I drove up to Cleveland in mid-April to visit my youngest brother and his family (my post-tax season escape). As we drove around the area to some of the city’s MetroParks (they have a GREAT network of parks, something that should inspire other cities around the US) I noticed a sign for the Zoo (also a MetroPark). I didn’t even know they had a zoo and my brother offered to take me the next day (to visit, not to leave me!!).
I will spare you the “normal” zoo animals and try to show the more unusual ones. But first, the entrance. An impressive display of tulips:
NOW the animals:
This stuffed animal was in the on-site veterinarian hospital suite. Better him than a live animal:
They build a viewing overlook at just the right height for kids and adults alike to feed the giraffes:
And speaking of unusual creatures… you are probably familiar with flying squirrels (which friends of mine in Pennsylvania have on their property!!).
How about the rare, elusive flying JohnBoy???
Yes, your afraid-of-heights hero agreed (actually PAID) to be pulled backwards above an alligator infested lake and then released to cheat death and laugh at their efforts to bite his shoes off.
As my friend Shawn, a frequent blog commentor, would say – HA!
But I digress….
Not MY shoes…
A reindeer (above)
A Takin (above)
A cuddly Sloth bear (well, the little one anyway).
A Snow Leopard:
And two Amur Leopards:
A “seems kind of small but I’m still NOT getting in there with him” Grizzly Bear:
This one was further away than it looks. I still haven’t seen one “up close” in the wild but I did see one from very far away near Yellowstone National Park in 2017 and I could tell it was enormous. It is what prompted me to get a digital camera with a zoom lens
And finally, a cuddly Koala:
Two days ago I went to the Cincinnati Zoo and will be posting those photos as soon as I get them off my iPhone 16. I recently upgraded but it is giving me fits trying to offload my photos to my Microsoft computer which is where I post the blog from.
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