You probably thought that I'd forgotten all about those photos I took when Denis and I visited the Wildlife World Zoo a few weeks ago, but now that I'm slowly getting used to another round of medical appointments and new routines, I can play catch-up with the things that fell by the wayside.
The day we visited was one of those gorgeous days in February that make winter visitors flock here by the thousands (even when they shouldn't because of the pandemic). The zoo is so large that, unless it's the weekend or a holiday, social distancing isn't a problem, and this time around almost everyone wore masks like good little boys and girls. Many of the animals were napping, but I didn't mind a bit.
Here are a few of my picks from the photos I took. Enjoy!
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This Australian black swan was keeping a very close eye on me in the Kangaroo Walkabout.
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Sorry about the quality of this one. It didn't matter what position I got myself in, I couldn't get a shot that didn't have the wires in it. But I had to commemorate my very first conversation with a great horned owl, although it didn't seem to catch my name...
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And if you thought I'd visit the zoo and not stop by to see the meerkats, you were sadly mistaken! I got to meet this fellow just as he got ready for his nap.
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This lion woke up from a snooze in the sun and was walking over to continue his nap in a patch of shade.
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All the kangaroos in the Walkabout area were napping.
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The Axis deer preferred the shade.
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So did these reticulated giraffes, although others were out in the sun.
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I think jaguars are gorgeous.
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This Egyptian goose was on guard duty outside the Walkabout area.
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And this is why. Who can resist fuzzy goslings?
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Not I!
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Last one-- I promise!
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My favorite of them all. This is the first time I played peekaboo with a bobcat that thought it was perfectly camouflaged in a tree.
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I hope you enjoyed your visit to the Wildlife World Zoo. Hopefully, I can get some work done on the photos I took at the Desert Botanical Garden so I can share those with you as well.
I knew you would not forget those photos.
ReplyDeleteI love the photos. Those animals are hard at work napping. So cute. I love big cats' faces.
So glad you could post the photos. Hope your health is improving.
It is. I go in for an ultrasound Thursday, and Friday has me getting new compression wraps for my legs and seeing the doctor at the wound care clinic for the last time.
DeleteVery glad you're doing better, Cathy! I was wondering that, too. And those 'photos are absolutely stunning. Seriously. It lifted me up to see them.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed them, Margot.
DeleteThe peekaboo bobcat is my favorite, too! Good wishes for your continued improvement!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteYou got some great shots. That meerkat! What an expression! I can't wait to visit our zoo soon. It's always a circus with a ton of people crowding the exhibits so I fear that we will need to wait for the excitement to die down a little before we go. It just reopened.
ReplyDeleteYes, it does sound as though you should wait--which is probably something you'd rather not hear. It seems as though that's all we've done for over a year... wait!
DeleteI'm glad you're continuing to get better! And the photos make for a nice mid-week lift; I agree with you about the ducklings and the bobcat.
ReplyDeleteI was at the bobcat enclosure playing a waiting game with one of the bobcats, and this guy kept coming up to me to tell me where the cats were. I wanted to tell him to shut up and go away. Instead, I smiled sweetly and said, "Thank you. I have my camera aimed at the one I want to take a picture of." (He hadn't even seen it!)
DeleteThe Meerkat is adorable.
ReplyDeleteI love meerkats. I could hang out with them all day.
DeleteGlad to read that about your upcoming "last" appointment.
ReplyDeleteBut I had to come back here to see those little goslings, and also to catch those critters napping and resting. Oh, it's so tiring to be resting. But if they were in the wild and saw predators or prey coming, depending on the species, they would race on foot or on wings to get out of Dodge quickly.
Yes, they would.
DeleteApropos of discussing wild animals, I read a wonderful book called "Running with Sherman: A Donkey with the Heart of a Hero." And there is a lot about donkey behavior which is inherited from their ancesters on African plains. For one thing, they freeze upon encountering predators or anything dangerous, and due to their color fur, try to blend in with the colors on the land. So they're not stubborn when they stop; it's an inherited reaction to a danger. Also, they can see all around them -- while running from prey. Their eyes can see everywhere. It's amazing. And that book is fantastic for any animal lover.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads-up on the book, Kathy.
DeleteHope to get to it. I laughed, I cried. I grew to love donkeys and goats. I watched videos to promote the book, with Sherman in them. I wish I could have a donkey, but my apartment won't accommodate one. I can't even imagine walking one on a leash in new York City. And no way a donkey litter box would work.
ReplyDeleteChris MacDougall says they are the friendliest, most loyal animals. And the story of Leonard, a big goat whom Sherman imprints on, is hilarious. He was caught eating an Amish family's phone book. Also, the writer respects women athletes a lot. Also, the book is quite witty.
I'm stumped wondering why an Amish family would have a phone book.
DeleteWell, the family in the book had a phone in a booth in the middle of a field. They could not have it in their house or barn. But they kept the phone book in the barn.
ReplyDeleteSo, as is true of goats, they will eat anything. And Leonard was eating their phone book, and he had to go back to the MacDougall farm.