Week 301 ( 29th May - 4th Jun 2009 )
Somebody does some hunting
The week was fairly uneventful, the nights were cold but the days were pleasant enough if one was wearing a fur coat. We had frost most nights with the water troughs being frozen over midway during the week. Tuesday brought some excitement for the tigers HUNTING!!!
Madonna and both cubs were suddenly confronted by an antelope grazing nearby. King Henry, all his bravery forgotten, stood stock-still and waited for his mother to take the lead and Princess took flight, afraid of the sudden closeness of the animal. Madonna stepped in and caught the animal, after a fast charge, across the back of the neck - paralysing it. She chuffed King Henry closer and dragged it closer to him, he understood immediately what was required and clenched his teeth about its throat for about five minutes. He dragged it to the closest bush bit by bit whilst keeping his teeth firmly clenched. A while later he began playing with it and Madonna came closer to investigate his handiwork, satisfied she left him to it. He dragged it all over the show, folded it double, lay on it, chuffed at it and licked it. Princess watched from a distance.
The same afternoon Hulooo and his brothers also had an opportunity to get some practise in and hone their hunting skills. Hulooo charged at the animal and caught it against the fence. Grabbing it around the neck he turned around and Coco wrestled it forcefully from his grasp. Hulooo let it go and before the animal could run Coco had it around the throat. For ten minutes he held it and then mistook its stillness for death. He let it go and it struggled to its feet. Before it had moved two paces Coco again had it around the throat whilst Hulooo and JenB were playing with its legs and licking it and after another 5 minutes Coco dragged it off into the bushes with his brothers in tow.