Friday Chat w/ Vlad
Hey, it’s Vlad. Autumn has fallen upon the JAB Conservation and Education center. There is now a very evident chill to the air in the mornings. Vibrant green leaves are giving way to yellows and browns. The most telling sign of all is ambassador Ishy getting her winter coat. Unlike us Russian foxes, Ishy’s close relatives were selectively bred for fur quality. As we get closer to winter, Ishy will begin to resemble what can most accurately be described as a bloated marshmallow. This trait has earned her the nickname “Ishy Squishy”. Rather undignified if you ask me, but fitting none the less. While nothing like Ishy, us Russians are also getting a thicker coat. Some have commented that the Georgian reds Sasha and Vasily look like toasted marshmallows. And then there’s Viktor. He is a prime example of what not being bred for coat quality but rather for behavior can do. Frankly his attempts at getting a winter coat are down right embarrassing. At times he looks like a chupacabra with partial alopecia having a bad hair day. Of course my coat is perfect.
Truth be told it never really gets too cold at the center. We were born in Novosibirsk Russia which is in Siberia. If the mercury hits 0 F in the winter it is considered a balmy day. Some days it was so cold I feared my testicles had turned into ovaries..if you know what I’m saying.
It won’t be too long until we have our first snowfall at the center. We all love to run and play in the snow. There is a ramp in our habitat that we use as a ski slope. Last year, as I was running up to the ramp to slide down it, I saw my reflection in one of the steel posts the enclosure is made of. The sight of such a handsome fox caused a momentary lapse in concentration. Instead of skiing down on my feet, I kinda slid on my head and hit the ground with a thud. While flopping around trying to right myself, I must have kicked the ramp. When I did get back on my feet, my first sight was a large pile of snow sliding down the ramp…It struck me broadside and promptly put me back on my keister. There will be no repeat performance this year as I’m now more habituated to my beauty.
Vlad out