Up Close and Personal at the Zoo

Today was our behind-the-scenes San Diego Zoo tour that started at the flamingo pool. It was a great experience and we will, hopefully, get to do it every year, bit schedule at different times during the day as the itinerary changes with the time of the tour.  It is a bit pricey but well worth it.  We took the noon tour today and got to feed giraffes, okapis, and tried to feed the hippos - they weren't very at accommodating - but at least we got an up close and personal look!   

Between us we took 135 photos.  Don't panic, I'm  only uploading a few for this entry!!

We met our guide/educator, Brooke, at noon and as it turned out we were the only ones signed up for that tour. It was a scheduled  for two hours, but because we were the only ones on it and our tour guide didn't have another tour after us, we ended up getting an extra half hour of her time.  Brooke kept telling us we needed to go buy a lottery ticket as we lucked out with the size of the tour and with some of the animal sightings!  

The day was clear but cool - high 60s.  Roger wore a short sleeved t-shirt as it was much warmer in Santee before we left!  Once we got to San Diego, though, the temps dropped to an "uncomfortable" level  when in the shade so he ended up buying a long sleeved shirt and now has one with a gorilla on the back!!   

We were able to go to the front of the panda line and view them from a special area while we talked with the panda "guru." There are two pandas - mom and her cub.  It's the first time we have visited that exhibit because there is always such a long line and the bears are usually asleep.  Today the 18-month old cub was wide awake and entertaining everyone.   Did you know that panda poo is pure bamboo and that the zoo collects it and makes paper which you can buy?  Another tidbit of panda info: all the pandas in the world's zoos are on loan from China.  The first pair that was given to President Nixon back in the 70s were the only ones that the U.S. ever owned but their offspring belonged to China.  Apparently they rotate pandas to help with the breeding program as pandas don't procreate well in zoos.  

The hippos were fast asleep when we arrived and so we went behind the exhibit to their "bedrooms" and the keeper's area. No amount of coaxing or lettuce would get them to budge for us. Then, all of a sudden, the female decided to get up, but she went out into the pool instead of coming our way.  Brooke was able to get up on a walkway over the pool and toss the head of lettuce to her with allowed us to get pictures of that big mouth waiting for a treat.  

There was a newborn (six weeks old) giraffe who still has no name and is being referred to as "Baby."  She is so cute!  She doesn't get solid food yet, so we didn't get to feed her, but her aunts were all hungry for a treat and went through a head of romaine pretty quickly!   They are so fun to watch up close but we were warned not to get too close to the fence.  Their tongues are amazingly long and can reach a long way! I had a hat on with a purple flower on the side and Brooke thought it best I stay away from the fence or my hat might be mistaken for some sort of snack.  A tidbit of info: they only have seven giant sized vertebrae in their neck - the same number as humans have. 

Okapi's are from the giraffe family and have the same head structure as well as an extremely long purple/black tongue! They slobber a lot, too, when they are eating.  They seemed so gentle and we were allowed to pet them as well as feed them.

Obviously we couldn't feed the lions, grizzly bears, and elephants but we did get a good view of them and Roger captured some good photos (sorry about the fence, but we liked having it there!).

It was a very fun day!!