A Day At The Zoo

Today was another "Caleb & Nan Day" - a perfect way to spend a Saturday!  Since the weather was delightful and we both longed for something we could enjoy in the outdoors, we headed off to the Knoxville Zoo & Zoological Gardens.

Even though we've been there many times before, I've learned over the past five or so years that each visit is unique.  Each visit holds a new opportunity.  And, each visit just endears us to the place more and more.

Some zoos are depressing because they house their animals in small cages that are more like prison cells than homes.  But, not so here at the Knoxville Zoo.  The spacious habitats have been created with each species in mind.  And there is an ongoing effort to improve upon an already good thing.

The plants, flowers and trees that are indiginous to each species' place of origin are well cared for, healthy and thriving.  A butterfly garden blooms in a burst of color that resembles the colors in a 48 count crayon box.

All sorts of interactive opportunities exist at various points throughout the zoo.  Today we ...well, Caleb not I... petted a snake and a rat, explored the inside structure of a large turtle shell (the owner of which had died from old age some time ago), got up close and personal with an alligator that had been taxidermied and donated for educational purposes, and learned untold numbers of interesting little tidbits about some of the zoo's inhabitants.

Tallulah the albino alligator

Today, the new arrivals (or new to us since our last visit) included five penguins visiting for a while, a new set of red panda twins recently born there at the zoo, a summer guests  Buttercup - a 23 foot, 200+ pound reticulated python, and  Tallulah - an albino alligator. You can learn more about these two summer guests by clicking here .

Meerkats standing guard

My favorite area is the Meerkat Lookout.  Those adorable little creatures never tire of putting on a show.  They just stole my heart the very first time I saw them and they continue to be my favorites to this day.

 

Mother & Child

Beavers were busy building their dam, otters played and drifted in the "river" that is part of their habitat.  Baby chimpanzees cuddled their dolls and blankets while mom tried to get a little breathing space for herself. 

White tiger sun bathing

Of course all of the usual zoo animals were there:  elephants, zebra, rhinos, giraffes, camels, black bears, lions, tigers (including a white tiger which is Caleb's favorite resident), exotic birds, gazelles, gorillas, and many more.

We were blessed with sunshine, warm temps and a gentle breeze to make the day comfortable...and we were entertained at every turn by the zoo residents who were just being themselves but somehow seemed to be putting on a show just for us.  All in all, it was a wonderful day! 





Monkey see...Monkey do... !