Monday, August 8, 2011

We're Goin' to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo...

8.5.11 (a random summer's day)

Nothing really says summer like a trip to the zoo.  The recent addition of penguins to the Minnesota Zoo ensured that I was going to make it out there this summer - and I did this past weekend!  All the way there I sang a song at the top of my lungs from my kindergarten "pink tea" (that is like graduation for those not from Newman)---
         "Daddy's takin' us to the zoo tomorrow, zoo tomorrow, zoo tomorrow. 
          Daddy's takin' us to the zoo tomorrow, where we will will stay all day.
          (chorus) We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo.  How about you, you, you?
          You can come too, too, too.  We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo..."

You can totally hear what I am talking about at http://www.youtube.com/.  P.S.: Ignore the Aussies intro and video.  This is not the Minnesota Zoo.  But this song is awesome.
 
The main event were the South African Penguins. While I thought their holding area seemed small, they were happily swimming about in the water and waddling around the shore.   They spend most of the time in the cold ocean waters and only go to the beach during very specific times in their life.  Smaller than Emperor Penguins, these little guys can swim up to 12 mph!  The zoo had a nice ad campaign for there new addition, which even included a new song.  Here it and learn more about these penguins at http://www.dothewaddle.com/


African Penguins

Zooming along
What else can one see at the Minnesota zoo?  Oh, there are many animals, friends!  Some of my favorites were the sea otters, prairie dogs, lemurs, bison, leopards, and monkeys.  I even had the opportunity to touch a living sea anemone (they are sort of squishy).
Sea Otter swimming - these guys are the size of a golden retriever!

Brown Bear hanging out

Prairie Dog just chillin'

Ring-tailed Lemur getting ready to settle down for an afternoon nap

Leopard waking up from an afternoon nap

Really, what a great way to spend an afternoon.  Just one of the places for an adventure nearby.