PAW PRINTS
- January 2004
The Voice
of Fellow Earthlings' Wildlife Center, Inc.
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Happy New Year from all of us at Fellow Earthlings’
Wildlife Center! We had a wonderful holiday season.
We welcomed many new adoptive parents through gift
adoptions
and we filled lots of gift orders for our T-shirts
and books.
Every day brought gifts for the meerkats from adoptive
parents and “Mystery Santas” around the world. Many
thanks to everyone who included the meerkats on their
holiday list. Our adorable residents were certainly
spoiled by all your gifts. And, already, they are
attempting to win points for next year by keeping
their den boxes clean and tidy, not squabbling over
who gets the choicest worms and, of course, not hogging
the sun from their enclosure mates.
Everyone in the high desert is staying warm and dreaming
about the long summer days to come. It has been a
chilly winter so the heat lamps and heat pads are
going non-stop to make sure our little charges are
comfy and snug. Often you can peek into the enclosures
and see the meerkats “belly up” in their baskets enjoying
the warmth from the overhead heat lamps.
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| Toasty.
© Phil Wallberg |
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Wish List and Goals for 2004
With the unveiling of a new year, we revised and re-prioritized
our Wish
List. We are so grateful to those who helped us acquire
many of the items we needed in 2003. Your generosity allowed
us to work from “can’t to can.”
We set two more goals for the next year:
- Three additional meerkat enclosures. We selected an area
on the acreage that has ideal sun exposure. We hope to raise
enough funds in 2004 to complete this next phase of the
facility. These new enclosures will enable us to provide
life-long homes for addition meerkats.
The cost of the materials to build these enclosures is
$6,000. There won’t be any labor costs because we will do
all the work “in house.”
We are looking for a BAND OF 20 ANGELS to donate $300.00
each to build the enclosures. When the project is completely
funded we will begin construction. If you are interested
in being part of this angelic band, you may make your donation
on our website or you may send a check to our mailing
address. Please note on the donation that your gift is to
be applied to the meerkat enclosures building fund.
- Renovation of the Wheel Cottage. We hope to remodel this
building as a Visitor’s Center/Volunteer office. Our plans
include a bathroom, heat and air conditioning, kitchenette,
and shelving for “meerkat merchandise.” This project does
not yet have an estimated cost analysis. After all, the
meerkats’ new “digs” are more important.
Vittles for You and the Critters
Fabulous news! We qualified for a program that will help
our critters. Every time you buy food you can benefit the
meerkats at NO COST to you! Four percent of your grocery bill
will automatically be donated to the animals at Fellow Earthlings’
Wildlife Center every time you shop. Here’s how it works:
- You MUST live in CALIFORNIA.
- You must shop at one of these participating grocery stores:
* Ralph’s (southern and northern California only)
* Food 4 Less (southern California only)
* Cala Foods (northern California only)
* Bell Markets (northern California only)
If you shop at Food 4 Less (remember, southern California
only) please follow these simple steps to help the animals:
- Call (760) 363-1344 or email us at Info@FellowEarthlings.org
to request a free Community Rewards card.
- Provide us with your name and address.
- We will mail you a card
- Every time you shop please “swipe” your card. Automatically,
4% of your bill will be donated to Fellow Earthlings’.
If you shop at Ralph’s, Cala Foods, or Bell Markets please
follow these steps to benefit the animals:
- Request a free membership card from Ralph’s, Cala Foods,
or Bell Markets if you don’t already have one. You get these
cards at the grocery stores. The cards are free.
- Call (760) 363-1344 or email us at Info@FellowEarthlings.org
with the number on the back of your card.
- Provide us with your name and address.
- We will register your number. Every time you shop please
“swipe” your card. Automatically, 4% of your grocery bill
will be donated to Fellow Earthlings’ Wildlife Center.
With this wonderful program you can provide “vittles” for
the animals while shopping for your own. We look forward to
hearing from you. Many thanks!
Getting the Word Out
Public Relations
- Our director, Pam Bennett-Wallberg, was invited to speak
at the luxurious retirement community, Del Web’s Sun City.
The enthusiastic and gracious audience members expressed
interest in visiting the Center to learn more about the
meerkats.
- Pam was the featured speaker at The Living Desert Zoo
and Botanical Garden in Palm Desert, California. Years ago
Pam was the Director of Wildlife Programs at this world-class
facility. The staff, docents, and volunteers gave her a
very warm welcome. Plus, the meerkats were benefited by
a number of kind individuals who “adopted.”
- The prestigious philanthropic magazine HIGHWAY 111 published
a letter to the editor from Fellow Earthlings in their January
issue.
Fur, Feathers, Paws and Claws
Center News
- The Living Desert Zoo asked if we were able to temporarily
care for animals that were evacuated from Moonridge Zoo
in Big Bear, California during the devastating fires in
the San Bernardino Mountains last October. We readily agreed
to help in any way we could. Happily, the fires did not
reach the zoo and the evacuated animals, housed temporarily
at The Living Desert, were able to return to their home
in a matter of days. We applaud The Living Desert Zoo and
its staff for helping in this tragic event.
- Recently 15 employees from Southern California Edison
in Yucca Valley, California, arrived at the Center and volunteered
to rake pine needles and transport them to the dump. These
Angels saved us weeks of hard work. Wonderful!
