Monkey/ape bars.....Escalators!

Day 5.

This morning we discussed the changes to the enclosure plan in light of the price of materials. We agree to go ahead with 5 new enclosures. 3 larger ones at 9m x 6m by 4m high, then 2 smaller ones at 6m x 6m by4m high. Every enclosure will have at least 2 runways connecting them with 2 hatches on each runway. Apart from the other uses I have mentioned of being able to move the gibbons around, the runways enable 2 or more enclosures to become one bigger space. This will be good when there are larger groups or when they are introducing 2 adults to one another. If introducing a male to a female you can start by opening one end of a runway and leave the other end shut, this enables the gibbons to be close but not close enough to harm each other if they decide they don't like one another.

I discover that there is a pile of ready cut Bamboo and I spend the afternoon digging bits out for my Monkey/Ape bars.

Day 6.

After Breakfast I'm told that we are off to buy materials. Yesterday afternoon Nok phoned around all the suppliers and found the best prices for us. I head off with Ta Win, the main maintenance guy, and we make a a plan to met up with Pharanee in Mae Sot. After about an hour and a half in the hardware store (one of my favorite kind of places) we set off with a pick-up full of beams, paint and some bits I had to get for enrichment and remotely operated hatches (my Fav.).

After lunch I go and offer Ta Win my help. He and his team are putting the first layer of anti-rust paint on. I take some photos and Ta Win mimes that they are OK for help, he doesn't speak English. I then mime that I am happy to go and start digging post holes (something I have done many times before) so he says OK then goes off to get a set square and a tape measure. He then gives a spade to one of the guys that was painting and it dawns on me that he thinks I want to take photos of them digging holes! It takes a while but eventually I manage to explain and we all have a good laugh about it. I then explain that I am happy to go and dig holes but he won't let me. I guess that I am the guest and they don't want me to get my hands dirty, a lovely sentiment but I actually enjoy getting my hands very dirty!

So, I head off with a few tools to carry on with my Bamboo Monkey/Ape bars. I have found two 5&1/2 m lengths that curve upwards in the same way so I start to chisel away to make holes for the bars. Ta Win comes over and mimes that they have a drill to do that so we carry the pieces over to the tool cupboard and get to work. We work hard on getting it right for around 2 hours and once it is finished Ta Win sticks it into an enclosure with around 7 young Gibbons in it. It is an instant hit. There is a flurry of excitement and straight away they are brachiating back and forth along it, even Scotty who only has one arm, gets involved. Everyone stops what they are doing and comes to watch. Gibbons have a ball and socket joint in their wrists. This enables the youngsters to reach the end and, without removing their hand, spin 180 degrees and head back the way they came. One of the women that works here says that the Gibbons seem to be loving the escalators!

I get a great sense of achievement at the end of the day, things are moving along very quickly and I feel that I have been able to help these lovely creatures that live here. Now that I have set the scene and introduced the work I shall be doing I'm going to use my next few blogs to introduce you to some of the characters I have met here. Right now, I'm off to get a massive lunch somewhere!

Keri ;o)