Day at the Zoo-- Part II

If you haven't read Part I of our zoo trip, scroll down to the previous post, then come back to this one. It'll make better sense.

As we entered the North American section, the first stop was the Sonoran desert. Lots of reptiles-- snakes, turtles, and lizards, like this brightly colored fellow.

The lovely ocelot didn't hide from us.

Elk and bison were plentiful on the North American grassland, with at least three different viewing areas. "Oh give me a home, where the buffalo roam . . ."

The black bears were a little bit playful, but still kept their distance in the shadows. But if they're happy, I'm happy.

Two majestic bobcats were in constant motion, making it hard to get a non-fuzzy picture without changing my camera settings (which I didn't). Judy and I enjoyed studying these beautiful cats, because we saw our first bobcat in our own yard a couple of years ago. Judy came close to seeing one again, we think. Ask her about that!

Just a water snake. Not one of my favorites, but with the glare from cages and the propensity of snakes to find dark corners, I took this one because he/she was at least photogenic and willing.

We just missed the otter's swim time. Now he/she was ready to bask in the sun for a while. That sleek fur doesn't slow this creature down in the water--I wonder why human swimmers like to shave all their body hair off for speed.

More great stuff for the kids-- this little playground featured veggies . . .

and the world's biggest bee!

As we neared the polar bear's exhibit, we began to hear people talking about how he had put on quite a show for some school children. We anticipated this would be one of the day's highlights, and it was. I'm presenting his favorite stunt as a series of 7 photos to help you visualize it.

He dives down deep.

The approach.

Up . . .

And up . . .

Pose momentarily for the nice people . . .

Push off backwards . . .

And backstroke away to begin the whole cycle over again.

This polar bear works hard, though it may not seem like work to him (consistent with my philosophy). He deserves all the star status and the acclaim he receives.

Next post will wrap up our day at the zoo with a visit to the Marsh and Cypress Swamp. Beware!