Well yesterday was an eventful day at the Zoo!
I was going about my every day routine, feeding the koalas, cleaning out the animals and then it was time to weed one of the many kangaroo pens. There are two that I have fallen in love with called Marvin and Theo, they were raised by humans and are so are very lovable and always want too climb up my shorts or nibble my hand or give my face a lick. I was picking up the weeds, and Marvin and Theo were having a bit of fun when all of a sudden I stood up, and Marvin just WENT for me. Literally it happened so quickly. He kicked, then dug his claws in then his teeth and just clung to my leg. I didn't know what to do! So I did the girlie thing... and screamed! But nobody came, (health and safety laws are wayyy to laid back over here) so then I just started kicking my leg until the kangaroo was flung off.
I ran out of the pen and was shaking but then I just burst into laughter.. a kangaroo had just attacked me and I wish it had been filmed because it probably looked quite funny! I have a few bruises and scratches but I'm okay... just gonna have to be brave enough to go back in there next week!
I then went in with the DINGO'S to weed their pen. I had to have a trained zookeeper with me to go in with the dingos. I was honestly wetting myself.. dingo's are scary and wild and make this howling sound. However the zookeeper just instructed me to go into the pen and stand very still, let them come up to me and sniff and lick and jump up at me. Dogs have never really been my favourite animal.. but I just had to man up and do it. There is a quote from the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S Lewis that says "Peter did not feel very brave; indeed, he felt he was going to be sick. But that made no difference to what he had to do" Now I know it probably doesn't sound like a very big deal, going in to a dingo's den to weed, but I was honestly very scared. But the aussie's are all so tough that there isn't any time for wimpish "I'm scared I'm going to be eaten alive" excuses. And I'm glad I did it now.
Walking back from the dingo's I noticed one of the zookeepers struggling controlling a wombat. I called in to ask if he was okay, and the wombat had managed to get a piece of sharp, rusty metal through the tough skin on his foot and would need two tetanus shots. As we gave the wombat the first shot, he decided to bite down on the poor zookeepers hand. I have never seen anyone look in so much pain (wombats are the 3rd most dangerous animal we have at the zoo and they can break your hand when they bite) Of course the zookeeper then could not give the rest of the tetanus shots and I went straight into first aid mode. The first thing I said was "you need a cup of tea with 3 sugars and too sit down" (how very british of me!) instead we had to settle for a full fat coke. Poor guy.
Today I am off the zoo and have been out for a walk to the local shops to buy some food supplies, and then I headed to the beach too do some reading. It's hot today, but there are a few occasional down pours of rain I have to be ready for!
Time to go and get some more sun!
Bethany xxxx
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