Look at the Life Around You

There are so many amazing animals where I work. But whenever I get the chance, I like to point out the animals living wild around us.
People should care about all animals, not only the biggest most impressive ones. Even tiny animals can be amazing (or cute).

We get some cool birds around here. A couple months ago, there were a pair of hooded oriole chicks that were fledging.

They could fly pretty good, but would sit in a bush and call constantly for mom and dad, "feed me, feed me! Don't forget about me! I'm over here!" And every couple minutes, either mom or dad would come by to stuff them with bugs.

(Baby begging from mom)

(And here's dad)
I'd point the chicks out to everyone who walked by. While also making sure no one bothered them.


One day, there was a gopher digging out a tunnel about a foot from the pathway. He'd come up pushing an armful of dirt, and then pack it down and disappear back in the hole only to return a few seconds later with another armful of dirt. He was working hard! And the kids liked watching him. It was pretty entertaining. Finally he pushed up so much dirt that the hole was essentially sealed up. I guess later he started all over again in a different place.

This is a different gopher - a younger one that lost his hole and was trying to find it again.
Random story, but still cute. I was on a hiking trail when I noticed movement. A gopher was coming out of his hole, grabbing grass, and pulling it back inside. I quietly crouched next to his hole and started picking blades of grass and holding them near the hole. And he took them from me, just like he was taking the grass he'd picked himself XD


This last one has happened several times since, but it was exciting the first time I saw it.
A bee swarm.
When honey bees are ready to move out and find a new home (for example if a new queen is born), the queen leaves with many of the other hive bees.
They're pretty harmless when they swarm. They're on full "protect the queen mode" so they're not interested in attacking anyone. And they'll fly until they find a temporary or permanent roost. Then they all pile on top of each other to form a protective huddle around the queen.


This one was about the size of a football. And this was a very small swarm.
I hung out for a while, mostly making sure there was no danger of stings. And then I just pointed the bees out to people because it was cool.

So while zoo animals are freaking awesome, don't forget to appreciate the local life around you also!