Zoo, Part II

Welcome back to the Zoo, Part II. The flamingos were the highlight of my trip. They are such unusual creatures — standing on one leg, twisting their necks in order to bury their heads inside their own feather down pillow. Flamingos get such a bad wrap when they're molded in plastic and staked on the front lawns in America. These birds are cool and the real deal!

I give the North Carolina Zoo props for their creativity. Throughout the park there were things for kids (and adults alike) to do and look at—from their "Hide, Seek, Skip and Run" structure made solely of twisted branches, to their signage, poetry and sculpture. 

I felt for the bear above. It paced from one end of the ledge to the other, over and over. Perhaps it was hungry, awaiting mealtime, or just stir crazy, having lived in the same quarters for so long. Or perhaps it was just making sure I highlight it's good side.

Too bad these bears couldn't meet up for some play. This one just looked bored. Bad photo through some streaky glass, but wanted to show the in-and-out of-water environments.

Moving inside to the steamy jungle environment of the "Forest Aviary". Birds were flying around and swooping in pretty close, cawing and doing what birds do. Watch yourself. This was another cool building with two levels... one kept you high in the tree branches looking down, the other left you staring up. This place was a hotbed for photographers shooting all the exotic plants, trees and flowers. Orchids everywhere!

And just when my body was acclimated to the jungle-like climate, I stepped out and headed towards the dry grasslands  of the African Pavilion.

It was here that I found ten minutes of sheer silence - a nice break from the busloads of tourists. For some reason no one ventured down the long, wooden pathway to get to the viewing station and pavilion. Rhinos were feasting and lounging in the sun. I felt good about the zoo here, since the land was vast and offered plenty of room for these animals to roam.

Is a caption even necessary here? I didn't think so. Thanks for visiting the zoo with me.