Week 254 ( 4th July – 10th July 2008 )
Lessons not yet learned
The cubs are now more than ever curious of their surroundings and of the movements of others outside their enclosure. They often leave Cathay and head to the opposite side of the enclosure to investigate any movement they see.
JenB still hasn’t altogether learned not to fool around whilst his mother is eating. As long as they both sit and eat quietly Cathay is prepared to allow them to eat whilst she is eating. The fact that JenB cannot sit quietly for any length of time has caused him trouble on more than one occasion. JenB sat watching his mother and brother eat instead of playing with him, this he couldn’t have so he went to bully his brother; growling most ferociously; who was trying to ignore him, eventually JenB managed to provoke a reaction from his brother and together they were rolling on the food, tugging it out of Cathay’s mouth and generally irritating her, she lashed out at them both, causing JenB to backchat her and his brother to continue eating quietly. JenB still wanted to play and not eat so he again pounced on those eating, receiving a growl from Cathay, this phased him not at all and he continued to try and tear his brother away from the food by growling and biting him, causing Cathay to lose her temper and lunge at JenB with snapping teeth and a heavy hand; stopping a hairs breadth from him. Realising that he had once again overstepped the boundary and that his brother wasn’t going to play, he settled down to eat, carefully pulling morsels off so as not to disturb his mother. He had hardly started eating when Cathay decided that they had had enough and pulled the food away from them and growled for them not to follow.
Laohu Valley has borne bitterly cold weather made worse by a cold wind for this past week; here’s hoping for better weather next week.