Not-So-Gentle Reminders

I took Cain out today and he bit me really badly. He came over to me when I went inside his enclosure to get him, love danced at my hand for a couple minutes, and let me give him scratches, but when I finally got him to step up he started biting hard and yelling "NO!!" 

When Cain starts biting, he hangs on for dear life. It's not a simple matter of asking him to step down, sometimes you have to fling him away because otherwise he will latch onto your hand with his feet and attack every inch of skin he can. I finally managed to get him off but not before he had grabbed a tendon in my hand and bit down, pulled, and twisted. I walked away and hid behind a bush while he made his "MOM COME BACK" upset call at me. Ten seconds later I went back in, asked him to step up, and took him out to play with no more issues. This is just the way Cain is. Sometimes he has bouts of aggression that appear to come out of nowhere. I don't take it personally, because it's not personal, but it is a harsh reminder that I'm not working with pets anymore. These are wild animals that do wild animal things. It was hard to use my hand for a few hours after our session and it still feels sore and bruised deep inside. He really got at something in there. But my motor skills are not impaired enough to get in the way of performing the tasks I need to perform, and at least he didn't send me to the hospital like the new coati did to one of his trainers! 

Bites are a part of life here. It sucks when it happens, especially when it comes from an animal you love. But they are a necessary reminder to be careful and treat these animals with the caution they deserve. Just because my ocelot looks like a pretty kitty doesn't mean he won't sink his teeth into me if given the chance. And let me tell you, I would rather have a bite from Cain than one from Mowgli. I'll definitely be a little more wary of the "business end" of all my animals now. 

     

Mr. Mowgli! 

James, my fluffy donkey!

Look at that face. Irresistible. 

And of course, Cain. Looking deceptively innocent.


No pics of Michelley-Monkey yet. She is difficult to photograph.

In other news today, I got to have a nice grooming session with the coati I'm taking care of, giving her lots of scratches. And a capuchin pulled my hair and scratched my forehead. 

Capuchins are dicks.