Afternoon at the Zoo

After the nearly month of rain we’ve had in the Tampa Bay area, I needed to get out of the house. The Lowry Park Zoo is offering free entry for teachers through August 16, and a trip to the zoo sounded like just the thing!

The gibbons were putting on quite a show when I first arrived.

They’d sit for awhile, and then swing on over to the next part of their habitat.

It almost seemed that they were posing sometimes. Maybe they were…

Then it was on to more mundane sorts of animals. On to the petting zoo!

All of the kids were playing in the fountains nearby, so I got to hang out with the goats and llamas on my own. Neither were impressed since I didn’t have food for them.

Next I got to see the wallabies having a snack.

The penguins were cute too. They were grooming each other, and a couple of them were swimming. They are so graceful in the water. Until they poop, that is. That doesn’t seem so graceful.

The meercats were quite active. They always seem very scared to me. But they were still digging their holes while being very attentive to the lookers-on.

The Galapagos tortoises amaze me. They look so old and regal. Next to these old guys, they had a “dog house” with a youngster in it. He/she was so tiny in comparison. I’m not sure why they had them separated…

This big guy was quite impressive too. When he was over by the fence, he was putting on a more X-rated show. 

The koi pond was a lovely image of color and movement.

I love this one I got of the the flamingos. Their coloring is so vibrant.

The manatee exhibit continues to be my favorite at the zoo. You get to see them from above and below the water. They are really cool beasts.

I went back and saw the orangutans. They were a little more lively than when I first visited them, before I saw the gibbons. Still, it was so hot many of the critters were just avoiding the heat.

I always have to remind myself of the sheer power of a komodo dragon. They’re big, but I would wouldn’t immediately expect the damage they can do to their prey just from looking at them. Still, this one had a sly look on its face.

Aside from the manatees, my favorite critters were the gharials. These are needle-nosed crocodiles. I don’t think I ever knew they existed before this trip to the zoo. And this turtle seems to not care about their needly, pointy teeth at all.

It felt really good to get out and see so many awesome animals. It was about 90 degrees the entire time I was out there. I was super sweaty after being at the zoo for nearly four hours, but it was completely worth it. I earned that strawberry cone I ate on the way out to my car.

If you are in the Tampa area, I do recommend the zoo. It’s good for kids, but good for adults too. Aside from the animals they have some small rides.