we love the zoo

As stated previously, we went to the zoo yesterday.  We love the zoo.  It's just the right size for kids to run around and get thoroughly exhausted without getting lost.  I took the stroller so I could have a "cart" for the lunch and the camera bag and Little Man's Diego backpack and my purse.  No, I don't travel light - why do you ask?  Anyway, Little Man's little tush never went in the stroller until it was time to leave - and then I had to strap him in kicking and screaming.

 

 

First we saw bears.  This is the first time I've been there and have actually seen movement from within the confines.  

 

 

This is usually all we get.

 

 

Then we went to see the rhino's.  I learned something yesterday I never knew.  White rhinos are only called that because the name was misunderstood.  They were actually called, by the dutch if I remember right, Wide nose rhinos.  Well, "wide" sounded like "white" and that's what it became.  The Black rhinos were named that just so there'd be a differentiation from the other rhinos.  Huh.  Who knew?  I also found out their heads weigh 1000 pounds and the male is 38 years old and the females are 41?  Or 42?  

 

 

These are red pandas.  They're just about the cutest things ever! 

 

 

 

And when cute things have babies, it's even cuter!  This little guy could barely walk.  I wanted to take him home with me.

 

 

  

Our posse of children.  What you don't see here is Little Man trying to actually climb OVER the fence.  Just like Monkey....  Oh, the little girl in brown is a good friend of Monkey's.  She started kindergarten this year and her class met yesterday.  They don't get started every day until the second week of school or something.  If Monkey knew she was at the zoo while we were, we'd never hear the end of it! 

 

 

 

The zoo now has a butterfly house.  Naturally, I loved it.  There weren't as many butterflies as I'm sure there were in the spring, but it was still pretty cool.  One even landed on me! 

 

 

 

This one looks like a dead leaf when his wings are closed.  Pretty cool, huh?   

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have three elephants at our zoo.  Again, Little Man tried to climb the fence.  Maybe he should be called Monkey... 

 

 

 

Everyone is fascinated by a leggy bird. 

 

 

 

Here's lookin' at you kid...  One of two lion cubs.  They're still young, less than 2 years old, but they weren't very active.  At least this one was awake.  The other was sound asleep. 

 

 

 

This is our old silverback.  He was eating a snack... 

 

 

 

There were two inside their house.  This one was posing for the kids... 

 

 

 

 

Our chimps have a baby.  It's hard to tell, but the one in the middle is holding the baby.  We were guessing she was either feeding the baby or the baby was sleeping.  The mommy was grooming the baby and the chimp on the right was playing with the baby's feet. 

  

  

 It was really neat to watch them as a family unit.  The one on the left kept checking on the little one, like in the above picture.  The one on the right just couldn't stop playing with the baby's feet. 

 

 

 

Our white tiger.  We do actually have a nice enclosure for it.  It has trees, a small waterfall, lots of nice places to lay down.  Yet, it's laying here.  On the concrete.  By the door.  Our husky used to do this in Oklahoma, so I'm guessing there's a draft of a/c coming from under the door. 

 

 

We have our very own meer cat manor. 

 

 

 

 

This camel followed Little Man all along the fence.  And when I told Little Man to say hi to the camel, he turned around and waved to an older man sitting on the bench nearby.  The lady who was with him thought it was very funny... 

 

 

 

A very large tortoise... 

 

 

 

The petting zoo.  If you're wondering why the goat is sitting so still.... 

 

 

 

... he was getting his beauty sleep.

 

 

 

Little Man creating his own zen garden...

 

 

Oh, to be a kid again....