Lions and Tigers and Birds, Oh My!

Tiger got to hunt, bird got to fly;

Man got to sit and wonder ‘why, why, why?’

Tiger got to sleep, bird got to land;

Man got to tell himself he understand.

                        --Kurt Vonnegut, Cat’s Cradle

I can’t help it.  I’m just a big ol’ kid when it comes to animals and zoos.  There’s no better way to spend a drizzly, summer Sunday afternoon than a trip to a zoo.  And that’s what ELM and I did.  We found The Texas Zoo in Victoria.  It is a small zoo, but very, very clean and the animals are in excellent condition.  It’s a lovely little park with lots of friendly, shaded viewing sites and benches—perfect for seniors and small children alike.  The day we went, there were only a few people out in the misty rain, so we had the opportunity to observe the animals and I got to take pictures unhindered. I'm no Deby Dixon--I'm just an old woman with a camera.  But I had a great time and got some fun shots for the scrap book. The admission price was a walloping four dollars.  

  These two beautiful Bengal tigers and a pair of lionesses were the major "exotic" exhibits. I'm forever in awe of the big cats with their magnificient beauty,

exuding their formiddable power even in repose.

If you want to play ball with this lady, you might want to bring your "A" game.

Then there were the baboons.

The Thinker...

The old married couple.  She groomed him with such tenderness.

Another exotic, the shy coatimundi...

                                                                    Sleeping Badger

The Petting Zoo

The monkeys

                                                                              Yoda?

I could watch the otter for hours.  This one looked a bit lonely.  I hope they get him/her a playmate soon.

THE INTERACTIVE AVIARY

 There is a portion of the aviary that we were able to walk into and actually interact with the birds--budgies, conures, ducks, red ibis, and even a spoonbill.

Steve (below) is a real show-stealer.  He loves to chew shoes and is magnetized by anything shiny.  He's the greeter at the Interactive Aviary.

More birds next post.  Thank you for visiting. Go have a wonderful day!

Love, Bupu