For this month’s final Listening to Zoo Animal Ambassadors field trip I led students to the Woodland Park Zoo. There were so many animals that wished to be seen and heard that we not only opened the zoo, we closed it too!

When I first set up this 6-month class series I asked for guidance as to which order we were to visit the four venues and on what dates.

Our first visit was to Point Defiance Zoo and it just so happened that it was Arctic Day and we did end up spending a lot of time with the Arctic animals.

At Northwest Trek we arrived on the first weekend that four orphaned foxes made their debut, and ended up Building a Bridge of Light for their mother. Having them join with us in that ceremony was very moving.

And on February 15, the day we visited the Seattle Aquarium, they were celebrating Octopus Week and we got to witness the triumphant release of female octopus Yo-Yo back into Puget Sound where she will have her babies.

The week before we were to visit with the Zoo Ambassadors at the Woodland Park Zoo we realized that we would be there on the very same day as the March for Lions. The day before we met to walk the zoo and listen to the animals I was conducting a session for an animal client when suddenly a whole pride of spirit lions showed up in my space. They lovingly surrounded me and Master Teacher lioness Kalisa informed me that the lions would be walking with us. Apparently her recent retirement to the LA Zoo along with mate Hubert was not an impediment to her orchestrating our day (-: But that is a story for another time.

There were so many moments while we were there that it is impossible to write about all of them.

I want to pass along a very important message from African elephant and Master Teacher Watoto. We arrived at the elephant barn late in the day and the ladies were supposedly enjoying their enrichment treats. But we did not see Watoto. I asked the keeper and she said that Watoto might be in the middle room where we could not see her. So I mentally contacted her and told her that we were here with our prayer sticks and asked if she would come out and greet us, which she did for a little while. When leaving she gave me this message from all the animals, “If you call us we will come, but if we come, you must listen.”

I am so very grateful to the students who participated and faithfully listened throughout this six-month series—in supporting the animals and getting to know them better we have grown closer as well—exactly what the animals wish for us all.

I’ve put together a slideshow on Flickr that partially documents our time at the Woodland Park Zoo with the animals and shares mini-stories. To view next photo move pointer over image and then click on the directional arrow that appears. Many of the photos include a description which can be found in the upper right hand corner of the page.

Click here to see photos.

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A WILD WAY TO HEAL
In private practice since 1996, Rose De Dan, Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing, is an animal communicator, Reiki Master Teacher, shamanic practitioner, author and artist. As an animal shaman she views her mission as one of building bridges between people and animals through healing sessions, classes, ceremonies and events such as A Walk on the Wild Side: Answering the Call of the Wild.

Her book Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki and Shamanism features heartwarming stories about animals and their role in her evolution as an energy worker and shamanic healer.

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