Blue skies
Jun. 8th, 2009 05:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stephbgWas comparatively physically OK again today, albeit brainless. Went to the folks to collect some ex-lounge carpet to cover up the tiles here, then on to the zoo for a walk and to work on getting my Zoo Friend's money's worth.
Today's mid-afternoon sun was a bit brighter than yesterday's so I thought I had a better chance of seeing a few particular beasties. The lions delivered, with not only visible breathing, but actual stalking and poking behaviour, topped off by some roaring and quality lolling. I wonder if the lioness is coming into season?
Spent a bit of time watching the meerkats have a grand old time with a sackful of straw. The babies are growing fast but still young enough to play, and the adults are always good value for watching. Watching them watching, mostly. Most of the group tried to see off a bird that was taunting them from the other side of the glass, and there was much chattering.
The Galapagos Giant Tortise was positively galloping around. I saw it move several metres, and feed (within my lifetime). And damn, but that thing's big.
Whilst once again contemplating the apparent depression of Tricia the elephant, I was happily distracted by several palm squirrels.
Visit 2: No sign of the otters. May need to send search party. Hope still high.
As yesterday I chose a bench next to the red panda enclosure for a bit of a rest after the hill climb, and to give the aforemented red panda an opportunity to do something interesting. Patience was rewarded with a yawn, some nose-licking, and a slight shift in position. That's the panda, not I. The second panda hid.
I failed to find koala-equivalent excitement in the other half of the Australian Bush Walk, although the emus were attentive. I've spent a fair bit of time watching kangaroos loll in the shade trying to keep cool; it's somehow less fun watching them lie in the sun trying to get warm. I had the native bird aviary to myself which was nice, and I watched a blue fairy wren hop about. A noisy family crashed through with the words I least like to hear ("There's nothing to seeeeeee!") which broke the mood a little.
Today there were three penguins, not two, and one of them stood at the edge of the water leaning and flapping as though it were about to go for a swim. It did this for several minutes, the tease. Again I was alone in the enclosure and had hopes for action, but another family crashed through and started chanting "Jump! Jump! Jump!" Some people are clearly still of the impression that zoo animals are there for their entertainment *shakes fist*.
I am saving the nocturnal house for a rainy day, and the bird section for a busy day. Plenty of other bits left to explore too, and I shall try and catch some of the keeper talks.
I had no trouble parking, and a remarkably fast run up the freeway home. I don't need to go to sleep now, which is good, but nor can I quite remember my middle name. Babbling like this in a linear fashion is no great trick, but juggling multiple engineering concepts in my head is just not happening :-(
Still, where the body goes the mind might follow. Soon, please.
Today's mid-afternoon sun was a bit brighter than yesterday's so I thought I had a better chance of seeing a few particular beasties. The lions delivered, with not only visible breathing, but actual stalking and poking behaviour, topped off by some roaring and quality lolling. I wonder if the lioness is coming into season?
Spent a bit of time watching the meerkats have a grand old time with a sackful of straw. The babies are growing fast but still young enough to play, and the adults are always good value for watching. Watching them watching, mostly. Most of the group tried to see off a bird that was taunting them from the other side of the glass, and there was much chattering.
The Galapagos Giant Tortise was positively galloping around. I saw it move several metres, and feed (within my lifetime). And damn, but that thing's big.
Whilst once again contemplating the apparent depression of Tricia the elephant, I was happily distracted by several palm squirrels.
Visit 2: No sign of the otters. May need to send search party. Hope still high.
As yesterday I chose a bench next to the red panda enclosure for a bit of a rest after the hill climb, and to give the aforemented red panda an opportunity to do something interesting. Patience was rewarded with a yawn, some nose-licking, and a slight shift in position. That's the panda, not I. The second panda hid.
I failed to find koala-equivalent excitement in the other half of the Australian Bush Walk, although the emus were attentive. I've spent a fair bit of time watching kangaroos loll in the shade trying to keep cool; it's somehow less fun watching them lie in the sun trying to get warm. I had the native bird aviary to myself which was nice, and I watched a blue fairy wren hop about. A noisy family crashed through with the words I least like to hear ("There's nothing to seeeeeee!") which broke the mood a little.
Today there were three penguins, not two, and one of them stood at the edge of the water leaning and flapping as though it were about to go for a swim. It did this for several minutes, the tease. Again I was alone in the enclosure and had hopes for action, but another family crashed through and started chanting "Jump! Jump! Jump!" Some people are clearly still of the impression that zoo animals are there for their entertainment *shakes fist*.
I am saving the nocturnal house for a rainy day, and the bird section for a busy day. Plenty of other bits left to explore too, and I shall try and catch some of the keeper talks.
I had no trouble parking, and a remarkably fast run up the freeway home. I don't need to go to sleep now, which is good, but nor can I quite remember my middle name. Babbling like this in a linear fashion is no great trick, but juggling multiple engineering concepts in my head is just not happening :-(
Still, where the body goes the mind might follow. Soon, please.
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Date: 2009-06-08 10:25 am (UTC)Tricia is really quite a laid back elephant. She was quite down after Chepam died but she's bounced back and quite enjoys life. The keepers spend a lot of time with her and she goes for a long walk around the Zoo every day. All the eles get a lot of behavioural enrichment - playing musical instruments, playing soccer and painting. Re painting - elephants in the wild have been observed picking up sticks in their trunks and drawing in the dirt.