8 July 2012: These 2 pups are growing into their name of being “Spotted”, with lots of blonde and gray fur appearing around their spots all over their bodies. They are now 5 and half months old and their personalities are shining through. Ed the male is so sweet and loving, and will happily climb into anyone’s lap for a good scratch and kisses. Shenzi the female can be quite bossy of Ed as she likes to assert her dominance, but she gets jealous of Ed’s hugs and squeals for someone to hug her. Both love their midday bottle, and exercise their noses each morning on their daily walk. From time to time the Tigers also join in on the walks which makes it extra fun and interesting for all the babies!
April 2012: Our two Spotted Hyena pups (pictured above) arrived at Seaview in April 2012. They were a bit skittish at first and therefore stayed at Ashley’s house for the first two days – but they slowly gained confidence and now spend the whole day outside and go back to Ashley’s house at night time. That’s where they get their last bottle for the day and a nice chunky rib. One out of the two (red collared baby) is slightly bigger, more confident and tends to nibble on you when it gets excited. The other pup (black collard baby) is a bit more shy and gentle but since they started coming outside has changed and comes running up to you when you walk in. Hyenas are impossible to sex just by looks – so at the moment we are not sure what we have. The vet will be paying a visit to the park today and will take blood samples so we can run a DNA test to find out what we have. In the meantime – any name suggestions that fit both sexes are welcome.
May 2012: We have been very busy constructing an entirely new enclosure for them to settle into. This enclosure is situated just beyond the bottom enclosure (current home to Or and Amber) and runs 1/4 of the walking loop to connect down onto the road, running alongside the old Wild Cat and Crocodile enclosures making it a massive space for them to develop in. We will be implementing 2 dens for the Hyaena’s, as well as a sand pit for them to dig and retrieve special items like bones and treats as well as a shallow pool for them to bathe in. Meanwhile, we have been walking with the pups on leads, and using a spray bottle with a mix of water and citronella oil to squirt them with if they get naughty. They are coming out of their shell and are brave and confident, responding to our calls and running over to greet us with high pitched squeals of delight!
