I'd like you to meet...

...my animals friends!

Over the past few months working at the zoo I have gotten to know quite a few animals. It is amazing to see how each one has a different personality and different ways of expressing themselves. They are so much fun to be around!
This is Bobble the meerkat.

He is so adorable because his head always "bobbles." He runs sideways and is always falling down, like he has some vertigo problem or something. But he is just so adorable. I love visiting his family!

The meerkat exhibit opens this Tuesday.

This is Azizi and Saphi, African Wild Dogs.


They go crazy when we see them because every time Doc visits them, they get an injection or some sort of treatment that they don't like. So, when they see us or Doc, they get a little agitated. Rightfully so, I guess. They're still adorable!

I don't know the name of this guy, but we found a gigantic spider on his shell. It looked like it was cleaning it. I would die if I found one of these in my house.


This massive guy is Mordecai.

He is HUGE. We actually got to go into the enclosure with Doc and he just started trudging towards us and it was kind of intimidating! Ok, I know, he is just a turtle, but do you really want any of animal that size coming towards you?

This is Speedy, his "girlfriend." She has lots of fluid in her neck. Doc is checking it out.


This is ChaCha the toucan. I love this bird because it is so smart and curious! When you go to her cage and call her name, she will bounce down her branch all the way up to you and just stare at you curiously with her blue eyes. I love visiting her.


These two are Tufi and Olive, the swans. I like these guys because I got to know them on my first day at the zoo. They always stay around each other, and are so cute!



Anyway, I have so much fun getting to see all of these animals every week. Hopefully the next few weeks I can get some more pictures of some other animals...I've really been meaning to get some pictures of the bears and giraffes. More to come next week!

Antibiotic Awareness

One of the most important things that I heave learned in college this year is about the current misuse of antibiotics. Research has shown that most of the common strains of bacteria have grown resistance towards commercial antibiotics. The main cause of this has been due to misuse of antibiotics.

How do we misuse antibiotics? Well the one of the main ways we do is by taking antibiotics when we have a cold. Colds are caused by various viruses, and NO AMOUNT of antibiotics can cure it! You might think that it doesn't cause any harm by taking antibiotics anway, but by taking unnecessary antibiotics, bacteria in your body are able to develop resistance to them and grow stronger, making it more difficult to treat future infections. If you have a cold, the best thing to do is rest and drink lots of fluids---let your immune system fight the cold!
We also misuse antibiotics by not taking the entire prescribed amount of antibiotics when we have a bacterial infection. By not finishing the prescription, and only taking them until you feel better, you are not killing all of the bacteria that caused the infection----instead you are only killing the weaker bacteria, leaving the stronger bacteria left to develop resistance. The next time you have the infection, you will need are larger and stronger dose of antibiotics! (If available!)

Doctors are also giving antibiotics to patients that do not need them. We could say that it is their fault for handing them out when unnecessary, but most doctors were shown to do this because their patients would be upset or feel neglected if the doctor didn't give them some sort of prescription. We can help fight bacterial resistance by not demanding antibiotics when we do not need them, such as when we have a cold or the flu. People need to understand that by taking antibiotics when they're not needed are doing more harm than good!

The scary thing is, that at the rate bacteria are evolving and developing resistance, we might come to an age where common antibiotics will not work anymore. If we don't control the abuse of antibiotic use, we might not be able to treat simple bacterial infections anymore because they have simply grown to become completely resistant to our treatments. We might see a turn of the century where it was like before penicillin was discovered: bacterial infections causing extremely harmful and fatal results, and virtually nothing being able to stop them.

So, the best way to conquer this is to educate ourselves and develop knowledge about the problem. Do something about it: don't misuse antibiotics!

Photoshoot

I really want to have some nice pictures taken of Seth and I while we're still on the island. We met and started our life together here on this island, so its important to me to have some way to remember our time here. Sooooo... does anyone have any suggestions of who to look for as a photographer?

Much thanks.

Here it comes...

FINALS WEEK.

Brace yourself!!...

Monday: Animal Behavior

Tuesday: Senior Bio- Ecology

Wednesday: Human Anatomy-Exam III

Thursday: Adv. Molecular Bio ---And Lab notebook due...yikes!

Friday: Human Anatomy 

I am worried the most about my adv. molecular final, because this class is insane. And the lab notebook is due, and for any of you that know what that notebook entails, then you understand the incredible amount of stuff I have to put together and include in that thing. Now that I think of it, I probably should have taken care of that over this weekend (lllaaaaaaazzzzzzyyyy).

You know for some reason I'm not as stressed out as I thought I would be. I think that I've just got so many things to do and study for, that I've just kinda hazed over from thinking about it all. Kinda like when you upload too many things onto a computer, and it starts to slow down, and then eventually, it crashes. My brain has hit overload. Biology, I hate you. 

BUT.... once this week is over, it is all downhill until graduation. This spring, I'm taking a jogging class for the 3rd time, and a swimming class. Oh and some financial management mumbo jumbo class. I pretty much consider anything anti-biology to be "downhill" for me. 

AND we have a 10 day spring break! And I am going to make sure that is full of relaxation and fun adventure time with my love. Be jealous!

Oh and I made the cookies and cream cupcakes today.
 

I just realized that this is a sucky picture. They were good though, I promise. They have oreos on the inside, and then one on the bottom as a "surprise". Yum. Thanks for the recipe, Katy!

Fashion model

Fatty modeled for me today. These were the results:




Isn't he just the greatest model? ha! The last one is my favorite.