Posted by Kim on June 7, 2023, 9:00am
Amazing news! We have word from the dragon rehabilitation ranch that not only did they act on the community's demands to save the Gila Dragon after his collapse on the Epic Week battlefield -- they successfully transported him back to the ranch and he has nearly recovered from his wounds.
When he arrived at the ranch, he was in a pitiable state. He showed signs of long-term malnutrition, and angrily snapped at his vets. He also seemed to have an instinct for digging burrows to sleep in, which caused vast amounts of damage to the dragon ranch's surrounds, both from the dragon-sized holes and the mountains of dirt around them. Thankfully, as the year has progressed from spring to summer, his digging urges seem less pronounced.
At first, they had trouble getting him to eat, and worried that his health would get worse. Once they started substituting his dragon-kibble with omelets, he began to show a healthy interest. As he's packed on the pounds, he's gradually gotten less unpredictable and frightening to care for.
The dragon ranch has issued a formal apology that providing for his needs has caused a shortage of chicken, duck and ostrich eggs in markets near and far, and hope that by this time next year they will have scaled up their own chicken-farming operations to more sustainably provide for him over the long term should that prove necessary. In the meantime, they are mixing eggs with the beef-based dragon kibble they make for their other patients in an attempt to convince him to expand his tastes. These attempts have met with mixed success, and the dragon ranch asks us all to remain patient while we citizens of the RPR must share our egg supplies with a dragon.
The Gila Dragon is also making significant progress in his aggression management classes, though his handlers say he is not nearly trust-worthy enough to release back into the wild. Scouts are searching for a location where it might be appropriate for the Gila Dragon to live once he has healed and graduated, but no one is sure if such a location actually exists. He seems to be a novel species of dragon, and what ecology he could integrate into is an open question. Some of his handlers think he may need to remain on the ranch as a rescue dragon rather than being released back into the wild, at least for the foreseeable future.
Thus far, he has not spoken, though he seems to be listening to his caretakers and starting to understand them. Representatives from the dragon rehabilitation ranch are asking for suggestions for a name for the Gila Dragon, as well as enrichment activities he might enjoy.
Post tags: Epic Week 2023
Comments
...snrk. Randomly thought about how he looks like chocolate and orange, and chocolate oranges kinda look like eggs.
...
*sends the ranch workers lots of chocolate oranges as thanks*
...
*sends the ranch workers lots of chocolate oranges as thanks*
WOOOO! We'll have to channel some extra money into the vacation fund for the ranch workers to help make up for putting them through this weird one. 
I think the names I like most so far are Bezai and Chili. Rusty could be a good option to get away from the food-based names. I sorta want to support Toast, but the feel of the sounds just doesn't seem to fut quite right - but Bacon has a similar breakfast vibe, still suits the colors well enough, and feels a little more apt to me? And to toss another seasoning into the mix: Turmeric. So...
First choice: Bezai or Turmeric
Second choice: Chili
Third choice: Bacon or Chonk (because lookit that chonk of a tail!)
Mm, Turmeric Chonktail...
I think the names I like most so far are Bezai and Chili. Rusty could be a good option to get away from the food-based names. I sorta want to support Toast, but the feel of the sounds just doesn't seem to fut quite right - but Bacon has a similar breakfast vibe, still suits the colors well enough, and feels a little more apt to me? And to toss another seasoning into the mix: Turmeric.
So...First choice: Bezai or Turmeric
Second choice: Chili
Third choice: Bacon or Chonk (because lookit that chonk of a tail!)
Mm, Turmeric Chonktail...
Awww~
He looks like a Rusty to me.
He looks like a Rusty to me.
I propose the name Toast. Lil loaf boy. Toast and his eggs! Perfect combo.I love him. I’m so happy he was saved!!!
Mmm fattening him up for dinner. 
Nah but at least he's not destroying the countryside anymore. Name him Percival.Or Dinner.
Nah but at least he's not destroying the countryside anymore. Name him Percival.
YEEEEESSSS MY BOOOOOYYYY 😭💓👏🎉
I offer the name Chili, because he was a spicy boy but also enhanced my life in a way I can't properly express ✨🌶
I offer the name Chili, because he was a spicy boy but also enhanced my life in a way I can't properly express ✨🌶
Given the strange and varied tech levels that seem to float around the RPR, it might be a good idea to see if we can find any advanced biosynthesis systems to help artificially generate or replicate egg mixture. I'm sure there's some tissue graft generator somewhere that could be repurposed...
