Zoo Review

STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES: Today we had a date with the animals.

More specifically, we were heading for Woodland Park Zoo. We haven't been in months and the kids have been intrigued by meerkat mugs on billboards all over town announcing a new exhibit. When the kids' #1 yoga friend suggested meeting at the zoo today, it was a big "Yes!" from all of us.

Today I decided to forgo the official zoo parking lot, its $5 charge and its maddening pay stations (s-o s-l-o-w) and park on a residential street hopefully nearby. Good call! We parked 1.25 blocks away from the main zoo entrance - for free!

We beat our fellow zoo goers there. I was going to just have we three sit on a bench and wait for them, but because we parked and walked in the lot, I noticed (for the first time) off to the right a rose garden. And right now it's in full bloom. Score!

We wandered through the garden, appreciating a rainbow of roses. There were also some statuesque topiary specimens. Eventually, we made our way to the main gate to wait for our friends. Bee and CeeJ were baboon jockeys during part of our wait.

Just inside the gate, a showy peacock was strutting its stuff. CJ was especially enthralled by it and I think the peacock liked him, too. It seemed to follow CJ around for a bit. CJ did a spot-on peacock call.

Soon after, we found the flamingo exhibit. There, a sign there reminded us that flamingos get their color from the brine shrimp they eat. It made me wonder about the diet the flamingos at the Woodland Park Zoo are getting, because while the flamingos' feet and knees were bright pink, their feathers had a definite orange tinge to them. Hmm. ...

We saw just this side of a bazillion different birds today. In more than one instance, their heads looked too small for their heavily plumed body.

CJ said this bird looked like it didn't have a head at all, and I think I know what he means. The bird didn't appear to have a neck and the crown of its head/the curve of its skull wasn't visible at all - it just faded away into this wild wispy mohawk of sorts.

Today the kids rode the historic old carousel that operates at the zoo during summertime.

According to the National Carousel Association, the merry-go-round was built in 1918. It has 28 jumping horses (ones that go up and down), 20 standing horses (stationary steeds) and a couple of chariots (those things you sit on if horseback isn't your style). Apparently the carousel spent its first 57 years in Ohio. Then it spent 20 years in Santa Clara, CA, before being mothballed in Seattle for several years. It was introduced to the zoo in 2006.

It's a beautiful old carousel in amazing condition. While watching and waiting for the kids, I noticed a plaque on the ride gave props to Boeing for their $upport.

From wooden horses it was off to see the much ballyhooed meerkats. They were the zoo's rock stars today. Dozens of people were crowded around the windows leading to their display.

They were busy busy busy critters, digging and scratching and pacing and running. They would also approach the glass and paw at onlookers.

Odd little animals, those meerkats (Suricata suricatta). Watching them, I was trying to figure out what animal they were related to. Native to Botswana and South Africa, they definitely weren't 'cat' like at all in their appearance or mannerisms. Tonight I learned "meerkat" is Dutch for "lake cat," but the suricata is not in the cat family. Rather, it turns out they're in the mongoose family.

Tonight I discovered the zoo has posted a "Do the Meerkute" video to YouTube. I'm going to have to show the kids tomorrow ... (I swear it sounds like Caspar Babypants singing it. Hmm ...)

Somehow we've missed the komodo dragons our last couple of trips to the zoo. CJ was determined to see them today and that we did. Watching two lumber around their enclosure, I couldn't help but think of news reports I've heard in the past couple of years with komodo dragons attacking and killing people. (In fact, Animal Planet calls them 'Nature's Perfect Predator' because of the deadly bacteria they have in their mouths.)I think the tapir gets the award for oddest animal we gawked at today. It has a bulbous shaped body, a funny schnoz, a weird little lopped off looking tail ... and what's with that black and white body paint? All four species of tapir are endangered, btw. And in case you were wondering, according to Wikipedia, the tapiers' closest relatives are the other odd-toed ungulates, including horses and rhinoceroses.

The African exhibit was beautiful today. The animals were mingling in the sunshine and appeared to be enjoying the rolling, grassy expanse that is, ultimately, their prison. ... Hmm. Have to think about that.
After several months of dreary weather, I think the hippos might have found today's 77 degrees downright sweltering. All of them were in the drink this afternoon.
The lions were impressive, as always.
After more than three hours of walking and wandering and pondering, the kids were ready to call it a day.

BACK TO THE GRIND: After the zoo, I returned to my pre-zoo chores, including more painting in the master bedroom. At one point Annabelle called up, "I left a note for you on the stairs." I was expecting her to be asking for chocolate milk (a common occurrence in these parts).

But she surprised me. :)