A Day at the Zoo- Part I

For Judy's birthday, April 17, I gave her a certificate good for a visit to the North Carolina State Zoo, where we had not been together since the girls were young. Because Brianna was due any day (and in fact arrived on the 18th), we wisely put off our trip.

Last Tuesday the stars aligned properly and we were off. The weather was picture perfect. A new entrance welcomed us.

Had Tarzan summoned the elephants? But no, this was a herd of bronze elephants! This was new, too.

Judy had packed a picnic lunch and we enjoyed it in a shaded area just a short walk from our prime parking spot. The crowd was small to moderate this day, and that was a plus.

We started in the Africa section and all the photos in today's post are from this portion of our visit. I will need two additional posts to finishing my Show and Tell. The scenes on the African plain were like picture post cards.

This one was the matriarch of the herd. Quite cooperative at posing.

One of many child-friendly additions. Kids from a school group were crawling in and out of these giant ostrich eggs.

This rhinoceros was one of many more bronze statues which now adorn the zoo. Or is is simply a cost-cutting measure? They're cheaper to feed and maintain than the real thing.

This sign pointed out one of the zoos major themes. You can't go there without realizing how the plant and animal world, man and wild creatures are inextricably bound together. I share the same message when taking groups on the nature trail.

We thought the 1:30 feeding of the gorillas would be a big deal, but it seems these big fellows are a little passive-aggressive. Tantalizingly close for wonderful photo ops, all they would show was their backside. Oh, well. I understand.

On to the aviary, which has always been one of our favorite spots in the whole zoo. Outside, I found the pink flamingos more appealing than I had remembered from previous visits. Maybe I'm less prejudiced against pink these days! Like the gorillas, most of them wanted to show their backsides.

That is, except for this bold limelight-lover.

There were some unusual frogs among the birds, but none caught our eye more than the cobalt-blue specimen (that's the color of our vintage bathroom fixtures, for those of you who haven't had the pleasure of seeing them)!

In this picture are two lovely green birds. The brighter one is in the lower center; its mate is harder to see, shadowed, a couple of feet above.

Speaking of hard to see, we saw a lot of birds, but only a small fraction of those pictured on this graphic. It was a virtual "Where's Waldo." The best way to see a lot of birds is not to walk, but to stand still and slowly turn, scanning the ground, branches, and undergrowth.

This is a zoo keeper service door, neatly camouflaged, like most of the zoo's fake rockwork. I couldn't resist re-enacting one of the best scenes from The Hobbit, when Bilbo and the dwarves finally find the magical secret door of the Lonely Mountain. The ancient prophecy said, "Stand by the grey stone where the thrush knocks and the setting sun with the last light of Durin's Day will shine upon the keyhole." Would I have been surprised for the door to creak open and reveal a Smaug-like dragon on the other side!

As we departed the Africa section we passed by the carousel. The music drifting through the trees added a festive touch.

I'll close out this first zoo post with this beautiful tile mosaic, depicting stream and pond ecosystems with their abundance of living things. This, the sculptures, and many other well-placed art exhibits truly have enhanced the zoo experience.

In my next zoo post we're off to the North America section. Take the trail or hop on the tram--we'll see you there!