Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Lions and Tigers and Bears! Oh My!

Welcome to the Zoo
Welcome to the Zoo

I was talking with Tim yesterday morning, and we decided to spend the day at the zoo. A walk in the National Zoo on a pleasant summer day makes for a delightful spontaneous adventure.

I smeared on the sunscreen, grabbed my camera and my Economists, and quickly headed out the door to the Metro. I looked like such a tourist - almost as much as Tim! The trip downtown was uneventful, the train full of other tourists like me.

Guardian Lion
Guardian Lion

Upon coming out of the station, I called Tim on my cellphone. For some reason, we weren't connecting, so I left him a curious message, and he left one for me. We eventually established voice communication and met just inside the zoo entrance on Connecticut Ave.

Okay, I don't know the names of most of these animals, but they are really fascinating. It's like something from Star Wars, only it's free, and it's real. Notice that many of these dudes just point their butts in my direction and dare me to take their picture. Kinda like my boyfriends.

Nice rack!
Nice Rack

Look at the horns on this guy! I wish I were that horny. Most of the time, this creature was behind pile of branches, but here he is looking like a goat with an attitude. He (or she?) looks like he's been tagged in his ears, too. Still, a nice headpiece.

This is why I like the zoo. I'd only see this in a book and imagine this, but I'm looking at this animal, and marveling at how different it is from what I'm used to. This experience moves me out of my own life into something else. (I know this is very un-PETAlike.)

How would you like this in your bathtub?
How would you like this in your bathtub?

This pygmy hippopotamus is cute! And this is only the pygmy size! We saw the full grown adult size around the corner in the swimming pool. I notice that all of these animals have some coping strategies for ignoring people like me. They turn their butts to us, they engage in various kinds of neurotic behavior (much like I did in my cubicle when I was working), and they lay on the bottom of a swimming pool for seven minutes, then come up for seven seconds for a breath of air.

Wassup?
Wassup?
Tree Shrew
Tree Shrew

Visit those small mammals! Most of them are either monkeys or rodents of some sort. They are (for the most part) furry and cute. These are the kinds of animals that every nine-year old dreams about. Of course, the nice thing about the zoo, is that the zookeepers get to handle all the poop. This is a bonus for nine-year olds and their parents.

Now, Where's the Ketchup?
Now, Where's the Ketchup?

Speaking of pets, this is Perry's new house cat, Charlie. Just kidding. Now that's a cat! This tiger came out and put on about a 5-minute show for Tim and I. Admittedly, we had a wide moat between us and kitty, but this scene really evokes a kind of awe. This is a magnificent beast, and I didn't have to go to India to see it.

Mongolian Horses
Mongolian Horses

Horses anyone? These guys are extinct in the wild, but the zoo is engaged in a breeding program, and they are slowly being reintroduced into Mongolia and China, where they originated. Sturdy, well-insulated, these guys are ready for those Mongolian steppes and the blowing snow.

Well, we saw more. We walked and walked. We saw tourists, babies, teens, and very friendly zoo employees. This place is a very happy place, indeed, just the right place for a summer's jaunt.

Check out this Drag Queen!
Check out this Drag Queen!
White Stork
White Stork
Black Cormorant
Black Cormorant

One of the last exhibits we visited was Bird Land. I love the lady in blue! In a couple of parts of the exhibit, you can walk right into an enclosure full of birds. At first, everything looks green and leafy, and then you realize that the birds are everywhere, all around you. Tippy Hedren aside, it was the very best Hitchcock moment without the drama. Look at the blue eyes on the cormorant.

And yes, we finally saw the sloth bear. This is my favorite guy in the whole zoo. Who wouldn't love him? The zoo has recently (well within the last couple of years) redone the sloth bear enclosure. It isn't nearly as open as it used to be, and the view isn't as good. But the bears are there, and I love them!

Mr. Sloth Bear
Mr. Sloth Bear

Here's a slide show of our zoo visit.

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