Noon had been our scheduled arrival time, but one of the ladies suggested we go an hour earlier. How glad we were that she did, because we got to see the baby elephant just before he went inside for his nap. While we watched the elephants walk around in their woodsy, natural environment (no "concrete jungle" here), an enthusiastic employee joined us to us to show us a model of an elephant's tooth. She explained many things and answered all our questions. This stop alone was worth the trip.
After seeing a few other exhibits, I thought we were done and I was a little surprised...maybe even a little disappointed at first, having visited such zoos as Portland, San Diego, and Cincinnati in my past, where there were always tons of wild animals. (I want to say "no pun intended" but I'm not really sure about that.)
But then we went to the so-called Children's Zoo. I say "so called" because it was definitely interesting to the teenagers and adults! Petting the goats, I think, was a highlight of the day for most everyone.
At the end of the day, I mentioned something to my son about how few wild animals were there, and he said, "Quality is better than quantity." You know, I think my father would agree. He used to object to the way all those animals were kept in cages and concrete. I'll bet he would be happy to see the natural environment at this zoo.
While I missed certain animals and I missed all those past trips with our whole family, I have to say that, truly, this zoo is a unique and fascinating place.
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