There's something very peaceful about watching a giraffe simply stroll about. It's almost as if someone has set the world on 'slow motion.' I felt the same hypnotic fascination some years ago while watching the palm trees bending and swaying with the wind in Hawaii. But credit must be given here to the giraffe, as he is able to trigger the same endorphin-like state in my mind ~without the help of a pina colada.
I will be attending the International Giraffe Symposium this year in San Francisco -not that I've ever worked with a giraffe, but I am curious to see and meet the people who have developed training techniques for an animals who tower 18 feet over them. One interesting fact I obtained from the San Diego Zoo was that their giraffes' favorite preference is to work for pieces of red onion. I can only imagine the boxes of tissues I'd go through every day at the food preparation station!
None the less, off I will go to San Francisco in February -to observe, to network, to listen and to learn, as I enter for the first time into their gentle, slow-motion world.
Lessons learned:
Keep your pockets filled with red onions,
and don't look down when training a giraffe
Lucky, lucky you. Giraffes do have an aura about them. How goes it with the goat?
ReplyDeleteWell said, Terry. They move like ballerinas! The goat exam is finished -he was a star! His repertoire consisted of a bow, back-up, spin, jump, station, duration hold, recall, "up", targeting, and a figure 8 (where he always knocked over the pylons because he cut the corners so short!). We're still working on desensitization to people. I take him out for 15 minute walks around the farm -working towards closer proximity to the 4H visitors. It's coming, but there are still many repetitions yet to do. Hugs to all your little goats!
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