Last Zoo for 2016

A few things lined up today.  Ingrid and Alex wanted to go to the movies so we freed them up by taking Arabella to the Zoo.  It is also just before herself:
  1. turns 4 and thus changes from free-list to an astonishing $23 per visit!  and
  2. becomes part of the education industry pretty much full time.
Wildlife viewing began in the rather full main car park.  There were a lot of pelicans there - not the attractive, white fish-eating birds, but the folk who got their driving licences by clipping a coupon on a Weeties packet.  The Jetta's horn got a bit of work.

Not only was the main park full but so was a fair bit of the overflow park where we went.  So there were lots of people in the facility.
 It was good to see that several of the exhibits had misters going to cool the animals down.  In some other cases punters were commenting how the poor animals were feeling the heat - for example hyenas.  Which naturally occur in places like the Serengeti where today's high of 32oC would be considered pleasantly mild.

The first animals we saw were the Painted Dogs which were being rather active ....
 ....
 .. but then wandered to assume the position under a tree and stack several zeds.

A Lemur had a similar idea.
 So did this tiger ...
 ... and this one (please excuse the ghosted grill left in by manual focussing through a fence).
 Tigers were a target species as the Fat Elf had left one of them with Arabella.

Lions were also doing a fair imitation of a carpet.
 As were the Spotted Hyenas.
 Fortunately they were advised of the sluttishness of their initial poses and achieved a little decorum.
 In the Aquarium an Iguana was remarkably inactive ...
 .. as were the Reticulated Pythons.  I have never seen them move a muscle but do not charge that they are actually stuffed trophies!
 This cute Otter had just been for a swim.  It then decided to emulate most other species by diving into its cubby house and make a nest as a prelude to some intensive sleeping.
The Dingo, which we have previously met walking through the zoo on a lead (the Dingo was tethered, not us) was somewhere between alert and comatose.
 This Emu was one of the more alert specimens we came across.
 A posing Penguin.
 A dozing Tree-kangaroo.  This was one of the species with a mister, but it seemed to prefer the far end of its enclosure: you can lead a Tree Kangaroo to a mister, but can't make it bathe!
 I was very pleased that Arabella got quite excited by this former Cicada and that she identified it straight away.  She realises that animals don't have to be exotic to be interesting.
 By the time we got back to Civic Mr Barr had had a whip-round the Cabinet and was able to cough up for a bit of power to be applied to the Cook Water Jet.  The first time I have seen it working for years.

Comments

Mary Chamie said…
What a nice way to spend a day with a grandchild. However, that zoo really looked sleepy! The most exciting trip we had to the Bronx Zoo in New York was just before a rainstorm. When we arrived it was sunny and hot. As we walked through the zoo the weather cooled down, clouds started forming, and all those sleepy animals came alive. The lions roared, the seals swam, the polar bear jumped up and dove in the water, the wolves howled. It was quite a show. You might check the weather report before going next time.
29 December 2016 at 09:16:00 GMT+11
Flabmeister said…
Thanks Mary. We have been to the Bronx Zoo a couple of times- most recently on Christmas Day 2005 as we felt like doing something special on the day and the Zoo was open. The most memorable part of that was the gorillas walking up to the glass part of their enclosure and just peering out at the people. Who were, I think, hoping that the glass had really strong reinforcing!

We're not sure how many more times we'll go to the zoo as Arabella will be at pre-school next year. Perhaps we'll join the hordes in the holidays?

Martin
30 December 2016 at 06:41:00 GMT+11
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