October 26, 2017: Cincinnati zoo again, part 3

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I think this is my favorite picture from October 26, 2017.  No fencing.  No dirty plexiglas with glare all over it.  Pretty colors, nice plants, relatively sharp, nicely-lit Ruppell's vulture -- and, hey, wait, who's that in the upper right?  Mr. Lion, that's who!

I never saw the lion until I saw the image above on "the big screen."  The lions are not in the same enclosure with the "on the grass" animals we've been looking at.  But isn't it cool that he looks like he is?



Flamingos.  Flamingos are docile enough that they can be with keepers, and I think it's fairly common for them to go for walks through zoos, when there are several keepers (and/or volunteers) to walk with them.  These were juveniles who had been walked from their usual enclosure to a small one where we could be within 6 feet of them.

Flamingo chicks are gray.  They slowly turn pink over the next couple of years, if they eat food with the right colorants in it.  Note that these two have gray legs and the one above has pink legs.....

Person for scale.  Not a terribly big person.  Maybe they were about 4'8"?

Mr. Lion with part of his harem.

At least four lions in this enclosure.

Closer crop.

I love images like the above, where there is nothing but a bit of distance between us and the critters.



Also love to be within a foot or two of an animal, with plexiglas in between.  Even when there are reflections all over the plexi and it's harder to see the animal.

Parade of giraffes.

Ever'body thinks the grass is greener on the other side of the barrier.  I'm a bit surprised the logs are a barrier.  Maybe it's because the ground behind them is lower?

Heffalumps.

Her face was totally dark before I lightened it up.  I don't think it's really scraped (as I believe it seems to be in this image).

Speed brothers!  This enclosure was big enough that these guys could run.  There were two out there when we visited.  I believe the brothers are young.  They were chasing each other, which was pretty cool to see.  A cheetah, chasing something that runs ... as fast as a cheetah!

Ok, I want to live in a house where there are (safe and properly cared-for) cheetahs in the yard next door!

This is a crummy pic, but I want to remember that there were two of them in there, and that they were playing with each other.

A lovely day.

My better half found us a very nice pizza parlor near the zoo.  It was early, but the restaurant was crowded.  We enjoyed our pizza and a very nice salad.  We'd eat there again, if we lived nearby.

And thus endeth October 26.



Well, nearly endeth it...................

One of my blogging friends lives in Kentucky.  She has sheep and dogs and cats and chickens.  Every year she has Hug A Sheep day.  I would love to do Hug A Sheep day!  Only ... Kentucky is pretty far from Michigan.

In 2017, Hug A Sheep day was October 28th.  On the evening of October 26th, I realized that I was in *Cincinnati*, NOT in Ann Arbor!  It would be one hour to Hug A Sheep day, not six hours!

We talked about hugging sheep, and my indulgent better half suggested that we stay an extra day so I could hug sheep.

He found us a place to stay on the 27th that was very near my friend's farm.  Instead of going home on the 27th as planned, we would go a bit farther south.

The 26th actually ended with this very uncharacteristic change of plans.


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