Zoo Day (No 1)

My Zoo Talks have resumed today. I must say, I was quite excited to be back there - the smells, the noises… OK then, maybe not the smells so much…

I was a bit early for the talk so I went to look in at the meerkats - always a nice way to start the day. I passed the otters' pen, but didn’t bother stopping, as in all the eight times I was there last session, I never saw any otters out, except once following a keeper for food.

But as I passed their wall, I heard little ‘miaows’… I looked in and there was an otter peeking out of the nearby bushes. A quick change of lenses, and I then realised there wasn’t one otter, but dozens of ‘em. (15 babies were born in the spring, apparently). All playing together and making the cutest little kitteny sounds. Some were rolling around wrestling, and some were playing on their own juggling big red seed balls (I nearly got an action shot with a seed up in the air, but not quite sharp enough). Then gradually, one by one, they’d all go and lie down to snooze in a big pile. It was so cute.

I spent ages there, but it was quite hard to focus on them as they were behind twigs and leaves a lot of the time. This one was playing with a big seed. I reluctantly dragged myself away to go to the talk.

The talk was a general one on the purpose of zoos. The chap replied to the 10 main misconceptions that anti-zoo groups claim. eg zoos compromise animals’ instincts and behaviours. He gave the example of the meerkats - they came from Germany, from generations of zoo bred meerkats, never needing to be on the lookout at all, but of course they still do it.

When I came out I went to visit the penguins. The new fabulous rock pools that they live in must be the best penquin accomodation in the world. It was brand spanking new when I last saw it - it’s looking rather, er, lived in now… though the keepers were hosing it down - a bit like the Forth Bridge I would think... I spent AGES trying to get a penguin doing the dolphin thing of leaping out as they swim along, but they were too fast.

On the way out, I noted that the Almond Magnums are £2 in the Zoo shop. Mine are about 25p as they were on special in a box. Which reminds me… must just go and enjoy one now.