know the ropes.”
To prepare Gigi for her new life, we first turned her nursery cage into a training ground. Gigi was given the largest of our temporary enclosures. We added many elements to help her negotiate and hone her skills of balance, climbing, and jumping. Vines, perches, hammocks, and shelves elevated from the enclosure floor were added. We placed fresh leafy branches in her enclosure and started her on some solid foods. Soon Gigi had mastered balancing and swinging from the perches close to the floor, so we elevated them. Each time Gigi learned a new skill, we added a new challenge or made each one a bit more difficult.
Our next step was to introduce Gigi to the Zoo’s Wolf’s guenon exhibit. On January 13, 2009, we took Gigi for her first outing. We weren’t sure how she would like it, since it was so large and unfamiliar to her. Our plan was to show her around and make her aware of the various areas and alert her to the obstacles. It would have been understandable if she were overwhelmed by the sheer size and novelty of the space. Instead of being nervous, Gigi took an immediate liking to the exhibit. After just a few brief minutes of sitting on my lap, she elected to get down to check things out. As we made our way to the sand, grass, rock, and wood, she stood erect but relaxed. When she encountered a new object she vocalized, signaling either her excitement or indifference at each new experience. Gigi had an opinion on every subject and was not shy about sharing them with us!
Senior mammal keeper Leticia Plasencia took Gigi into the exhibit on successive days. The new routine consisted of a mid morning exhibit visit, including a bottle feeding outside in the sunshine. This was followed by several hours in the bedrooms with Gigi’s family. We began abbreviating and finally eliminating Gigi’s stuffed surrogate to encourage her to become more independent and social. In place of the surrogate, we offered more enrichment (preferred food items, toys, boxes, climbing ropes, and balls) to keep things positive for all. As Gigi’s weight and confidence climbed, we increased the time she spent with the other guenons. From this process, we began to see a somewhat surprising new alliance form. This new development surely was not what we might have expected.
Check back soon for my next blog, where I’ll talk about Gigi’s surprising relationship.
Janet Hawes is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.
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February 13th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
Janet, you’re surely leaving us in suspense here –”tune in next week . . .”! I’m really thrilled that Gigi is responding so well to her soon-to-be new home and family. And I hope that the final introductions go as well and that she is fully integrated into the troop. Has she been in contact with her mom and sister? And if so, how did it go? Thanks so much for keeping us so well informed and for the wonderful work you and her keepers are doing!
February 14th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
Ooh, I can’t wait for the next instalment. Who or what has Gigi taken a fancy to? She is such a delightful little character from your description, Janet and has taken to the trees quite happily. Is there going to be a video featuring little Gigi? It would be lovely to see her in action.
February 17th, 2009 at 9:10 am
Hi Janet – Wonderful news! What was Gigi’s reaction after spending time in the bedrooms with her family? I’m guessing we will all find out in your next installment.
I have a good feeling that our sweet Gigi will quickly adjust to her new environment and continue to thrive. I hope to meet Gigi with her family on our next visit to the beautiful Monkey Trails exhibit. By the way, I love her name – my 11-year-old calico cat is also named Gigi. 