Unemployment Day 3

Another gorgeous day, and we were off on a road trip again. This time it wasn't horror movie sets, but the ZOO! I've always loved the zoo, and the one in San Antonio is definitely one of the best. Even if all the animals are inside getting away from the heat, you can still have a great time. It's landscaped beautifully, and the new exhibits really look natural and comfortable for the critters.

I remember how my Dad would always take me there when I was little, and even back then it was a pretty kickass zoo. There were a few wire cages, but most of the large animals were in these barless, big open air enclosures surrounded by deep dry moats to protect you from the animals (and the animals from you).

One of the more insane displays was right across from the elephants and was called "Monkey Island". This was a typical SA Zoo enclosure - open, with a moat, and a huge fake moutain-like construction in the center. There were large areas of flat horizontal space, which was painted a bright aquamarine blue. (To simulate water maybe??) What made the display weird however, were it's inhabitants. It was an odd mixture of Ethiopian baboons and North American mountain goats! Now, even as a child I realized how strange that was, but I'll tell you - I loved Monkey Island! Here's a pic from back in the day - apparently this was before the mountain goats were added.


In later years, the baboons were removed and "Monkey Island" featured only the mountain goats. Still later, the goats disappeared and the place was filled up with those miscellaneous little deer-type animals (feeder deer, as I call them.)

On our visit today, we saw that Monkey Island had been completely dismantled to make room for a new African animals display. I guess that's good - a lot of those big animals are still in their 1960's enclosures - but I (and I'm sure many others) will never forget the thrill of seeing a passel of baby baboons trying to ride on a mountain goat.

Here's a few pictures I shot while there:
lion lounging

chubby tiger

"Sububu" the black rhino

capybara rolling in the mud

scarlet macaw

anteater at the door

fossa

jaguar

clouded leopard

(can you tell I like the kitties best?)

More shots on my Flickr site.

---------------------------------------------------------------

As I was sitting here typing this, an ad for TGIFriday's came on, and apparently they are offering something called "fried mac-n-cheese" now. What in the holy hell? Isn't it bad enough for you to begin with, but then you gotta go and FRY it? This country's going to hell in a deep-fried handbasket, I tell ya!

---------------------------------------------------------------

That's about it for today. Check back tomorrow, there may be another adventure on my horizon!


Always,
S