Zoo

Last week I blogged about birds and snails. Today, I’m excited to be blogging about some wonderful wildlife I just visited much too briefly at the Los Angeles Zoo!

My family has been a member of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association since our older son was quite young. We haven’t fully taken advantage of our membership, especially lately. But some good friends who recently moved to L.A. also bought zoo memberships, so we hope to get there a lot more often now.

Years ago, I used to get some exercise by arriving at the Zoo just as it was opening and quickly walking toward its farthest areas so I could pretend I was there alone except for the animals. That was when I met the male ostrich, who used to do his mating dance for me despite having female companions.

These days, the Safari Shuttle is running again so people reach the far ends faster. Also, my schedule is different. As a result, I don’t plan my exercise schedule around visiting the zoo. Even so, it’s a wonderful walk to go into those same areas, even with more people around.

So, yesterday, I visited the zoo with my friends. I got to see Reggie the alligator who had been rescued from a local lake a while ago and taken to the zoo to survive. I didn’t, however, see Mario/Maria, the gander/goose who was moved to the zoo from another local lake while it is undergoing repairs (and whose true sex wasn’t determined till the zoo took him in). I saw lots of other animals, though, including the meerkats. Last time I was there, the new elephant display was only partially open, but the vast exhibit is now fully open and is amazing to see.

We didn’t spend a lot of time there, but we did pop down to the Australia exhibit, always a must-see for me. Visiting koalas, kangaroos, wallabies and more is always a pleasure.

But reality set in. I had to get home to write. Even so, my appetite was just whet once again so I hope to get back to the zoo soon.

When was the last time you visited a zoo or wild animal park? Did you enjoy it?