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System

Pyxis wrote: »

Hello,MessedUp!

I'm up, but then I have been to sleep!

Re. your sleep pattern, have you changed your diet recently? Food or drink-wise? Or taking different medication, either prescription or OTC?

Also, I have found that on some days, getting into a flowing interchange of chat on here can keep me awake until well into the small hours. Not lately, though!

I think it's just I've not been at work for 2 weeks so I've had no routine to speak of, once I'm back it should sort itself out

And well I may have spent a lot of time chatting to someone recently (yes a guy but nothing untoward, just as friends! It's just been nice having someone to chat to!)

Pyxis

You have a lot of holiday to make up! Two weeks this time, then another week soon! It's a shame you can't go away somewhere.

Waves_and_Smiles

Sleep patterns are definitely overrated ,MU! You are down with the cool kids staying up all night! (Other than when you have to have one, then it's a pain in the behind).

I was going to wait until this was all confirmed but I am way too excited to keep quiet about the March activity.

I am going to a living rainforest! When I emailed them I asked to meet pygmy marmosets and Goeldi's monkeys, explaining that I have mental health problems and need a very quiet time as per usual, also that I cannot walk for long. A lovely lady emailed back and said that inbetween the two enclosures was one containing toucans and agouti, so why don't we say I will be there for a 2 and a half hours and I can visit those, too?

After a few emails and her absolutely bending over backwards for me we have agreed to split the times into 20 minutes with each animal/bird and have a 15 minute break after each one so that I can sit down and hide under my blanket if I need to. I will go at the end of the day, during the week (Friday 13th, don't laugh) when it is very empty and Wasp is allowed in each enclosure with me in case I need comfort/someone to lean on. She recommended I arrive in the last hour before closing and stay for an hour or so afterwards to complete my day, they are fine about this because the keepers work with the animals and clean their enclosures for 3 hours after closing anyway.

I will prepare each animals food with the keeper and then feed them and have a cuddle! All of the animals on the list are sociable, I can expect to be climbed on by pygmy marmosets and Goeldi's monkeys, toucans to sit on my shoulder and arms and agouti's to roll over if I tickle their tummys! They have two agouti's, one with the monkeys and one with toucans. They are like hamsters and solitary so have to be kept apart unless they are breeding them. The one with the toucans apparently bounds up to people for food and a cuddle!

Oh,oh and they have a sloth! Unfortunately, the public can't touch her because they are on the dangerous animals list. But if she isn't sleeping somewhere high I can watch her being fed and the keeper putting her through her training programme after the park closes, apparently you can train sloths! That cannot be guaranteed though because if she is at the top of her enclosure it can take her a week to come back down so it depends on what she is doing on the day. She is allowed to live however she wants so if she happens to be at ground level they interact with her then.

Again, I am struck by how unbelievably kind people are. She said it doesn't matter if it runs over and I want to spend a bit longer than 20 minutes with an animal, and we can stop at any time if I need to sit and hide and then return later. She was so understanding. I just have to stay well and so does WaSp. Because they are rainforest animals they are kept in a protective environment and do not have immunity to a lot of conditions that animals from here do. The monkeys can catch colds for example so it is important that you do not have one if you touch them. Stomach bugs can also be caught and you can't go near pygmy marmosets if you have a cold sore because the herpes virus kills them. She even checked that I have had chicken pox because the virus is so dangerous to them. We need to stay virus free!

Pyxis

Ooooh WaS! So exciting! You're turning into a right Dr. Doolittle, aren't you!:rotfl:

I do hope you get to see the sloth! Why are they dangerous? Is it the three long toes on each paw? Mind you, I don't think they have lightening reflexes! If you couldn't outrun a sloth, I'd be seriously worried about you!

I'll have to google Goeldi's monkeys! Never heard of them.

And in a rainforest eh?
Well, if you're not back on here posting by the 14th, we send an expedition out to find you! Anyone here called Stanley?




Here's some. They come from Bolivia! I wonder if Oldestgnome will see any?

Waves_and_Smiles

Hahahahaha! Four animals in a day this time!

The Goeldi's monkeys are very friendly and leap at you apparently, she suggested if I have long hair which I do, to put it up because they will try to groom me!

I'm not sure myself why sloths are on the dangerous animal list, as you say I would imagine you could get away from one quite easily. I can stand in the enclosure but no touching, but it depends where she is on the day.

Gingernutty

Pyxis wrote: »

Why are they dangerous? Is it the three long toes on each paw?

It's not the toes, it's the claws.

They are incredibly slow, but they can take a swipe and give you a nasty slash.

mellymoo74

Sloths fur is poisonous if I remember rightly.

Waves_and_Smiles

That makes sense Gingernutty. They have a crocodile too, I can see why he is on the list but sloths confused me! I hope she is at a level where I can see her!

Ooooh, didn't know that either, melly! That would also account for it!

mellymoo74

http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-879X2001000100002

Yep contains toxic compounds

Right tea dog walk NVQ

Waves_and_Smiles

I learn so much from this thread. I had no idea, melly!