Since Siena loved the zoo so much on Father’s Day, we headed off to the Wild Animal Park to enjoy some different animals and a new setting. Much like our visit to the zoo, we started with the Gorillas. As luck would have it they were being fed and that meant they were all out and were active. Siena picked them out easily and pointed to show me where they were. A good start to a zoo day.
But actually, I am getting ahead of myself just a little. On the way to the Gorillas we walked by a pond filled with flamingos and ducks. Yes, you guessed it Siena was very interested in the ducks. She sees them when we walk around the lake by our house and here at the zoo you can feed them, so they are not afraid to come right on up to you (and peck food right out of your hand). Siena loved the ducks and actually shed a tear the first time I tried to move her on to bigger animals. Alas, we fed some crackers to the quackers, probably a highlight for Siena.
As we toured through the park we got to see all kinds of animals, Rhinos, Giraffes, Lions, Tigers, Cheetahs and many more. The one other animal that truly captured our little girl’s eye was the elephants. The exhibit was bustling with activity which included 2 baby elephants. The different sizes were quite noticeable, not that a baby elephant is exactly small. One elephant decided to do a little swimming and cleaning right in front of us and that was fun to watch. The elephants also were interacting and playing with each other adding to the action. (Action was not easy to come by at this park as the animals were spread out over vast areas and all were pretty laid back). After 2 different zoo visits, I think the elephants might just be the one thing that Siena remembers because she liked them both times and got to see them up close.
But if I simply tried to view the day through my little girl’s eyes (something both Lisa and I constantly find ourselves trying to do), the highlight of Siena’s day was the big yellow balloon. Yes, a balloon, not an animal, (though the ducks of, all things, probably ran a close second). The park has a tethered hot air balloon that flies above the park. If you live in Orange County think of the one and only thing currently in the “great park” and now think yellow instead of orange, same concept. When Siena saw the giant balloon she was immediately captured and couldn’t take her eyes off it. Completely mesmerized, she clearly wanted to know what it was. Every time we went by it she was watching it.
It was a great day and we got to learn a little along the way. What did I learn?
• Animals that are prey versus hunters all sit around looking in different directions versus at each other. They do it so they can watch for animals that might be hunting them; they are not anti-social after all. Here I was thinking none of the animals liked each other.
• The carnivores that do the hunting can only see things in tones of grey. So orange blends in with green and makes the things we think stand out like a sore thumb in a patch of green grass hard to see for a Lion. My guess however is they can still smell them and know they are there.
• Go to the zoo in the summer time, that’s when the baby animals arrive.
• Viognier from South Africa tastes pretty good (African wine tasting at the park!)
• Most importantly, Siena likes balloons. This one should make it pretty easy for me to be popular when needed.
Check out our pictures if you have the time, Lisa was playing with the camera and having a few National Geographic moments. Enjoy all the smiles, I did. It was a lovely day at the park.
