A Day at the Zoo

Last week, Wiley, Gena, and I ventured down to the Atlanta Zoo. Public schools had started, we arrived just after opening, and it was very shaded. Perfect. Not to mention that the sweet admissions lady gave us the B'ham Zoo membership discount without me even showing my card (which I had left in B'ham). She just said, "Don't worry, it is hard to keep up with all of those cards." I was in love with this Zoo already! (sidenote: compared to B'ham Zoo, which is great, but gave me the stink eye for asking them to look up my membership since I left my card...isn't that your job?)

Anyway, we rode the carousel 3x, the train 3x and saw all sorts of animals including our favorite--the elephants!





This was the coolest! Feeding the Parakeets! They would land (and poop) on your hand! However, if they sat on Wiley's hand, he would shake them off. I think that is against the rules.

Also, while feeding the birds (tuppins, tuppins) Wiley dropped his seed stick over the wire railing. Gena went inside to get another. Meanwhile, and overly enthusiastic adult man (who was a larger variety) decided to lean over the wire rail to pick it off the ground. (His wife had already correctly answered a question the zookeeper asked before letting us in...I think they feed the birds a lot). I initially thought he was getting it for the sweet 3 year old boy who had dropped it. So when he started to lean precariously over, and his legs and feet were rising above his head , I thought "oh, my goodness, what am I supposed to do? This is a stranger with yucky stranger man legs and feet but if I don't help him, he might land headfirst in the parakeet exhibit." I looked around waiting for the zookeeper to apprehend him, his wife/sister/relation to help him, but no one did anything. I pushed on his feet just a little, decided that it was a bad idea, and he was on his own. Luckily the woman came and told him he was going to fall in (thanks for noticing) and helped him. He had successfully retrieved the seed stick that Wiley dropped. And he continued to feed the birds with it himself. Overall an awkward experience. Sorry no pictures on that one, but I was in such a state of quandry, confusion, and shock, it didn't occur to me to snap a photo. Although that would have made the story better....



We had to take a picture in ALL of these cut outs.


Orangutans!


Naked Mole Rats are real animals! Mary Frances gave Wiley the book Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed for his birthday. I thought it was a made up animal. Imagine my surprise when they have an exhibit complete with "tunnels" and playground dedicated to the small, naked animal!



Pandas! They were so cute. Wiley had just gotten a sprite, so he could have cared less. He just wanted to get out of the Panda area so he could drink his sprite.



Petting Zoo with goats (darn goats, Brooke!), pigs, and sheep. The ones that had a tendency to swing their heads violently had a red collar. This was really pretty filthy. Wiley loved it and wanted to go back. Unfortunately, the goats were taking their "nap," wink, wink. Plus it was our lunch and nap time.



I would recommend this Zoo to anyone and everyone! I have so many more pictures of gorillas (we saw them run and be very active), rhinoceroses (up close), and more bird pictures, but I will spare you all of those!

Check out Zoo Atlanta!