Beast1979 Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Yesterday I visited the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens! I am on Spring Break, so look forward to more from me over the next 5 days! Today is looking rainy, maybe a Museum Center PTR? At about 1:30 when we left, the weather was cloudy and a band of light rain was passing through. We made the decision to head out, thinking that we could squeeze in a few hours. The famous Jeep! Can you believe this is 12 years old!!! It wasn't long after we headed out that we experienced the first of many traffic problems Yepp, a stalled car on our exit. After about 15-20 minutes navigating through the run-down area around the zoo, we finally found the vehicular entrance. Me? I haven't visited the Cincinnati Zoo since 2007. In fact, I haven't visited any zoo in over a year! The last time was Spring Break 2008, and that was the St. Louis Zoo. The entrance seemed as inviting as I remembered it. After climbing up one of the many hills the Zoo covers (This one happened to contain the main entry area), we crossed the Train Tracks. I remember them being a lot bigger.... First off on our list was Trooper Mom's (Who wasn't available for this trip, currently working at the heavily male-gendered Danis Cooperation in Dayton) favorite, The Adorable Red Panda. Does this look familiar to any KI Addicts? It's not a Canadian Goose, but still.... Pea**** ahead! And then there were the penguins.... Sure, it's a step-down from the amazing Penguin habitat in St. Louis, But it ain't too bad. This particular Pea****, one of many roaming freely through the zoo, was bent on shopping in the closed gift shop. Lions and Tigers and Bears! You can find 'em all at the Cincinnati Zoo! Don't be fooled by how cute they looked in the Wizard of Oz, these guys are fearsome! How about the Spectacled Bear? Nope, not much out of him either... Here's something we should get some action out of! The majestic Polar Bears! These guys were up and moving around! One of them was even putting on a swimming display for us! He would swim up, do a 180, swim down, and do a presentation for the viewers underneath the water. These viewers! He looked so at home in the water! Why, what's over here? If it isn't the amazing Bald Eagle! Apparently, this Eagle Named Rachel had a pretty rough past. The Bald Eagle is one cool bird, and boy is it big! Next up, the White Lions! Lions, Tigers, and Bears, oh my! What a ferocious Kingdom you have, oh lion. Lions sleep 23/24 hours of the day! So there is only a 1/24 chance we catch them awake. Ohh yea, time for my favorite exhibit in the entire zoo. Why is it my favorite? The answer is right here. The Manatee exhibit has 2 sections, this greenhouse type exhibit for Crocs and Gators and whatnot, and an indoor exhibit for animals like snakes, fish, and of course, manatees. As soon as I stepped into this part, I could feel the heat and humidity hit me like a wave, which is a good thing, because I am a sucker for anything involved with Florida, even the weather. Oooooo, a gator! Turtle Turtle Turtle! [/master of disguise moment] This is a croc, if I'm not mistaken. What a shame! When you step into the indoor exhibit you are first greeted with this fish tank. Featuring, you guessed it, fish. Hey, and a 150 year old turtle. Decor like this is scattered throughout the area. There is a large viewing area for the manatees. But like most other animals today, they do not wish to be disturbed. These fish, however, look to be open for viewing! Next Post for more... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beast1979 Posted March 25, 2009 Author Share Posted March 25, 2009 Ohh, bubble! I like bubbles because they give you an up-close view of things. Now THATS a fish. The manatees were balled up in a corner playing with a basket. What do we have here? A large assortment of fish, and a reflection of me, in my Kentucky Rumbler shirt. Have you ever seen a real live parahna? Well, this is what they look like. Did someone say Florida? Like I said, anything Florida, I'm there. Big Turtles This is the skeleton of a manatee That's a big snake! One of my favorite authors, Carl Hiaasen, prefers to write his books here. Me? I am in love with the Space Coast. Do you see him? How about now? I'm gonna take a picture like that one day. I actually have that picture in my room. It's the full Earth, taken by Apollo 17. Ohh god, I think I'm thirsty. Lions, and Tigers, and Bears, Oh My! Umm, no tigers here, just an impact crater ..... Now Here's a Tiger! And 2 Cheetahs... Apparently it's feeding time! This guy doesn't look to happy, maybe its because the people are cleaning the exhibit during his meal? It's Not an Albino.... Its a white tiger. Coooool. One of the many horrible hills you must climb at the Zoo. The Lemurs are one of many no-shows today. Time for the Nocturnal House. No flash, some of the pictures are hard to see. Can you see it? Neither can I. Vampire Bats! A...umm....I don't know what that is. Sorry these are coming out blurry I don't know what that is, but boy is it cute! That is an Armadillo, folks. The Insect House. Oh God No. If there is one thing I can't stand, it's insects... Or spiders Or scorpions Or roaches Ants aren't too bad. Whoever thought Mantis was a bad name for the roller coaster, they were wrong. That, my friends, is a naked Mole Rat. Bullet Ants Known for their blindingly painful sting. Here is my dad (The guy in the green) in the Butterfly house. The cat house? I'm allergic to cats! Well, not if they're balled up in a log, I'm not. The desert! This cat must be worried He was pacing non-stop Next Post for more.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beast1979 Posted March 25, 2009 Author Share Posted March 25, 2009 This guy was pacing too. This guy was just plain hyperactive I am the king of the Exhibits! This guy was staring into the painted wall Awww, how adorable! Pacing Freaks Unite! How pretty Time for the Gorillas. Joe! For the last time, you are a Monkey, not a Gorilla! We got there just in time for feeding! The gorillas actually just sat there and caught the carrots being thrown to them! They then casually sat down and ate them with their hands, looking normally at us as if we were the ones in the exhibit! Whoever said Gorillas were stupid is gravely mistaken. Hey look, baboons! Time to see some rhinos! Ok, we stopped to look at this guy. And this dude, whatever he is. Rhino! This rhino was about 2.5' tall, most like him grow to be about 5 feet! The reptile house! Featuring Lizards, Snakes, And Gila Monsters Galore! This is a Python What's so special about this guy? He's Got 2 coasters named after him! I just saved 15% on my car insurance! The Famous King Cobra If you can't see him, he's doing his job well. We then headed to the car to go home. The only problem, there are too many hills! Finally we found our way to the entrance. Now just a leisurely drive home, right? Wrong! Can you say, an hour of traffic on I-75? Don't worry, we made it home ok. That's all For now! Thanks for Reading! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XGatorHead 8904 Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Oooooo, a gator! XGatorHead 8904 would just like to state for the record that this is not a picture of him. XGatorHead 8904's skin is much less bumpy, less dry, and less green than the guy in this picture. Anyway, nice PTR, Jackson! We love the Cincinnati Zoo. We go every year in August during their half price weekend. Of course, with the temperature the way it was yesterday, you probably had a much more comfortable visit than we usually do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheCryptRaider Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 looks like you had a good time! Nice PTR! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAHill Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 I visited last year for my first time, and I absolutely hated the spiders in the insect house. I won't go inside there again.. (Why the spiders are in the insect house is still over my head. They should have their own house.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beast08 Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 You got the best side of the Bald Eagle! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.