The Zoo

Justin has been really excited about getting a family zoo pass ever since we found out we were pregnant with Caden. I managed to hold him off until Caden was born, and we are now the proud owners of a family zoo membership! We took Caden for the first time a few weeks ago when Justin had a day off school. It was really neat to see Caden looking at all of the animals. He's SO alert and curious! Keep in mind that I am a Biology teacher, so just look at the pictures if you get tired of my random fun facts about the animals..........

I think this is an Indian Peafowl, but I am no ornithologist! Not sure if you can tell from the picture, but this thing was trying to eat our little Caden:(

This is my favorite picture! Caden was mesmerized by the baby monkey poster!

Justin, Caden, and the back side of an Amur (Siberian) Tiger. Tigers are critically endangered but are continually poached for their bones and organs, which are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Since a Tiger can be worth up to $50,000 on the international market, the practice of poaching them is flourishing:(

I like this picture because the Tiger's eyes are glowing! OK, I know that they are not glowing, it's a layer of tissue called the tapetum lucidum that reflects light, but glowing sounds much more fun:)

Justin, Caden, and a Reticulated Giraffe. The giraffe is the tallest living land animal. Their hearts can weigh up to 22 pounds and measure 2 feet in length! The pattern of spots on every giraffe is unique, like human finger prints.

Had to take a picture of this........

Justin showing Caden the Polar Bear. Polar Bears have an extraordinary sense of smell - They can smell a seal on land 20 miles away!

Caden and I looking at a Bactrian Camel. These camels are much shorter and have two humps, unlike the dromedary camels in Africa and the Middle East, which only have one. Random fact I remember from when I was little - a camel's hump is mostly made of fat, not water like most people think.

Justin, Caden, and a Grevy's Zebra......these are critically endangered as there are fewer than 2000 remaining:(

We were able to get really close to this guy! It's an Eland....kind of like an ox:) 

Caden and I with the Asian Elephants. Asian elephants are much smaller than African Elephants. They also have smaller ears and two rounded domes on the top of their head.

This little guy was giving Justin the stink eye! I have no clue what he is.....I'll see if there is a sign next time we are there:)

Caden also really liked the Cheetahs......my favorite because they are SO fast. They can run up to 70 miles an hour over short distances! Even though they are endangered and there are laws against hunting Cheetahs, they are still illegally poached for their beautiful fur:(

Last stop.........Justin showing Caden the Cape Buffalo. Both male and female Cape Buffalo have the horns.

We saw a lot more animals, but this post is long enough so I will save them for another time!