Tuesday, May 09, 2023

An April Stroll Through the Phoenix Zoo

As promised, here are a few of the photos I took on our recent visit to the Phoenix Zoo. Hopefully, Denis and I will become as well-acquainted with it as we were with the Wildlife World Zoo, which will always remain our favorite. Since we now have to rely on public transportation, the Wildlife World Zoo is sadly beyond our grasp, but... we'll just have to cope and adjust as someone I used to work with always said. 
 
Relying on Dial-a-Ride to get the two of us, my mobility scooter, and Denis's motorized wheelchair around can be an adventure (and not always a pleasant one). Denis and I sometimes question the sanity and intelligence of the people in charge of planning the bus drivers' routes. For instance, Denis and I watched as we rode past the turn-off for the Phoenix Zoo to go almost out of the metropolitan area to pick someone up, deliver him to his destination, and then be taken all the way back to the Zoo. What was up with that? And the ride home was just as torturous, as we took the very scenic and v-e-r-y long route through South Phoenix before we got home.

Ah well. Cope and adjust. Cope and adjust. I'd much rather stroll through the zoo, wouldn't you? What am I waiting for? Let's go!


One of my all-time favorite native plants, yellow bells. Masses of flowers, a long blooming season, and beloved by bees and hummingbirds.



I wonder who likes to hang out at this big pond?


The pelicans!


A fairy duster on steroids-- much bigger than the native Baja fairy duster in my front garden.


Unknown, but pretty.


Another personal favorite: brittlebush.


A penny for your thoughts!


Say cheese!


This male Gambel's quail was in the rhino enclosure trying to round up his harem.


This southern white rhinoceros could care less about those quail.


The Phoenix Zoo participates in an international breeding program for Arabian oryx.


It was while going through the Dinosaurs in the Desert exhibit that I spotted something up in the rocks. Can you?


Not to worry-- here's what caught my attention: bighorn sheep!




This young'un didn't want to pay attention to Ma.


Pricklypear and brittlebush


Desert cottontails of all sizes and ages were all over the zoo. Several plants had wire cages around them to protect against inquisitive incisors.


A gorgeous agave in bloom. It can take anywhere from 8 to 80 years for them to flower, depending on the variety, and once they do, the agave dies.



That's it! I hope you enjoyed your virtual visit to the Phoenix Zoo. In a couple of weeks, I'll be taking you back to the Desert Botanical Garden on a day when I took 215 photographs. (Don't worry, you'll only see a dozen or two.) See you then!

13 comments:

  1. Oh, my, Cathy! What a lovely, lovely set of photos! I'm so glad you and Denis got to go to the zoo and it all worked out well. It just reminds me of how beautiful even the smallest flowers and animals are. And you really captured the essence of the bigger critters, too. I love it when you share your outings with us!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for the tour. I do love that agave.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for taking us with you - looks like a gorgeous day for the visit!

    ReplyDelete
  4. So many interesting creatures and flowers! I had never seen an agave plant before - that is amazing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They can be jaw-dropping. Those bloom stalks can tower over twenty feet in the air!

      Delete
  5. I had written that I love all of the photos of flora and fauna, and I will like all of the photos you will post.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Gorgeous flower photos! And I love your portraits of the pelican and rhino. They're amazing. Glad you got to the zoo...despite the very long detour. :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Lark! And as for those detours... cope and adjust! :-p

      Delete

Thank you for taking the time to make a comment. I really appreciate it!