The National Zoo’s new addition
Washington, DC
I was recently informed the National Zoo has a baby gorilla, which intrigued me. Last year I went to the Zoo on a regular basis and was always up-to-date on the news there, however, I haven’t been in a while and was caught off guard by the news. Well, I wasn’t going to stand for it, so I had to go.
Great Apes
Western Lowland Gorillas
One of those special moments
HOLD ON… here we go
Reaching out to her big sis, Kigali
Traveling with her mother
Snack time
So for a formal introduction… meet Kibibi, the National Zoo’s newest member. The littlest Western Lowland Gorilla is her mother Mandara’s most recent bundle of joy. Watching her mother and family members interact with her was amazing. They played, kissed, and protected her. Beautiful.
The Gorillas were the first and last on my list to visit for the day for the obvious reason that there’s a new one. I made a few passes just to catch a couple more pictures. What can I say, I was hooked. I went to see the baby and turns out she is adorable. Hopefully I’ll get to visit more often and keep track of her.
I think someone was a little upset about not being the center of attention anymore
Orangutans
Kiko
Unfortunately I didn’t catch too many of the orangutans out. As I walked by Kiko was sitting out people watching, but no one was traveling the O line.
Great Cats
I also made two walk through the Great Cats exhibits, as it’s one of my favorites. The cats are just such gorgeous animals. In the morning they had a young tiger, older female lion and the male lion out in the yards. Then, in the afternoon, a male tiger and two young female lions were out.
Sumatran Tigers
>Restless
African lions
Luke, King of…his corner of the exhibit
As usual, the big cats didn’t disappoint. They were out proudly displaying their beauty.
Cheetahs
On the move
At the Cheetah exhibit, two young males were out in the big yard and a female in a neighboring yard in the afternoon. One walked up to the watering hole near the walkway to drink. It was awesome. He was RIGHT there. They are such gorgeous animals.
Misc
Just for the heck of it, I walked around for a while trying to catch some good shots of various animals. Practice makes perfect!
Sea Mammals
Cali
Selkie and Gunnar people watching
They had a couple of demonstrations at the California Sea Lion and Gray Seal exhibits. I didn’t see either, but was there for the transition between the two. Although, I did catch the tail end of the Sea Lion program, which appeared to be more of a physical exam of the animal. Still interesting. It’s probably a pretty fun job to work with the animals on such a regular basis.
The gray seals added a little humor to my day. They announced the beginning of the seal demonstration, so the crowd moved from the sea lion exhibit next-door to their exhibit. I followed, with the intention to wait around, only to see the couple just ‘sitting’ in the water giving a “they-are-such-strange-creatures” look to the gathering crowd. They were just chillin, as pictured. Good times.
Bears
Nikki, male Spectacled Bear
After multiple trips up and down the hill around the zoo, I called it a day. It definitely tired me out, but well worth it.
Today’s Flickr set: Zoo pics
Big Cats at the National Zoo
Washington, DC
In an effort to relive my recent safari, I decided to visit one of my favorite spots, the National Zoo. I didn’t make it far or stay long because I’m still struggling to readjust and so tired all of the time.
African Lion
Hear me Roar!
Luke, the zoo’s young male African Lion
Sumatran Tiger
Waiting for lunch…
And now, the 2pm crash setting in.
Rokan
What can I say, it was a short visit. I simply camped out at the Big Cats Exhibit and watch the lions and tigers play for most of my time there. As I mentioned, I didn’t have the energy for a long visit.
Today’s Flickr set: animal pics
Surprise, surpirse… the National Zoo
Washington, DC
Asian Trail
Merlin playin’ around
Tai, a young Clouded Leopard, napping in a tree
Great Cats
A morning dip
Nababiep and Shera
Great Apes
Contemplating the day
Misc
Aldabra Tortoise
Okay, okay, the plan was to visit a few NEW exhibits, which obviously did NOT happen. I still just went to the most popular animals, i.e. my usuals, but what can I say… I’m a bit gimpy at the moment. They are some of the easiest exhibits to get to and maneuver around. Physical therapy is helping, but walking for extended periods still takes a toll on me, especially on a hill.
Today’s Flickr set: animal pics
An afternoon at the National Zoo
Washington, DC
About mid-morning I decided go on a short outing, since the weather was so nice. I went to the National Zoo, yet again. As I’ve mentioned, going to zoos works well for my current physical condition. There’s minimal walking for maximum photo ops.
Lions…
Not such a morning cat it seems
Tigers…
On the straight and narrow
And Bears…
Balawat, Sloth Bear cub
Oh my… yet, still more?
Three brothers sunning
Hanging on the O-line
The mighty Silverback
Today’s Flickr set: animal pics
National Zoo, again
Washington, DC
Today I mustered up the motivation and energy to go out for a short photo trip! I know, shocking. I went back to the National Zoo. Even more shocking. I miss my city and battlefield walks, but I’m still not up to it. They will just have to wait until walking becomes less of a taxing activity. It doesn’t really matter. For the moment, I’m enjoying photographing the animals.
Cheetah Conservation Station
On the lookout
Hmmm… where have I seen this look before?
Not sure if you can see it, but the Grevy’s Zebra is actually sticking its tongue out at me. I feel like I recognize such a look… from one of its distant relatives maybe:
Great Cats
Lunch Time!!
“What was that? I heard something, did you hear something?”
Beaver Valley
Spectacled Bear
American Beaver
Small Mammals House
“Well, hello there”
I made a special trip into the Small Mammals House to visit the meerkats. I have a lot of fond memories of lazy Saturday mornings watching Meerkat Manor on Animal Planet. Good times.
Today’s Flickr set: animal photos
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