More Zoo

Just a note: If you want to view a larger version of any of the pictures, just click on them.

This one is pretty much self explanatory. Check out the eyelashes on this big fellow.

I've always liked close-ups of animals eyes, especially elephants, so here is my version.

A frontal view with a suitable layer of dust on top.

Flamingos are always good for a picture with reflections.

This is one of my favorites. I like to call them chameleon frogs/toads as they blend so well into their background. No idea what kind they really are, I suppose I should take notes as well as pictures.

Last one. This is the new improved version of the wart hog. I love the color and the ear extensions add a real touch of character don't you think.

This is a picture taken a few years later on a trip to the zoo with our grandkids. The red river hogs have now had babies and don't look a bit like their parents. They are blurry because they were frantically trying to feed and mom wasn't having anything to do with them.

This is a better picture of them standing still. They sure blend in don't they and they were very tiny.

We don't often get to see the cougar moving around when we go to the zoo but this day they had "hidden" dead chicks in various spots in their pen and they were busy hunting. We were surprised that they often would walk right by the food, seemingly not seeing it and mistaking the smell as coming from somewhere else. The intensity of their hunt was obvious though and they moved without sound.

Beautiful animal but one you don't want to meet up with in the forest, or anywhere for that matter.

Another kitty! This is the male and he was so tired because his mate was inside busy delivering three new tiger cubs for our zoo. Guess we'll be going back to see them next time.

 These guys are the reason for our trip to the zoo. After waiting in line for an hour and a half we got to spend fifteen minutes in their building watching them watch us. They are noisy, smelly birds but when they are in the water they are so agile and beautiful to watch. Their speed is phenomenal and they propel themselves up from the depths to the rocks with perfection, going into the water isn't as graceful but coming out is wonderful to watch.

I wasn't quite sure where to add this picture. It's from the butterfly building in the zoo and although there weren't a lot of them because of the time of year I guess, there were an abundance of these. When they open their wings they are an iridescent blue that is beautiful but I wasn't able to capture.