Saturday, August 8, 2015

A Virtual Zoo For You

I want animals today - but I'm not fond of cleaning up after them, finding fur in my new carpeting or making sure that the little (or large) beasties are let out or taken out on walksies. I actually am very fond of animals and household pets, but I want a virtual zoo today because, well, ANIMALS. What could be better?


Let's follow the Monarch butterfly and see where it leads us ...


Starting out at our entrance and leaving the kitchy gift shop behind us, we start walking around the zoo. Oh! What's that? Let's just follow the butterfly ...


As someone mountain raised, I have a great love and respect for
the cougar or mountain lion. 


The first place we come to is the Big Cat House. Here we can find lions, tigers, leopards and ocelots. Because it is a virtual zoo, I can have cheetahs chasing game across a wide stretch of grassland and a black panther perched in a tall tree. A cougar greets us with a scream as we enter the building.


Wolf cubs at play are a joy to watch. Here, two cubs play
tug of war over a piece of fur. 


Leaving the cats behind us, the butterfly leads us to the wolf exhibit. The beasties aren't very active in the heat of the day, but their young are playing outside of the den, growling and chasing each other around the rocky landscape. The wolves here are active at night and their songs echo throughout the zoo.


Watching polar bears swimming always brings a smile. You can
watch them cavort in the water for hours on end. 


Leaving the wolves behind, we come into the bear dens. Here we find black bears, grizzly bears, and the kids are crowded around the polar bear enclosure watching the wonderful white bears swim through the water, get out and shake, and then swim once again. It's mesmerizing.


Emperor Penguins are the largest of the penguin breeds and they
live in the harshest conditions - in frozen Antarctica. 


Nearby is an exhibit of other cold weather critters - the always perfectly-dressed penguins. Here we have King, Rock, and my favorites - the Emperors. Notice that they are separated from the Polar bear. That's because in real life they live in opposite hemispheres and are never near each other except in places like zoos.


I have always had a soft spot for owls of all types. This little guy
lives in the Pacific Northwest. 


The penguins lead to the Aviary. Here we have fantastic birds of all types, their cries filling the air. There are owls for the night and hawks for the day (it's a virtual zoo, so there's lots of height for my high-flying hawks and eagles). There are birds of paradise, the flightless birds like the ostrich, and the songbirds - all filling the air with their calls. It's a bit noisy, so we're on to the Reptile House ... but we're out of time. The bell is ringing and it's time to go to the gift shop and then leave for our own dens. We'll return to the zoo another day. Have a great weekend, all! Enjoy!


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