- An enormously talented graphic artist from Washington
State volunteered to design our new Adoption Certificate
and Portfolio. The “out of Africa” theme she created is
simply “out of this world.” We couldn’t be more delighted
or more grateful.
- Two Angels from northern California donated a new computer,
digital camera, and database to the Center. Then, they even
installed the equipment for us. This fabulous “windfall”
has made our office much more efficient. Thank you, thank
you!!!!
- In our newsletters we publicly acknowledge donations of
material goods and volunteer services. We privately and
personally thank each individual who donates funds because
we believe all donations, big and small, are equally important.
Cheetah Update
In the October Newsletter we told you about the WCMC’s (World
Conservation Monitoring Center) moratorium on non-AZA member
(American Zoo and Aquarium Assoc.) participation in the SSP
(Species Survival Plan.)
Every five years the WCMC reviews various protocols and policies.
Unfortunately, this moratorium has affected many zoos and
private facilities. The WCMC will review the moratorium in
March 2004. We hope their decision will be favorable to us,
our Cheetah Project, and to the other fine zoos and private
facilities affected.
Sadly, this delay caused Discovery Channel to withdraw the
funding for our cheetah documentary. We felt the documentary
would have brought worldwide attention to the critically endangered
cheetah. We were understandably disappointed.
We know our Cheetah Project has been close to the hearts
of many donors. We appreciate your abiding interest and support.
Of course, we will update you on any further developments.
Sun-Sational
Before winter set in, we began brainstorming on an addition
to Kendi and Rafiki’s enclosure which, during the winter season,
gets the least amount of direct sun light. Of course, we wanted
them to have their fair share of rays. Although the other
enclosures have full sun most of the day, Kendi and Rafiki
needed to retreat to their basket under the heat lamp by afternoon
when the sun left their enclosure. Short of cutting down trees,
which are needed for shade in the summer, we didn’t know what
to do. So, we pondered and paced around the enclosures waiting
for inspiration to strike.
We thought of building a “sun room” in a clearing on the
acreage, but how would the meerkats get to it? Perhaps a tunnel?
No, because if the meerkats were ill and retreated to the
tunnel, we might not be able to get them out. How about an
aerial tramway? We chuckled as we pictured Kendi and Rafiki
in a little tram car riding to their sun room. No, no, that
wouldn’t do.
As we looked skyward and squinted at the sun, it suddenly
occurred to us -- a penthouse! If we could get the meerkats
up on top of the adjoining enclosure, Kendi and Rafiki would
have all the sun they desired.
Now, we wondered, how do we get them up to the penthouse?
We called Phil, our construction guru, and he had the solution.
He built a long, wire mesh-covered ramp that ran from the
lower corner of Kendi and Rafiki’s enclosure to the top of
the adjoining enclosure. We had to figure out the ramp’s angle.
We didn’t want it to be too steep. We also needed to protect
Kendi and Rafiki from their sassy neighbors when the pair
was on their way to the penthouse. The neighbors wouldn’t
hesitate taking a “swipe” at the pair if they came within
“claws” reach. Territory, you know!
Phil sketched, designed, measured, and cut. Before we knew
it, he had the ramp finished. The penthouse is actually a
large, wire dog kennel and it is secured to the roof of the
second enclosure. The penthouse has all the amenities - even
a cozy box for the meerkats to duck into if a bird of prey
or other creature startles them.
Finally, with everything in place, it was time for a test
run.
Meerkats will climb to the top of a termite mound, rock,
or bush to get the best vantage point for “guard duty.” However,
these objects are never as high as the penthouse. Our meerkats
had never been higher than three feet off the ground, so we
had no idea if they would use the penthouse or not. We needed
to give them some incentive to explore the ramp and penthouse.
Yep, Mealworms!
We propped a series of ladders against the ramp, climbed
the rungs, and began sprinkling mealworms along the entire
“road” to the penthouse. We called the meerkats’ names to
entice them onto the ramp. It took “cheeky” Rafiki five minutes
to grasp the concept. What a bright boy he is! He repeatedly
scurried up and down as he followed his equivalent of “breadcrumbs.”
From the ladders we could hear his long claws make delightful
“clicking” noises as he traipsed back and forth. He reminded
us of a small tap dancer sans shoes. Kendi was a little more
wary of this new-fangled devise. Although it took her three
sessions to get the idea, she was soon racing past Rafiki
to be “first to the top.”
We thought you might like to see the latest addition to the
meerkat enclosures! “Chez Solana,” or in meerkat lingo, “that
really great place to catch some rays.”
After completing the project, our best reward was to see
two little meerkats standing in the penthouse with their bellies
(albeit a little fatter than they were prior to our project
and the mealworm bribes) facing the sun. Their contented look
told us we had succeeded.
Mission accomplished!
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| Overview of the ramp to the Penthouse.
© Denise Robertson |
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| Rafiki "tap dancing" down the ramp from the Penthouse.
© Denise Robertson |
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Thank you for everything you do for the
animals. You are deeply appreciated. In 2003 the meerkats
(and we humans) enjoyed many happy, sun-filled days with new
and old friends. Your kindness and generosity make our dreams
for the animals a reality.
Animals are not brethren, they are not underlings;
they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of
life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendor and travail
of the earth
Henry Beston, The Outermost House
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