Fun times at the zoo

Yesterday we decided to venture out to the Denver Zoo as Dan had never been and it's been awhile since I'd visited myself. The Denver Zoo is not of the San Diego Zoo quality but it's still better than some I've been to. Yesterday was a beautiful day in the low 60's and I had an epiphany: going to the zoo in winter is waaaay better than going in summer. Sweltering heat, pushy-elbowing people, and the elephant house in July...mmm mmm, sign me up!

The crowds were definitely not as big but the usual suspects were still there. Kids, and their parents, acting like they'd never been out in public. It drives me berserk when people bang on the glass enclosures or yell at the animals. That and the map that someone threw into the kangaroo pen that they were so lovingly digesting. Rage ensued. I understand the animals are on display for us yahoos to look at but it's this ridiculous behavior that makes the animals snap and drag little Tommy through the cage bars. And Mommy Dearest, the fences are there for a reason: keep your kid from crawling over them into the tiger pit.....it will only end up as a headline on the MSN homepage.

We happened to go at a good time as most of the animals were being fed and that proved to be entertaining; especially the gorillas. It's so weird to see how people like they are in what they do: grabbing at things, climbing up things, and totally hiding away and hoarding lunch! When we reached the elephant pen, it was empty so we strolled into the pachyderm house where not only Dumbo and his homies were (getting some sort of weird elephant pedicure), but also the hippos, rhinos and this lovely little creature called a Tapir. Kind of a crazy looking and later as I learned, crazy acting.

He/she/it was munching on gourmet hay with its back-end toward us. I was standing a few feet away, animal and people watching, when the little girl next to me screamed. I turn to look at her to see what the deal was, since most of the kids we'd encountered to that point were screaming in some fashion, and was met with the worst sight ever. This thing was shooting pee out at a rate and force comparable to a fire hose. And it landed on people. It landed about an inch from my shoes. I've never back-pedaled so quick. Although, I can't say I've ever been put in a situation where bodily fluids were being shot at me like a cannon.

I think I've had my fill of the zoo for awhile.

Posted by Mandy at 6:54 PM