Trip to the Zoo

The kids were out of school for A.E.A. (like U.E.A., only in Arkansas) on Thursday and Friday.  I took all the kids in to the doctor.  Two had warts treated (one by freezing, the other by injections) and 4 received the flu mist vaccination.  (Two had already gotten the flu mist.)  Then we headed to the Zoo.  We had a great time.

I had two tickets to the Carousel ride.  Sidnie went with Kate.

Then it was off to see the Gorillas.  Of course they all had to pile on the gorilla statue first.

My parents love this Gorilla.  A few years back when they visited, the gorilla was holding a stick with a branch with a leaf attached.  He held it up in front of him like he was hiding from us.  As an enrichment activity, the gorillas, chimpanzees, and orangutans were given tennis balls.  As  I walked up, I saw a tennis ball fly up into the air.  The big Silver Back Gorilla had thrown the ball towards Kate.  I walked up and looked down and the gorilla retreated behind the bush on the left from where he is emerging in the picture below.  We had some Cheez-it crackers, so I threw a couple down.  He paid no attention, or so it seemed.  So I went above him and dropped one down in front of him.  He came out to get it and then came out to get more.

 He sat down right below us.  He was able to pick up the small cracker with his large hands and even some small peanuts Spencer threw down.  Then a Zoo keeper came with their afternoon snack of apple and tomato pieces.

It was fun to watch him eat those too.

Then she fed the Orangutans.  The big male has his tennis ball in his left foot.  These guys were more picky about the food.  They ate the apples, but spit out the skin.

Then we watched the male climb up here...

Next she moved to the Chimpanzees.  The 3 year old is there swinging and playing in the background as others eat the snack being thrown to them.

Next Kammie, Zack and Spencer rode the train ride.  I didn't get any photos of that because they had to have an adult ride with them if they were little and so I had an impromptu ride myself.

Then it was off to see my favorite...the OTTERS!

We threw Cheez-its to them too.

 They loved them and ate one up.  You can see one on the ledge in front of them that they never found.

This is the second set and they "beg."  

Look how darn cute they are...

The LR Zoo now has Cheetahs.  It's back there in the sun on a dirt path.

 You can't tell here, but it took off like a shot.

Two together...

They came right in below us for this shot. 

 I got one of each one, but the pictures are so similar, that I'm not posting both.

We had fun with the Fall decorations they had out.

Zacky is hauling his pumpkins in the truck.

Farmer Sid...

 Farmer Spence...

 The sun was too bright for this one...

We had a great time!

(Jordan went with James down near the Louisiana border to teach a parenting class.  They spent the night and came back the next day, so she missed our zoo trip.)