"You went to Salinas to go on safari for the weekend?!"
"Yeah, and we had a great time!"
Lori had read about the Vision Quest Ranch B&B in an article in the San Francisco Chronicle (please read the article for far more details). In addition to the B&B, the ranch supports several other organizations. The Wild Things company features exotic animal rentals for movies, advertisements, and presentations--you've definitely seen them. The Elephants from Africa Rescue Society (EARS) is a non-profit committed to supporting elephants that have retired from circuses and elsewhere. There is also the Oxton Kennels for dogs and cats. Which is convenient if you want to go on vacation but you can't bear to leave your animals behind.
This weekend was clearly all about the animals. Lori had spoke of taking trips to Monterey and beyond, but I didn't think that would happen. And it didn't. We didn't even spend any time on the work that we brought. Between the tours and visits to our tent by animals that you've never seen before, there is little time left to enjoy some wine and cheese while watching the animal's behavior. We fell asleep to the cacophony of frogs and were often awakened by the deafening roar of the lions.
Joel presents a two-year-old alligator |
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The cavy, the second largest rodent on the planet |
The coati, the raccoon from South America |
Charlie went from cop to game reserve owner--not that different! |
Amanda and Angela present the serval |
That is one affectionate cat! |
This cat knows how to relax and catch some rays |
The hyena chewed on ankles, arms, just like a young pup |
The hyena pack descends on the next tent |
Butch and his entourage stroll across the Savannah |
Butch and his entourage approach, bringing breakfast to our tent |
Q: How do you feed an elephant? |
A: Quickly! |
We had run out of fruit, so Butch started eating Lori's head |
Butch finished with his apples, bananas, and oranges, peels and all! |
The skin is tough like leather |
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From our vantage point, we could watch the daily activities. The first thing in the morning, helpers distribute hay and clean up the poop. Then a corp of owners, trainers, and volunteers bath the elephants. After getting cleaned up, the elephants throw a fresh coat of dirt on their back. Then they devour the piles of hay.
In addition to the elephants, there are also a couple of ostriches named Fred and Ethel. Fred manned the perimeter and would put on an aggressive display--I suppose, if you're an ostrich--in order to scare us off. Finally, there is a zebra who often played with Butch (the elephant) and Ethel (the ostrich).
The morning's activities include distributing a bale of hay and shoveling the poop, as this gentleman is demonstrating |
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Elephant car wash |
It takes a team of three or four to brush the elephant with a soap made for an elephant's sensitive skin |
Rocking is necessary... |
...to get a 10,000 pound elephant upright |
Fred guards the compound |
Ethel |
When we stopped, Fred lay down, spread his wings, and moved his head back and forth, in order to scare us off |
The feet look like they belong on a dinosaur |
Butch and zebra tussle |
The zebra plays with Ethel, too |
Elephant on the range |
Find the reindeer, camels, llamas, emus, zebra, donkey, goats, and horses |
The menagerie |
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Alligators--normally black--are white from the calcium in the water |
Hey, shouldn't you still be hibernating? |
Joel explains that these Bengal tigers are from India |
There may be more of these tigers in the US than in their native habitat |
Mmmm, that kid looks tasty! |
You lookin' at me?! |
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Nice looking cat |
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The cats sleep from 16 to 24 hours a day, as this black leopard demonstrates |
And this old leopard |
And this lion |
And this lion |
And this guy, Jacob, whose impressive mane we saw the next morning from our porch |
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The cougar, our own local big cat |
Aw, cute kitty! |
A younger, more active, leopard |
Back on the pavement, kid! |
Very cool lynx |
This one too |
Baboons, unlike their tree-dwelling cousins, have big butts so that they can sit in the hot sand and not burn their paws |
This little monkey has quite animated facial expressions, and shares his apple with Joel |
Emus too |
The hyena, one bad-ass dog |
The kangaroo |
And the wallaby |
The little BIG cat room |
Lori on the deck |
Looking from the other side, showing the mountains in the background |
Lazing on a sunny afternoon -- The Kinks |
A pair of blue birds |
Spring is here! |
It's a tent, so the "windows" are just fly nets with flaps that Velcro in place for warmth |
How many cats can you find in this picture? |
Pretty nice bathroom for a tent |
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Copyright © 2008 Bill Wohler Last modified: 2008 About photos |
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