The Zoo

Yesterday Doug and I went to Utah's Hogle Zoo with his family and my brother Jess. We started with the colobus monkeys. I love their long white tails.

Next we stopped by the elephants and rhinoceros. I like the picture of looking under the belly of one rhino to see the other one eating.

The zoo has a new exhibit area called Rocky Shores which has bald eagles, river otters, harbor seals, sea lions, a polar bear, and grizzly bears. Jess and I took turns in the eagles nest.

The polar bear really liked to swim in her pool and stroll around her enclosure. She dove for some fish that the keeper tossed in. It was really fun to watch her swim. The viewing area is great because you can see underwater, on the land area, and in her den.

The grizzly bears had a special ice treat in their enclosure. We make these for our puppy Penny sometimes with chicken broth and hot dog chunks.

Near the end of our visit the zoo keepers worked with the seals and blind sea lion. They teach the animals behaviors to help with veterinary work and to keep them safe. They can retrieve items that fall into the water and take them to their keepers for a fish reward. They also hold out their claws to be clipped and open their mouths to have their teeth brushed.

The blind sea lion has a stick with a ball on the end that makes noise so he can follow it. He did pretty well swimming around and didn't run into things. He stays mostly in one corner of the pool but he seems happy.

After Rocky Shores we saw the tigers, giraffes, and some marsh birds including a swan.

We saw a lot more animals but my camera battery kept dying so I had to be selective with my photography subjects. I'm glad I got to see so many beautiful and diverse creatures. It was a wonderful day near the end of summer.