I was recently given the opportunity to be a temporary elephant keeper, kind of as a reward for doing such a good job with Roar and Snore. I was pretty scared that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the hard physical work, especially in the heat, but I’ve really enjoyed it. Look at me, all clean in my WAP uniform (not clean for long, though). Those are some of our African elephants, and I am indeed standing in the exhibit. It is pretty exciting to see the elephants up close, and I’m learning a lot about them. My favorite elephant is named Lunguili; she’s the smallest of the herd (besides the baby), the least dominant, and clearly the smartest.
Vus Mus is our newest elephant, born February 23, 2004. He’s very cute, but he’s a little rat – he steals elephant pellets from the other elephants’ mouths, and will do just about anything to get your attention. What a ham!
Did you know that elephants are hind-gut fermenters? This means that 50% of their food goes in one end and out the other. Which is what 75% of my job is all about.
Fuzzy Undertones 
Glam Gal,Awesome Blog! If only I had a nickel for every time I turned to Paul and said, “I wonder what Marci’s up to right nnnnnn-now.” Paul usually says, “I bet she’s scooping elephant poo.” We get the hind-fermenter thing now. That must be what makes it look like muddy tumbleweed.
Yeah, it only LOOKS like muddy tumbleweed. It doesn’t smell quite as good, and you can bet it’s a good deal heavier. Actually, my elephant hours have been cut back, so I guess it’s back to looking for another job…at the park or elsewhere!