Saturday, February 23, 2008

Our day at the zoo, let me tell you how it was.

First, we saw the Marabou Stork. It looked crazed, and half-heartedly tried to eat a small child through the bars.

We were delighted to see that "very little threatens them". It gives the most wonderful mental image. "Oh yeah? Oh yeah? Well, you don't threaten me!"

Now, the reason we were at the zoo specifically today was that it was adoptors' day, and all adoptors of animals were invited to come for free. We found the Chevrotain that Matt adopted...

Ok, not the best picture. Matt was very proud anyway.

After that, we went to visit the penguins. As many of you know, Matt's totally obsessed with the penguins. And I made the mistake of letting him loose with the camera.

This penguin was unamused...


...and this penguin was not, as we'd first thought, planning on diving.
I think it was just showing off for the other gender.

Cool half-albino pale penguin.
(Note also the... um... excretions behind the penguins having a lie-down. Niiiice.)

They've recently opened 'Rainbow Landings', where one can buy pots of nectar and feed the Rainbow Lorikeets.
This photo looks like a maniacal lorikeet is attacking Matt's hat. It wasn't...

...even though Matt's looking somewhat apprehensive here.

It's difficult to take a picture with one hand, whilst feeding the birds with the other but, hey, I managed.


And then there were two...

Matt really enjoyed himself.

I liked this one because it was all fluffed up and round, and it looked like a stuffed toy.


Ok, this is where things got weird.
We went to see the Oriental Short-Clawed Otters, only to find two of them getting it on. With tongues.

"They're on to us! Run away! Run awayyyyyy!"

And then we swung past the Red River Hogs. I was pleased to get this picture of the male as he came towards us, as they have funny hairy ears and little beards.

'Why was he coming towards the fence?', I hear you ask. Well, because the female was down by us. And why was he so keen to get to her? In order to PUT HIS FACE INTO HER STREAM OF URINE AND DRINK IT.
In what will be a shock to absolutely no-one who has ever spoken to me, or even read anything I've written, Matt and I spent the rest of the afternoon cracking up at the phrase 'piss-drinking pigs*'.
*Let's see whether that turns up on google...
ETA: DO NOT google this. Porny porn porn.

Matt as (as he said) 'King of the Jungle'.

Jaguar!

Another jaguar!

Ok, this picture of the jaguar makes it look like he has human teeth. I think he looks like a claymation jaguar, actually. Like he should be on Creature Comforts, talking about biscuits in a Yorkshire accent.

Leopard!

Oh no! Matt is doomed!

I think the penguin might have got tired of showing off...

We went back down past the chevrotain. She was out of her little den by this point, and it seems she has a friend...

...possibly a boyfriend. Matt was very suspicious of his intentions.

She came down towards the fence, so Matt got the chance to dote on her close up.


Do you know what might be the second best animal ever, after the duck-billed platypus? Well, that might just be the Tree Porcupine. Oh yes. A spiky animal that can fall on your head (and is very difficult to photograph in a pine tree)!

And then Matt hung out with a giant stuffed penguin...

...and a giant koala.

And then we went home, exhausted.
The End.

Labels: , ,

6 Comments:

At 10:40 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Cool

My trips to the zoo are never this exciting!

 
At 11:06 pm, Blogger LaMa said...

You pushed that little kid towards the Stork, right? :-p

Oh, and the next best thing toa Platypus really is the Aye-Aye...

 
At 4:05 am, Blogger Smerk said...

Awwwww....that Chevrotain is cute!

 
At 6:13 am, Blogger Tah said...

Very nice post. Reminds me of a lot of things I recently saw at the San Diego Zoo. :-)

Funny how they have many of the same animals at these two zoos. ;-)

 
At 6:39 am, Blogger Nettie said...

I've only recently gone to the Perth Zoo (I really should do a post) and we have hardly any of the same animals at all. Although I think Matt would really like the Fairy Penguins that we have.

 
At 10:41 pm, Blogger Mouse said...

I really want to go to the zoo now.
I'll wait until I get my new camera, though.

 

Post a Comment

<< Home