monitor relocation project underway

[Scales Zoo]

The time has come to move the monitors from Scales Zoo commercial facility to the basement of our home. This will be a challenge, as we have a Savanna, Nile and Water monitor coming home to make room for the Sulaweti coming in from Steeve.

The savanna is a piece of cake to catch and move, he is an educational display and "pet" monitor that actually seems to like us. His cage, however is not going to be easy to move.

The Nile monitor will be more of a challenge, as he is skittish and far more athletic than myself. I hope to be able to get him into a hide box like I use for our nasty snakes. If not, he's all Ryan's!

The water monitor was easier to deal with when he was still a bit afraid of us. He's all Ryan's these days. I most often feed him, Ryan always does the cleaning, so I am food, Ryan is fresh water. Now, if a trap box does not work, we will need to capture him any way we can, avoiding injuries to ourselves and the monitor. I am thinking that putting food in the trap box will trick him, I may even try placing it in his cage to feed him in for a day or 2 before the actual move.

We will be posting some pictures as the cages come down

Sheila

[asphyxia]

Congratulations, and good Luck!!

Cheers!
Brian

[burmer]

Sounds like a whole lotta work. Good luck.

[Steeve B]

Hello Sheila nice to see you guys are working with enthusiasm on the croc project, you animals are doing grate and ready to go.
They are so easy to care for you will love them more then any varanids you ever hade, I know damn well what will be your tot when you get them! (Why on earth did he get ride of these amazing monitors???)
talk soon cheers
Rgds

[Scales Zoo]

Well, the cages came down today, we have to transport the sections home to our basement - after we indulge in some much needed fuel. The water monitor cage weighs in excess of 80 pounds per piece, and there are 6 pieces. The nile and savanna will be easier in comparison.

Tomorrow will be a busy day relocating the monitors into their reassembled cages at home, and cleaning up the mess we made tearing them out. Next week the construction of the sulaweti cage begins, in anticipation of their arrival.

Too bad we did not think of it sooner, we could have invited Steeve out to deliver them in person, and attend the snake count with us as well. Perhaps he can arrange to come out and see them sometime

Sheila

[Scales Zoo]

I see Sheila left out the good parts.

Like me very nearly requiring stitches.

The water monitor was first to catch. I was going to build a trap box, but my plans were falling apart so Sheila mentioned that I should use the midwest bagger.

It had been my idea 3 days earlier to try the bagger, but after a few days when Sheila thought of it, it became a good idea.

We found all of the parts for our bagger, except the triangle loop (arguably the most important part). So theere I am with coat hanger and duct tape.

The bagging idea didn't work. In fact, when I tried to persuade him into the bag with a snake hook, he bit the hook half way up the handle, took it from me, and shook it.

Then he bit the bag, and we could see small blood marks, so we reformulated a different plan with out midwest equipment for him to bite. (I am glad we had back up plans, always pays off for us)

I had also brought Sono tube with us. After a little coersion, we got him to go into the Sono tube, then realized we should have put a bag over the tube before we got him into the tube.

About 20 minutes later, and a lot of tense feelings - he was bagged, double bagged, and then put into a large container and secured.

The nile monitor was next. He isn't as big as the water monitor, but he is very fast. I successfully used the bag on him after about 3 minutes of chasing him around the cage in it.

The savanna was next. Picked him up, scratched him on the chin, and put him in his container.

When moving the water monitors cage, I pushed my back against the wall a bit too hard, and shattered an outside window. I had glass shards sticking to my shirt, but required no stitches.

I thought it would have been weirldy ironic to walk away from the day with a bunch of stitches that I got after the monitors were secure.

Ryan

[red bootz]

Sounds like you have some big plans. I love big varanids but i know i couldn't handle them. Must be exciting taking on a big challenge like this. Good Luck!

[Steeve B]

Sheila you can cont on me visiting, it’s only a matter of time, and as my doctor says looks like time is on my side once again, hopefully next summer I will. Both of you seem to be nice peoples cant wait to meat with you. Talk soon cheers

Red bootz, thanks with the help of your avatar my son will take dancing lessons with his sister. Hey if Spyd dos it so will he!

[Steeve B]

I forgot to say, the crocs where Breeding today!
wanted to post a photo but missed them.
Rgds

[Steeve B]

Hers your Male giving me a little attitude, he’s usually a real wimp, but now that he gets some! He’s becoming a real macho.
I know it’s a pour photo and he’s dirty as hell, but I don’t whant to spoil your surprise!
You simply can’t imagine how intense this yellow is, way more then any Salvadorii I know of.
Rgds

[red bootz]

That is a beauty!

[asphyxia]

Awsome!

One day Steve, Sheila and Ryan-
when I have a unit to keep Sulaweti in I want to work with one of your hatchilings.

Well done folks
Brian

[Tim and Julie B]

Wow that is amazing! So ......... *loss of words*

[Scales Zoo]

Thanks for the photo, Steeve! It serves as motivation to move around a ton of melamine and glass this morning. I wonder what the neighbors are thinking?

Last spring Ryan was growing giant pumpkins in the back yard, and had a mini hot house with a heat lamp in it, and a fence built around it. One day the neighbor lady asked what we were keeping in there. Imagine her releif when I told her it was just pumpkins. She said she thought it was some kind of crocodile or alligator, but was too chicken to peek.

In the end, Sarge ruined the pumpkin. Ryan had brought it in to weigh it, and inadvertently left it in the back yard. Anybody who has seen Sarge will get the visual image of him "driving" this giant pumpkin around the back yard! He loved it! When I opened the door to let him in, he was covered in bits of pumpkin, and the pumpkin was covered in slobber and claw marks.

Well, gotta run, lots of work to do today, we will keep you posted on the progress

Sheila

[Steeve B]

I take it Sarge must be a Grizzly right?
Rgds