Matching Tracksuits

Fun in Fours

Columbia Zoo

Sunday 19 July 2009 | general

Being at a zoo can teach one many things.

It can show you how close we are to the great apes. This great gorilla sat watching us as much as we watched him. His eyes darted from face to face, and occasionally he would furrow his brow. Proof of thought? Certainly not. It was humbling to look at him, though, thinking how closely related we are. Granted, we’re more closely related to chimps, genetically speaking, but I looked at the gorilla and saw shadows of us.

DSC_6766

It was not so clear who was watching whom.

DSC_6770

The elephants have better things to do. They’re more concerned with covering themselves with dust and looking old and wise.

DSC_6795

The alligators were looking sly, as if they knew how long they’d survived. “We walked with the dinosaurs,” they seem to say. “We’ll wait you out.”

DSC_6812

The goats, of course, were hungry. There’s not much to learn from goats, except how to deal with trolls under bridges.

DSC_6847

Trains come without tracks — the definition of “train” has become very flexible in the twenty-first century, but a ride on one is just as fun.

DSC_6862

“Helmets are for bicycles,” declares the Girl.

“And for pony rides,” K explains patiently.

DSC_6865

And pony rides are for those who are big enough to venture out on their own, sort of.

DSC_6870

In many ways, giraffe rides are more fun: they last longer, anyway. And they do a more thorough job of getting one dizzy.

DSC_6879

Some birds, growing so accustomed to regular feeding from visitors, take matters into their own claws.

DSC_6900

And it’s only with deliberate effort that visitors keep the greedy beasts from ripping the feeding cup out of one’s hand.

DSC_6908

Feeding birds is a great way to make friends and giggle constantly.

DSC_6917

Birds will hang upside down to get food.

DSC_6928

Zookeepers can take the grizzly out of the wild but, well, you know the rest of the cliche.

DSC_6932

A quick swim when we got back to the hotel and everyone was ready for bed.

Tomorrow: a trip to Angel Oak, the oldest living thing this side of the Rockies (reportedly a 1,600 year old tree), then the final destination: Edisto Island.

From here on out, internet access is a big question mark. And that’s a good thing — we’re on vacation!

1 Comment

  1. aneta

    …ogladam te Wasze zdjecia z weekendu i tak sie usmiecham do siebie, bo my mamy calkiem podobne z ostatnich weekendow, podobne miejsca odwiedzamy, jedynie na kucyka Szymek jeszcze nie poszedl bo na razie troche sie boi podejsc bardzo blisko do zwierzat, usciski z New Jersey i zaproszenie , odwiedzcie nas w koncu kiedy, u nas tez sa ciekawe miejsca do zobaczenia ;)