Zoo pics...

[GoddessOfGuinness]

From the National Zoo

cheetah

young Bengal tigers

caracal

another visitor to the zoo...A hooded merganzer, perhaps?

white tailed deer finding sanctuary...oblivious to people

mara...a South American rodent

[wildhorses]

1. thanks for posting these--

a caracal and a mara, very cool!!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

2. You're welcome!

I haven't seen the anteater yet. Maybe next week...

[jilln]

3. sad

[GoddessOfGuinness]

5. And yet...

Zoos have evolved a lot since the time I was a kid. The he National Zoo is far more focused on research and education than it once was. They are heavily involved in reintroduction and repopulation projects. And I was thrilled to see their Amazonia Science Gallery was packed with school children, alert and attentive to various elements of biological research.

My eight year old has been taking a 5 week class for homeschoolers, learning about different senses and how animals experience them.
I'm hoping his generation will help restore habitat for creatures like the tiger; and discourage the exotic pet trade, which affects animals like golden lion tamarins and the caracal.

[stuntcat]

7. National Zoo used to make me sad but I got over it

The animals behind the bars and some in square white rooms :(
I went there in 2000 and saw a meercat passing out in his cell and I couldn't go back for years. But this summer I finally went and nothing bad happened, and I read a lot of the signs they had up telling the good stuff they're doing.
(did y'all see the huge giant spider??? I wish I remembered what it's called)

[GoddessOfGuinness]

9. I think they're back on track again with their new director...

He's been there over a year now, and good things are happening...like they're finally going to give the elephants more living space.
Personally, I think it'd be best if they didn't keep elephants at all. I'm not convinced they can really create enough space there to make them happy. But we'll see.

The giant orb weavers? Yeah, they're pretty amazing!

[stuntcat]

15. orb weavers!

I just looked them up and that's it, like this but MUCH bigger than the picture:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

16. I've seen those pretty golden ones around here on occasion...

but it's a rare treat!

[nickinSTL]

17. zoos in the last...I'm not sure how long, 15-20 years maybe....

have really changed their focus.

I took a graduate course in zoology about 10 years ago and also volunteered at the local zoo.

Their motto/mantra/mission, whatever you want to call it was:
Conservation
Education
Research
Entertainment

Entertainment is an aspect of zoos, but not like it was in the past (at least at any zoo with a chance of AZA accreditation http://www.aza.org/) - they try to educate while providing the entertainment, and the focus on research and conservation is really important.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

18. We had a couple of golden lion tamarins from St Louis...

I used to volunteer in the reintroduction program... :-)

[nickinSTL]

19. St. Louis also did a significant reintroduction

of some kind of antelope into the Arabian peninsula(I think that's where they were...might have been Africa, though). They'd become extinct in their natural habitat, and some of the animals from St. Louis joined others from other zoos to start a new herd...which is now doing well.

[ceile]

4. Thanks!

I love big cats! Kinda sad though, I'd much rather see them safe to where they don't have to be in "cages".

[GoddessOfGuinness]

6. You're welcome!

Hopefully one day they won't need cages to protect them. It's going to be tough with big cats, though. People freak out at the thought of being attacked, even if such instances are rare.

[dropkickpa]

8. The Pittsburgh Zoo is expecting x2

baby elephants!! Check link for 4d ultrasound pic!! http://pittsburghzoo.org/zoo.asp?ContentID=348

[GoddessOfGuinness]

10. Cool!

I love elephants... :loveya:

[dropkickpa]

12. Me too! I can't wait, the last two babies are still so cute

and they're 7 and 5, I think. We have 2 Amur Tiger cubs right now also, it's baby-palooza at the pgh zoo!

[BarenakedLady]

11. Rawr!

cool pics. the one of the deer could have been taken in my backyard. lol

[GoddessOfGuinness]

13. The funny thing is, the deer aren't on exhibit.

They come into the zoo from Rock Creek Park. The area where they were resting is a free-ranging golden lion tamarin exhibit from late summer to early fall.

[BarenakedLady]

14. Yes I was sort of wondering about that

White tailed deer aren't usually a zoo exhibit. lol.

[xchrom]

20. thanks for the pics -- very, very cool.

i'm addicted to the san diego zoo.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

21. If I ever get to San Diego, I'd love to see it!

I love the fact that there's so much space for the large animals. :)

[xchrom]

22. you want to sure to go to the wild animal park.

it really completes the picture there.

but do the zoo first -- then the park.

and balboa park has some cool museums too -- it's really an ok place to go for a short vacation.

you'll have fun.