For potential release habitat, it might be worthwhile to ask other people we've encountered on our Epic quests, like the Guardians, for example, if they have any insights or have heard any relevant stories. Do we remember what flavor of breath attack this one used, if any? That colour scheme and the digging is making me think large, open volcanic cavern networks might be worth looking at, especially if the digging was getting through rock pretty easily. The colours could just be for display, in better health we may even see more vibrant colours, who knows, but I really hope nothing that big needs to be poisonous and show it to ward off predators. OvO I'm guessing camouflage or social colouration, and if camouflage it has a strong magma vibe.
Enrichment options are tricky since we don't know much about him. Can't just offer a three-meter diameter moss ball. Or, okay, we could and that would be kinda funny, but we need to do more than that, he's not a crab. We know he likes digging or at least has an instinct for it, which could be a good start if we can direct that toward productivity, but we also want to avoid exploiting the drgn. Identifying musical tastes is always good, music is good for brains and stimulation. Malnutrition on an island with pretty abundant coastal fish, iirc, suggests this dragon is NOT a swimmer, at least not in water, so not that. I'll need to think for a bit to come up with anything else.
I hope these ideas help at least a bit! Good luck on your road to recovery, Gila Dragon!
....And, uh, I'm not very good at names. '^v^ My bird is named "Chirrup" because that's a sound she makes. Don't get me to suggest names. >v<
For potential release habitat, it might be worthwhile to ask other people we've encountered on our Epic quests, like the Guardians, for example, if they have any insights or have heard any relevant stories. Do we remember what flavor of breath attack this one used, if any? That colour scheme and the digging is making me think large, open volcanic cavern networks might be worth looking at, especially if the digging was getting through rock pretty easily. The colours could just be for display, in better health we may even see more vibrant colours, who knows, but I really hope nothing that big needs to be poisonous and show it to ward off predators. OvO I'm guessing camouflage or social colouration, and if camouflage it has a strong magma vibe.
Enrichment options are tricky since we don't know much about him. Can't just offer a three-meter diameter moss ball. Or, okay, we could and that would be kinda funny, but we need to do more than that, he's not a crab. We know he likes digging or at least has an instinct for it, which could be a good start if we can direct that toward productivity, but we also want to avoid exploiting the drgn. Identifying musical tastes is always good, music is good for brains and stimulation. Malnutrition on an island with pretty abundant coastal fish, iirc, suggests this dragon is NOT a swimmer, at least not in water, so not that. I'll need to think for a bit to come up with anything else.
I hope these ideas help at least a bit! Good luck on your road to recovery, Gila Dragon!
....And, uh, I'm not very good at names. '^v^ My bird is named "Chirrup" because that's a sound she makes. Don't get me to suggest names. >v<
Oo, I also like Bezai too.
Hmmmm…….. I like the name Kaida, but i also like the name Bezai…
I want to call him Cinnabar.
I think if he's going to be released he needs to learn to leave the egg layers alone and not eat them so that he can sustain his food habits. We need to teach him to horde chickens!
I think if he's going to be released he needs to learn to leave the egg layers alone and not eat them so that he can sustain his food habits. We need to teach him to horde chickens!
I 100% support the name Bezai.
D'awww! Now that is a feel-good story for the books. I am glad to see the Gila child doing well.
I look at him and I think of the name Sylvester for some reason. I think it's the temperament. 😅
I look at him and I think of the name Sylvester for some reason. I think it's the temperament. 😅
Bezai, it means "eggs" in Hebrew. The little dragon seems enjoy eating eggs 
Kaida. It means 'Little Dragon'. 
AWWW THE LITTLE BEAN IS HEALING UP.
I suggest the name Bean
I suggest the name Bean
So proud of the loaf dragon 😭💖 thank you Kim!!
I will suggest the name Cinnamon!
Sin-fonie
June 7, 2023
6:22pm
I'm happy to see him well!
Bezai sounds like a great choice of name and also considering he eats a lot of eggs, maybe he would like to help out at a farm where he can learn how to care for chicken. If he gets along with them, he can both learn how to be soft and sweet but still get his favorite food by being nice.