Glacier Run

Traditionally, our family goes to the Louisville Zoo in spring or summer, but the sun shined so warm and bright today, that we decided to take the grand baby for his first visit (of many) to the Zoo on his 6-week birthday.  My daughter volunteered there while in high school, and worked during the summers while in college, so she's very familiar with the ins and outs. It was like having a private tour!

The Glacier Run exhibit has been under construction for several years (at least it seems that long to me), and it was well worth the wait. Before, there was simply a large pool for the few polar bears, and they seldom seemed to be out when we were there.

I was surprised to find two grizzly bears when we walked into the surrogate Alaskan village of Glacier Run! They chased each other around, jumping into the water, and vigorously shaking the water off again! The Zoo website identifies them as Otis and Rita, one year old cubs. Their mother Inga lives at the Zoo as well, but she chilled out in her room during our visit.

The Louisville Zoo works hard to keep their new residents engaged. We watched the keepers hiding food around the exhibit for 26 year old Arki to find. They have an excellent sense of smell, so she had no problem finding the food. Sometimes they give her a paper bag with just the scent in it. She stands in one spot just moving her nose around, sniffing, then walks off to find...

...a nice fish, or maybe her favorite un-natural snack - a peanut butter and jelly sandwich! Her tongue and all skin are black to help retain heat. Her fur is hollow and tends to reflect whatever color is nearby, so they don't always look white.

Qannik was born in January 2011 and rescued on Alaska’s North Slope in April. She took up temporary residence at the Alaska Zoo before moving to her permanent home in Louisville in June. She enjoys a constantly changing set of toys and enrichment items in Bear Alley. It doesn’t take her long to figure them out, push them around and make a wild playground of barrels, tubs, balls, igloo, tubes and hay. The windows to Bear Alley were originally completely covered and are still being slowly unveiled to allow for Qannik’s ongoing acclimation to Bear Alley and the full wall of glass windows. This same strategy was used very effectively with the grizzly bear family, Inga, Otis and Rita.

We can't miss the elephant barn on any Zoo trip, since Mary Beth worked there and knows both Punch and Mikki up close and personally! In fact, Mikki gave Mary Beth her ring when Brian proposed.

Remember that song from Oklahoma! about the corn being as high as an elephant's eye?  That's what I hummed as I looked at Mikki's incredibly long eye lashes. But no amount of skin softener would smooth our her wrinkles though.

As we stood by them chatting with the elephant keepers, Mikki moved her trunk around, trying to sniff out a treat from one of the humans. I was amazed at the size and flexibility of her trunk.

Statues of the various animals are strategically placed for good photo ops, and we took advantage of this baby elephant for Kittrick's first photo at the zoo!

Giraffes and Vultures at the Zoo

We've been going to the Louisville Zoo for over 30 years, and the animals usually just sit there. Today we had lots of interaction among them, making this the best day at the Zoo! I never paid much attention to the Vultures before. This time, the Griffon Vulture was standing on a large rock in the giraffe enclosure (where it has always lived) and its beautiful brown and white feathers caught my eye. Want a better look? Here are my big wings...

...and if I flap a bit I can take off, but I won't because it freaks out all the little kids.

Ah, get that itch! A little more stretching and I can reach it.

I am Vulture. Keen of eye with a sharp rending beak for anything I find lying around dead.

The giraffe herd includes two females, two young and the BIIGGGGG male. Crosby here is the youngest, born on January 11, 2010, at 130 pound, and 5 feet 10 inches. He's grown a lot in the months since then.

When the male giraffe, Walker, strode over, I really had to strain to look up at him. But what a surprise when he walked to the baby and started licking and grooming him! Head rubbing looks like real affection. Somehow I didn't expect male giraffes to behave this way.

Hold still, son, you've got a dirty spot right here.

Someday, I'll be as big as my Dad...

...but for now, I'll just enjoy the breeze and see if I can eat a few of these plants growing by the rocks.

Birding at the Zoo

Happy Memorial Day! We have been out on hikes and birding so much lately, on impulse we decided to go to the Louisville Zoo, even though we knew it would be packed with kids. It was the right decision.

Our favorite zoo bird is the Lorikeet. They have so many bright colors! Hold out a little cup of nectar in and they immediately jump all over you to drink it, lapping with their tongues. Yes, some people couldn't quite handle those little feet in their hair, particularly young kids. Shreek! After the nectar is gone, the Lorikeets still stay on your shoulders to nibble on your earrings, or walk up and down your neck licking sweat - guess they must like the salt. It tickles like crazy! Sometimes they get a little over-enthused and try to take a bite out of your finger, which Dick didn't care for. Compared to owl bites, though, these were just love nips. In addition to the exotic and endangered animals, the Zoo plays host to many local birds too, especially Canadian Geese. My favorites at the lake are the Wood Ducks. Some of the males haven't started to molt yet, and they are beautiful. Others are in eclipse and will be pretty sorry looking for a while until their colorful feathers start to grow back in. How odd to see so many Wood Ducks at the zoo, and so few out in the wild. Baby ducks slip through the fence and mama swims back and forth trying to call them back to her.

Some of the Flamingos are much pinker than others. This guy sat on his ankles and tucked his head into his wings, looking more beige than pink.

The Emus sat in the shade while kids yelled and splashed at the new water park in the zoo. Construction is still under way for the polar bears and sea lions, but the water park seems popular. I think this emu could wear an earring on her ear. I've never seen one so prominent on a bird before.

I think the sign said this was the Demoiselle Crane, although I could be wrong. I love the different colors in the bird eyes.

This Crested Crane has long been one of my favorites. The punk rock star of the bird world!

Black Swans used to be part of the Australian exhibit, but now they swim in the big lake with all the other geese and ducks. Doesn't seem to bother them a bit.

This stork was in the pen with the giraffe's and I didn't see its name sign. Hey, do zoo birds count on your life list?

Of course, you can't limit yourself to just the birds at the zoo. I was interested in faces today, so the orangutan and the Siberian tiger joined my collection. The lions wouldn't wake up and look in my direction. However, the absolutely BEST photos I took today must be saved for another post, since there are so many of them. I didn't think it would be good to have all these birds, plus my really special photos in the same post. So come back in a few days and see the Griffon Vulture and the giraffes!

Good Zoo Morning

The Louisville Zoo and Norton's Hospital have a joint program to improve your health by a walking club. The Zoo opens at 8:00 am for walkers, before the rest of the crowd arrives. This morning was delightfully cool, so we drove to the zoo to be there when they opened for walking.

You get a different perspective without a lot of other people around. Since our last zoo visit a year ago, they have started several construction projects to improve the ingress and egress on Newburg Road, and to create Glacier Run for the polar bears, who are currently on vacation at another zoo during the construction period. As the animals came out for the morning, they were quite talkative.

Secretary Bird, me? No Way!
I'm a Grey Crowned Crane and I do not take dictation!

Do you think it's time I started using Oil of Olay for these wrinkles?

Just look at me...aren't I the most beautiful bird you've ever seen? Beautiful face...

beautiful tail feathers.....

...and, well, I always try to show just my good side to the camera.

ROAR! ROAR! No matter how much I try,
those giraffes next door just won't cower in fear.

She gets like that sometimes. I try to stay out of it.

Did your mother tell you to chew with your mouth closed?

Well, this is why!