Sunday, August 17, 2014

University Day at the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium!

Our new new partner/parent university...the one that bailed us out last Spring when it looked like we might go under, hosted a day at the zoo for faculty, staff, and families! When I say hosted, I mean we got a parking pass, a zoo ticket, and a great lunch, cook-out style with hot dogs, hamburgers, potato salad, pasta salad, cookies, fountain drinks...the works. I have to say it was the nicest single outing I've ever had on an employer's tab. If you are not familiar with it, Columbus Zoo is big for a walking zoo. We were unable to cover all of it, even though we walked five miles, according to The Bug's workout calculator. Here are some of the pics I took. I chose to use the pocket Nikon instead of my DSLR, but they cleaned up pretty good.

HEART OF AFRICA

 The other lions were in the shade, but this one was sunning
 Happily the lions are separated from the gazelles
 Wildebeest herd roaming free
 Zebras milling about
 East African Crowned Cranes!
 Giraffes and ostriches and guinea fowl
 A lion entertaining the kids...or contemplating lunch
 Cheetah in the shade
 Giraffes and a gazelle
I see why they have mesh on the trees...
 Awww...looks sleepy
 They look fast standing still
 Ostriches
 Giraffes playing to the crowd
 But I like this scene better
 Beautiful!
 Watch for crocs!
Flamingo says none in these waters...
This Black Rhino was as close as we got to Asia this time

ARCTIC ANIMALS

 Reindeer!
 I named this one Sven
 Arctic Fox
 Polar Bears
This one was being silly

NORTH AMERICA

 Bison!
 Bald Eagle
 Bobcats
 Cougar/Puma
 Moose
 Prong-horned Antelope
Antelope Butts
 Lovely Trumpeter Swans!

Great Blue Heron
 Sea Turtle...so graceful
 Manatees!

SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE

 Aldabra Giant Tortoise!
A younger one
 Humboldt Penguins!

DOWN ON THE FARM

Free-range sparrows and a chipmunk
 Jacob Sheep!

 Goats!
And, um...this (The Bug's favorite)
Male Angora Goat, I think

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Looks as if you had a wonderful day at the zoo. I am inspired to visit my zoo... a twenty minute drive, once autumn arrives and colours up the trees in the valley. I always appreciate cooler walking weather. Thank you for sharing the sparrows. They are adorable. I think our zoo may have some too, but no North American farm animals. They ought to be included. I like that Columbus includes them.

The Bug said...

It was a great day! Can't wait to go back...

NCmountainwoman said...

Great visit to the zoo. Glad the weather was so good for your photographs. I loved them all.

Catalyst said...

Great tour of a great zoo. Seems a bit sad to see polar bears and penguins with no snow. Your last picture, for no good reason, brought to mind this bit of doggerel from my childhood.

Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear.
Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair.
Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't fuzzy,
was he?