Offbeat Bride Guest Blogger

I am going to shamelessly promote my own Offbeat Bride blog post, which is now up on their website. No, I am  not getting married. I just like weddings. And blogging. The post is about providing gluten-free alternatives to cake at a wedding.

And because no blog post here on What's the Smatter is complete without one, I will now leave you with a gratuitous cute animal photo:

This is Cactus Jack the North American porcupine, just waking from an afternoon nap.

Guest Blogger: Stella Speaks (Well, Honks) Out

Dear Blogfans,

In case you don't already know me, I'm Stella, the Abyssinian ground hornbill who is the star of the shows at  Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium.

I'm addressing you, the fans, because it has come to my attention that a certain canine from the zoo has expressed some of his sentiments publicly in the post here. Now folks, I know how you humans love a good dog. I have no beef (or chicken) with that. But let's get one thing straight: birds are awesome.

Who isn't fascinated by the anatomy of a feather or moved by a soaring eagle? When visitors come to the zoo they ask "What time is the bird show?" No one asks, "What time is the dog show?" Well, before Herald they didn't.

Specifically, I want to point out that Herald's comment regarding the "bird brains" at PDZA's theater was out of line. We birds get a bad reputation because of a few bad eggs. Really though, some of us are pretty intelligent. Not to honk my own horn, but...I knew how to fetch and retrieve before this little puppy was weaned.

Sure, Herald might do some flashy stunts like this one:

Then again, Herald also has the attention of professional animal handlers ALL DAY. Of course he picked up a few things. Now that I'm a seasoned performer, I like to just perch around and play with enrichments in my house. As for some of the other birds at the Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater, they aren't all just pretty faces.

The green-wing macaws can perform a wide variety of behaviors, including the classy wing extension being trained here:

These parrots have also coordinated fundraising for conservation through Point Defiance's Wildlife Conservation fund and collected over $17,000! That's nothing to turn your beak up at.

And you have to admit that the crowd goes wild when they see birds like this in the program:

I don't have any hard feelings toward Herald the dog; as mammals go, he's not half bad. But hopefully he'll think twice before insulting avian intelligence again. Let's give credit where credit is due--it's a good thing to be a bird brain!

Guest Blogger: Herald the Dog

Hello Blog-fans,
My name is Herald, and I'm a dog. Not just any dog--I'm a famous zoo dog. Over a year ago I started working with the kind keepers at the Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater in Tacoma, Washington who hired me to help them with their program.

So far, I've been doing a great job; the zookeepers are really learning a lot. I spend my days training the them to make funny noises, to feed me peanut butter and string cheese, and to act as the cast and crew for my live animals program.

This show is a BIG deal. At least five well-trained humans need to be present or I won't even attempt it, which is why we only do the whole program in the busy season here at the zoo.




During the program I go rafting,

and I take a hot air balloon ride.

Oh, and there are some other animals in the show, too, just to entertain the fans during my costume changes.

Check out the latest behavior I've taught the keepers here. These humans are pretty amazing, aren't they?

At night I send the trainers home to recuperate for the next day's sessions while I keep an eye on the Wild Wonders building and all of the other animals. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say a lot of them are bird-brained, and they really need looking after. Plus, there's that sneaky lynx who lives down the hall...I know he's up to something...

Life wasn't always all warm laps and Snausages though. I don't like to elaborate on my experiences before Wild Wonders, but I spent some long nights on the streets, on the run from the dog-catchers, begging for kibble. That's right: I'm a pound puppy. I'm not ashamed about my lack of pedigree. Even in the hard times, I knew I was destined for greatness.

Here's the real heart of the matter, Blog-fans. Just think what might have become of me--ME, Herald the celebrated conservation hero and all-around Wonder Dog--if some wise humans hadn't picked me to bring into their lives. I won't get all mushy about it because I'm not that kind of dog. But if you're thinking of adding a new friend to your family, visit your local shelter or humane society.

Give mutts a chance.