L.A. Zoo

Today (Monday) Michelle took us to the L.A. Zoo, one of Augie's favourite places. Took us about half an hour to drive there as it is over in the San Fernando Valley. Michelle had a annual pass and managed to sneak me in on it so we only had to pay $16 for Ros.

Meerkat

First up were the meerkats. Highly gregarious and social animals, they spend most of their time standing on their hind legs looking around. This gives them elevation and the ability to see further and react to danger more quickly. To the right you can see one in typical pose. They also constantly patrol their territory, making sure there are no intruders.



And here is my favourite meerkat meme from the internet.

Some very helpful zoo assistants at the flamingo display gave us some info about the elephant show plus other information, so we hightailed it over to the elephant enclosure in time to see Billy, their 30 year old Asian elephant do his repertoire of tricks. The trainers got him to assume various poses, brushed and washed him down then got him to demonstrate the dexterity and strength of his trunk, adroitly picking up a ball and dropping it inside a large tractor tyre. Then he just wrapped his trunk around said tyre and hoisted it effortlessly onto his tusks and carried it across his enclosure. I doubt whether I would be able to even lift it into the vertical position myself!

Billy in pose

After that we wanted to see a bird show, but unfortunately it was a cancelled due to lack of staff, so we wandered around the various exhibits, seeing American Black Bears, tigers, crocodiles before arriving at the hippo enclosure. Two hippos occupy this enclosure, a male and female, and the female surprised zoo staff and visitors alike by giving birth to a female baby last October in broad daylight. The zoo staff were especially surprised and puzzled because the female hippo was on birth control! Anyway she is the star attraction for obvious reasons.

Baby hippo

After that it was time for lunch near the giraffe enclosure, so I took of photo of Michelle and Augie in front of the giraffes, Augie went for a ride on the carousel (merry-go-round for you Aussies) and then we went home for a well-earned rest, as the zoo is built on a hillside and has many steep paths between the exhibits.


Tomorrow it is off to Las Vegas on the first leg of our road trip.

Michelle, Augie & giraffes