A couple of weeks ago, on Tom’s birthday, we thought we’d go to The North Carolina Zoo. We love this zoo. You have to do a lot of walking because the animals have such large areas to live. That’s a good reason to have to walk a lot. While you may not see every animal, there’s always something fun to see, depending on who’s out and about. If I lived in a zoo I would be a very boring exhibit. I would wander out for orange slices and frozen fruit treats and then go back to my far corner. I base this on my behavior in office environments and at parties.
When we woke up that day, it was pouring rain. We took a risk and decided to go anyway because the zoo is an hour and a half away and we hoped maybe the weather would be a little different by the time we got there. Also, we don’t really like other people and thought perhaps there would be less of them there on a rainy day.
It turned out to be a very nice visit. There weren’t many people and the rain was manageable. Here’s what we saw:
I do not believe that the alligators in zoos are the same alligators in the wild. This is all I’ve ever seen an alligator do in real life. I know I’m lucky that I haven’t seen one do anything else outside of a zoo, I do understand that. I think I saw one move a leg once and it was a big event for me.
I’m surprised at how dominant turtle DNA is.
I love silverback gorillas. They are just the best. The thing I particularly love about them is that they love to do this – sit in plain view with their back to everyone. There’s just something about that particular approach to being stared at all day I truly respect.
This sign says “BB&T Chimpanzee Reserve.” We couldn’t help but come up with related slogans – “Just as the majestic and mighty chimpanzee flings it’s poo, we fling the best rates around at you.”
YES. Someday, if I ever get to be the eccentric billionaire that I hope to be, I’m totally getting a dung beetle statue.
Our last stop for the day was the otters. Otters are wonderful. At first, when we walked up, we didn’t see them and figured they were snuggled up napping under some rock or something. But then they saw us and hopped right into the water and started swimming around as if it was their job to entertain us. Oh, it was adorable. And then they started doing it. And then things got kind of awkward. So, we bid the fornicating otters adieu and went on our way.
It was a great day. Then, we got home and I gave Tom a book he already had for his birthday because I’m awesome.
The end.
I’m not that into zoos unless they’re rehab facilities, but I used to like the sloths. I think a sloth/hummingbird hybrid is my animal spirit guide or something. Anyway, the last time I went there was a young female chimp that was beating a duck with a stick by the pond. The duck could fly and wouldn’t leave the exhibit, so I’m thinking it was bi-species S & M or something.
I only like zoos that are committed to species preservation, endangerment education, etc. And of course closely monitor duck-chimpanzee relations.
I took my 3yo nephew to the zoo and the lions did it. You can’t unsee that.
Wow, lions doing it is worth a lot of points in the game I just now made up in my head.
I bet if you would have brought back a replica of the dung beetle statue, your readers *cough* would have been all over trying to win it.
Also, the dung beetle on top of the, uh dung, has kind of perverted glint in his eye as he’s looking at the hind end of the other beetle. Or maybe I’m tired. But I would totally have it in my yard.
I would LOVE to someday giveaway a dung beetle turd statue. That would be the peak of my success.
“Just as the majestic and mighty chimpanzee flings it’s poo, we fling the best rates around at you.” Clearly, you’re in marketing.
Send the dung beetle statue photo to Uncommon Goods. I’m sure they’ll pick it up.
If I know anything about marketing, you’re supposed to compare one great thing to another. Done and done.
Sounds like a great day! I love our Zoo here in St. Louis, and my daughter has always enjoyed our trips there. Never seen otters doing it, though I can’t really say I’m disappointed, ha.
I saw an alligator in “the wild” once, far too close for comfort. Golfing on a course near Tampa, FL, an errant shot (I’m terrible) went near water and when we approached there was a ‘gator sitting, still as death, probably 50ft from us, just watching. I almost didn’t see him. Needless to say, that ball was deemed “lost.” We moved on, but it was scary!
Yes, in the wild, I would be thrilled to see it only sitting there like a statue. I would be seeing it while glancing behind me as I ran. Unless running sets them off. I need to do some research.
I love going to the zoo! The gorillas scare me though.
The gorillas are our favorites. They have/had a silverback who would pound the glass in front of your face but if you didn’t flinch, would settle down by you because you passed his test. I love that.
Sex otters are the worst. They lure you in with their cute frolicking and then BAM! They’re doing it right in front of you. Such exhibitionists. I refuse to visit zoos that have sex otters.
But you don’t know if they’re sex otters until they start sexing. I guess we know for the future, but you always have to awkwardly learn it.
We have a totally ghetto zoo, although we did get to take my 2 or 3 year old son there and have him get licked in the face by a giraffe, so that was good times.
The zoo we went to in FL (Tampa maybe?) was pretty cool. We got to ride a boat all around this little lake and see the monkeys on their own islands leaping around. There were a ton of alligators as well, of course.
Are you referring to the D.C. zoo? I seem to remember not being very impressed with it.
I hope those monkeys were safe from the alligators!
I, too, hope the only thing I ever see an alligator do in real life is float in the middle of lake, uninterested in everything.
Hopefully not a lake you’re swimming in.
I truly believe that I was a silverback gorilla in a previous life. And maybe in this one, only with less hair and horrible posture.
They do have good posture, don’t they? There’s something you can put in your dating profiles: “less hairy than a silverback gorilla.”
An empty zoo in a light rain?
Best birthday present ever!
It was really nice.
Hooray for horny otters!!! 😉 Also for repeat gifts. Really, who doesn’t need two copies of favorite books???
But he hasn’t even read the book yet, we don’t know if it’s a favorite!